A stitch in time saves nine—or approximately ninety-two million tonnes, to be exact.
Ah, 2020. The year of wildfires and hurricanes; politics and protests; pandemics and… fashion trends? With the most recent wave of COVID-19 hitting concerningly high numbers, many people have once again retreated to their socially-distant voids of boredom. Despite being isolated from a proper audience to flaunt fashionable fits to, people have begun to explore the endless waves of fashion trends sweeping social media. So far, this year, we’ve seen it all: dehydrated fruit earrings, edgy corsets, shaggy purses, and now, personalized embroidery. As if saying “me… but make it minimalistic,” embroidery is a quick way to revamp a plain sweatshirt, detail an average pair of jeans, or customize ordinary accessories.
Embroidery, contrary to many fast-fashion trends, is incredibly eco-friendly. With many people hesitant to donate or hand down old clothing due to sanitation concerns, trash disposal for clothes is becoming an increasingly popular option. However, this method creates many environmental issues; according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 alone generated around 92 million tonnes of global textile waste.
With something as small as a colorful stitching pattern, we can revive old clothing through embroidery. The time and effort put into a stitch make a clothing article invaluable, thus reducing its chances of being discarded. Furthermore, stitching requires only some thread and a needle—no messy paint pallets or graphite and ink smears. If you mess up, you can cut your thread and start over; if you’re dissatisfied with your color choice, you can stitch over it with a new shade. The simplicity and efficiency of embroidery make it a viable trend for many to partake in, all while benefitting the environment.