Looking Out, Looking In: The Poetics of Repaired Clothes

Abstract

The fashion and textile field covers repair activities handled on a large scale, such as mending tears, covering up stains with various patches, and changing the formal features of clothing. Beyond its functional role, repair has a visual and emotional significance, serving as a symbolic manifestation of resistance against the pervasive disintegration of our world. Repairing textiles unveils a poetic dimension that surpasses its practical function, invoking a narrative imbued with notions of continuity and the reimagining of material potential. This paper employs a material culture approach, examining case studies of repair practices in fashion and textiles to explore their social, visual, and personal dimensions, understanding how repaired clothes carry meanings beyond their material function. Repair is analyzed as a poetic practice reflecting broader themes of sustainability, care, and resistance to disposability. Case studies illustrate diverse approaches ranging from historical practices to contemporary initiatives, with visual examples from the author’s field studies. The cases were chosen for their relevance to the discourse on repair as both a functional necessity and a poetic expression. As a result, the paper discusses diverse approaches, demonstrating how repair manifests across different temporal, esthetic, and conceptual contexts.

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