5 April 2024
Why we need a global Mend in Public Day
- Repair
- Events
- Workshops
Ever considered giving your cherished belongings – be it clothes, shoes, or accessories – a rejuvenating touch rather than discarding them? Discover the growing landscape of repair shops: a circular movement of contemporary tailors helping European cities transform into sustainable havens by repairing clothing in a professional and modern way. They open up in different cities in the Netherlands and Flanders. Who wants to hop on this trend and/or give clothing a longer lifespan, you’ve come to the right place.
Dive into our curated guide, illuminating some of the finest repair shops in the Netherlands and Flanders that breathe new life into your treasures, ensuring they remain with you for many more memories. Good for your wallet ánd the environment! Or would you rather learn how to repair clothes yourself? Discover the best places to (learn to) repair clothes in the Netherlands and Flanders.
Clothing repair in the Netherlands
De Steek
Located in the heart of Amsterdam-West, De Steek offers an extraordinary sewing café and boutique experience. You can learn to sew yourself or you can attend workshops to learn how to repair clothes. Dive into a visible mending workshop or learn how to repair by using the darning technique. The essence of eco-consciousness is woven into every facet: from high-quality, plastic-free haberdashery to elastics born from natural rubber and threads spun from organic cotton and recycled polyester. The sewing café has a cosy and creative atmosphere where you learn to deal with clothing in a fun, more conscious and educational way!
Studio Koekoek
Attention to all modern DIYers! Studio Koekoek in Amsterdam is the place where you can find modern and more conscious craft materials to repair clothes yourself. From iron-on repair patches, wooden speed weaves and more ecological sewing threads to vintage sewing and embroidery tins, you will find it in the store or webshop of Studio Koekoek. Do you want to gain more skills, so you can repair clothes yourself in a better and more professional way? Follow a workshop or read the blogs about how to repair clothing and the use of, for example, a darning mushroom.
At Studio Koekoek you will also find many more craft materials, such as modern embroidery kits, weaving materials, punch needle starter kits and yarns made from ecological wool, recycled denim or recycled linen.
Discover the workshops and blogs for clothing repair at Studio Koekoek.
Modestraat
Creative people can indulge themselves at the Modestraat in Amsterdam-Noord. The Modestraat is a creative breeding ground with a repair café where you can repair clothes, but you can also follow sewing lessons, rent sewing machines, attend workshops, rent an atelier, swap second-hand clothes in the swapping boutique or drink a cup of coffee and eat a sandwich. The Modestraat is a unique social gathering place in the neighbourhood where you will find many residents from Amsterdam North, but of course everyone is welcome here!
Wondering when you can visit the repair café for a (DIY) clothing repair? Check out the website of the Modestraat for their updated agenda!
Tailors of Amsterdam
For a professional, artisanal and experienced tailor, you should go to Tailors of Amsterdam on the Elandsgracht in Amsterdam. The owner Atilla has years of experience in the clothing industry. He travelled as a highly skilled tailor in countries such as Turkey, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain and Austria to make and repair clothes. A world of experience! From repairing a broken zipper, (press) buttons, holes or repairing clothing, Atilla and the team at Tailors of Amsterdam are happy to help you. This way you can enjoy your clothes even longer!
Discover all the repair services that are offered by Tailors of Amsterdam.
ReShare Stores
Next to selling second-hand clothing, ReShare Store is also focussing on more sustainable and conscious ways to deal with clothing. To encourage you not to throw away damaged clothing but to repair it, they offer a repair service in various stores throughout the Netherlands. In the ReShare Store in The Hague, Deventer, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Amsterdam and Eindhoven you can have your clothing repaired for a small contribution. The repairs are done by volunteers and when the right person is present, it is possible that your garment will be repaired within 20 minutes!
Do you have a piece of clothing from the clothing brand Josh V? Because of their partnership with ReShare Store, you can even have your clothes by Josh V repaired here for free. Read more about this repair service here.
SneakerCleaners
You already discovered that it is very easy to get your clothing repaired, but did you also know this is possible with your old sneakers? At SneakersCleaners in Tilburg they breathe new life into your old sneakers by repairing and professionally cleaning them. Even when you think your sneakers are ready for the trash bin, at SneakerCleaners they ensure that they can last another round! The sneaker cleaning store is located in the Tuinstraat in Tilburg and you can choose various cleaning and repair services for sneakers and shoes.
Amsterdam stadspas
Do you have an Amsterdam Stadspas? Thanks to this city pass you can have clothes repaired with a 40% discount at more than 30 different tailors throughout Amsterdam.
Please note: the Stadspas is for people with a lower income or little wealth who live in Amsterdam. You need a Stadspas with a green dot if you want to use the discount for clothing repairs. Read about the terms and conditions of the Amsterdam City Pass here.
Clothing repair in Flanders
HOIHOI
HOIHOI is your sanctuary for the expert restoration of luxury shoes, belts and designer handbags. A mishap with your cherished possession? Don’t fret, true craftsmanship is at hand. They offer a fully digital service, where you can send photos of the item and receive a commitment-free quote. You can send the item or bring it yourself to their atelier in Oosterzele, near Ghent. After the repair, HOIHOI will send the bag or shoes back to you. In this convenient and conscious way, you can enjoy your favourite pair of shoes or (designer) bag for even longer.
Request a commitment-free quote here for a repair service at HOIHOI.
Shoerecrafting
In the historic centre of Bruges, Luc’s Shoerecrafting stands as a testament to three decades of passion and mastery in shoe restoration. Entrust your exquisite footwear to Luc, and watch each pair be reborn, showcasing his unparalleled craftsmanship. For Luc, repair is an ode to quality, elegance, and the minute details that matter. Expect nothing less than perfection; because with Luc, it’s always about delivering the epitome of excellence.
Read more about the professional shoe repair at Shoerecrafting here.
Naaipunt
Naaipunt is a sewing atelier in Antwerp where they focus on textiles, sustainability and an ecological society. You can go here for a workshop ‘repairing clothes by hand’, where you learn to repair clothes using various handicraft techniques, without the use of a sewing machine. Or attend a workshop where you learn to use the sewing machine, so that you can professionally make, repair and upcycle clothing. Naaipunt is a cosy and social place where you are stimulated to deal with clothing in a more conscious way. A win-win!
Discover the workshops for clothing repair at Naaipunt here.
Mien Kaba Atelier
‘The most sustainable handbag is the bag you already have’. Although Mien Kaba designs and creates beautiful, custom-made bags in her atelier in Bruges, she is also consciously committed to a better world in which we buy fewer things. That is why you can also visit the Mien Kaba Atelier for professional repair services for (leather) bags. Or do you have a bag that you no longer like anymore, but whose material is still very beautiful? Mien Kaba turns your old bag into a beautiful ‘new’ bag that you can enjoy for many years to come.
Read all about the conscious way of working by Mien Kaba Atelier.
