merino and possum socks, May 2018, canon, ©Sylvie G

I have been  mending my old (or less old) socks for a long time. I do it because I am attached to my clothes and especially to my socks, which I do not like to get rid of. In addition to the practical function of mending, which I learned as an autodidact, there is the therapeutic function, which can not be underestimated. Moreover, anyone who knows me well knows  that no gift makes me happier than a pair of socks. Those of the photo were offered to me by a loved one and I was not going to leave a few small holes jeopardizing the presence of these exquisite colors in my collection. This pair is made of possum (considered a plague (unfortunately) in New Zealand) and merino wool. When I think  of all the work involved in making the  wool, dyeing it, knitting it ,  then transporting the socks  to a shop, buying them, and sending them by mail to me (I was in Tenby at the time), there’s no way  these socks will be rid of. Mending them made  me feel good. There was a time when I did my best to hide the repair, but today I’m trying to show it off and I’m wearing my darned socks just as you wear your war wounds,  with pride. This activity often makes people smile and sometimes laugh, but things are changing. During the week of the Fashion Revolution, which aims to make fashion consumers think about the human and ecological consequences of their clothing choices, mending and patching workshops were offered (in London). We will see again,  perhaps,  this activity neglected for ages  becoming “fashionable” again.