Why Do We Mend Together?
If you don't know that undescribable vibe I'm alluding to, join our mending club next week!
Welcome to Better Together’s bi-weekly newsletter, where we believe that the more we work together, the greater impact. Written by Rachel Ceruti, Director of Community @ FABSCRAP. This quarter’s theme is - Sewing Circles & System Change!
Chances are, you go to mending clubs for the vibe.
I know I do! I mean, it’s much easier to mend at home, with the internet at your fingertips for anything you might need. BUT, we go to mending clubs, eagerly.
Intuitively, I knew why we mend together, but it wasn’t until I was lobbying up in Albany earlier this week that the primal, innate, sapien, even ancestral reason really clicked.
I know some people only in the context of mending club. I see old friends there. I make new ones. Now, do I get a lot of actual mending done? Not really—but that’s more of a personality thing than a mending club thing.
So what am I getting at? Other than the fact that this whole month is filled with mending events (see below)
We mend together for preservation.
Preservation of ourselves, of our fellow humans, and of our planet.
Upcoming Mending Events:
All month long: 30% off all Mendables @ FABSCRAP (in-store & online)
May 13th: Mending Club @ Seven Wonders Collective
May 19th: Ferry Mending Club
May 21st: A Conversation with the women who literally wrote the book on mending, Kate Sekules @ Books Are Magic
Tuesday I joined dozens of others at the state capital in Albany to advocate for The Fashion Act.
More on this important piece of legislation below in the “What We’re Consuming” section.
Earlier this week, I joined dozens of amazing advocates in Albany to lobby for The Fashion Act. The people you see in the photo above used the power of storytelling to advocate for a better fashion industry. Over just a few hours, we shared research, data, and our own lived experiences with more than a dozen New York legislators demanding they take action.
I could go on and on about this—let me know if you want a separate post—but for email-length’s sake, I’ll leave you with this:
If you ever have the opportunity to join an advocacy day for something you believe in, take it.
Trust me—I didn’t know everything about The Fashion Act (I still don’t). I have no idea how a bill becomes a law, nor where this one currently stands in the process. And it didn’t matter.
The beauty of collective advocacy is rooted in the rich tapestry of where we each come from and what we carry with us.
No two people in our group had the same background, experiences, or expertise—and that made for the best storytelling.
Stay with me, I’m bringing it home.
Because all I seem to think about is community and mending, on the bus ride home from the capital, I started thinking about how communal advocacy and mending really aren't that different.
At the core of both mending and advocacy- people just want to preserve and both are made stronger through storytelling. It could be argued that mending is advocacy and advocacy is mending.
At mending club, we’re not just repairing garments; we’re engaging in a deeply human ritual of sharing.
In these circles, stories emerge about the origin of a shirt, the person who taught us to sew, or the personal history etched into a frayed hem. These stories bond menders who may not have known each other 15 minutes ago. Suddenly, deep conversations traverse politics, personal beliefs, and other “touchy” subjects; seemlessly breeding collective advocacy. At mending clubs, we are preserving our clothes, our stories, and the possibility of a brighter future.
Beyond these circles, this kind of storytelling transforms the mending process. It shifts from utility to meaning. A visible repair turns into a badge of care, a quiet declaration that we won’t discard what still has life. Mending signals our desire to preserve our community and our planet.
How could you NOT want to join our mending clubs now?
🔗Textile Resources
BRIDAL BRUNCH: You’re Invited! Wedding Season is here & FABSCRAP has textiles for it.
New Yorkers doing cool stuff in Climate: grab a ticket to learn what cool things OTHER people are doing (you can also sign up to be those ~other~ people too)
An exploration of amateur clothing repair practices in Western and post-Soviet contexts.
The US President’s tariffs are effectively achieving what a decade of sustainable fashion campaigning couldn’t accomplish: curbing overconsumption.
Some fear the Trump administration’s hawkish trade policy is more of an obstacle than an opportunity for domestic circularity.
For my fellow textile recycling nerds.
You know I have more textile recycling innovations, this time in the UK.
Resale might be ready to have a trade war moment, and ThredUp is looking to get more brands.
Also, shout out to the Thred Up Resale Report!
📰 What We’re Consuming
“FASHION ACT”
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“CUSTOM EBAY”
Anybody else catch the specific note that some Met Gala attendees were wearing “Custom eBay”? I’m sure I’m not the only one but I’ve been clocking eBay’s HEAVY investment in the circular fashion economy for the past few years. To be honest, it’s impressive. I’m happy to write a full on deep dive about their acknowledgement turned revamp of shopping on Ebay for secondhand fashion. This article is just another example. Let me know if you want to learn more about eBay’s investment in circualr fashion.
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'“CONSUMED”
You know it - our Book Club selection, Consumed by Aja Barber is a MUST READ! Not only is this book so well written but it captures the nuances, elephant(s)-in-the-room, and actionable steps to challenge the fashion industry to do better. It’s sassy. It’s serious. It’ll open your eyes even if you’ve been in sustainable fashion (or something similar) for years. I’ve read this book twice and am SO excited to read it again. Cannot reccomend enough. Save the date - we’re talking about it June 18th!
Grab your copy @ 15% off from Books Are Magic
*Discount automatically applies instore & online!
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Thanks for reading!
Please like, comment, & share - it really helps AND means a lot : )
I had missed the eBay connection to the met galas, how interesting! Just put a hold on “Consumed” from the BK library, hoping I can make the book club!