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If an ‘investment’ piece of clothing is really worth investing in, it’s also worth mending. We take a look at three companies that offer repair services to make their products last for longer

Barbour Waxed Jacket Repair

You can’t beat a Barbour jacket that has aged. Slightly tatty, bit of wear and tear but still functional. Keeping the water out, no holes, some patches here and there and moulded to the owner’s frame. With the right care a Barbour jacket can last a lifetime. Even in the face of the great outdoors where the jackets are most at home. A testament to the iconic pieces themselves is how far people are willing to go to get their beloved one repaired. Approximately 20,000 jackets are returned to Customer Services in Barbour’s South Shields for repair and re-waxing each year.

Barbour recommends re-waxing its waxed jackets once a year and this can be done personally at home with Barbour’s Wax Thornproof Dressing or by sending the garment to be re-waxed in house. Barbour’s recently opened Duke Street store in Mayfair houses the brand’s first ever in-store re-waxing station, providing a chance to see the 20-minute process first-hand. The company also offers a comprehensive waxed jacket repair and reproofing service; everything from replacing zips and patching up holes to repairing pockets and linings.

barbour.com; 56 Duke Street, North Mayfair, London W1K 6JA

Patagonia Garment Repair and Recycling
A lot has been made of Patagonia’s commitment to ‘worn wear’ and rightly so. The outdoor brand – which despite its recent trendiness – has been making high-quality outdoor wear for nearly 50 years, has comprehensive repair guides and forums on its website. From small in-the-field fixes to larger community-led repair Q&As, their product care ranges are also a must-read guide for looking after a range of garments, not just their own.

As well as their DIY repair guides, Patagonia offer a reasonably-priced, in-house repairs service and their ironclad guarantee means that if an item isn’t up to scratch in the field (or up the mountain or riding the wave), they’ll repair, replace or refund it. They also offer a trade initiative too, whereby old but functioning Patagonia clothing in good condition can be taken into retail stores and traded for credit. The credit can be used online or in store. Pretty nifty.

patagonia.com

Crockett & Jones Shoe Refurbishment
We’ve sung the praises of Goodyear-welted shoes before, but their ability to be repaired should never be underplayed. Consider over time how many shoes you’ve panic-purchased on the cheap before a wedding or funeral and how long they’ve lasted before you panic-purchased the next pair. Consider their job: to bear your weight, rub against abrasive surfaces all day and keep you protected from the elements. 

A host of companies offer shoe refurbishment and of course, similar services can be found on the high street, but having seen first-hand some of Crockett & Jones’s in-house cobbling handy work, we felt it was worth mentioning. Pairs can be taken to the nearest Crockett & Jones store or posted directly. 

Once returned to the factory they were manufactured in, they are stripped down, which due to their Goodyear-welted construction, means the upper and insole (the bit that over time and through wear, moulds to your foot) remain intact. The shoes are then re-welted on the appropriate last and re-soled and re-heeled. New soles are finished to the factory standard whilst uppers are cleaned and polished providing new pair visuals with the familiar and unique snugness of a well-worn shoe.

crockettandjones.com

Words by Davey BRETT
Image Credits courtesy of Barbour