When you purchase a garment from Veloura Collective, you are not just buying clothing—you are beginning a relationship. We are committed to supporting that relationship for as long as you own the piece, through our lifetime repair and alteration services.
This commitment is central to our philosophy. Clothing should not be disposable. When something wears or no longer fits quite right, the answer should be repair, not replacement.
The Lost Art of Mending
There was a time when mending was a normal part of life. Socks were darned, shirts were patched, coats were relined. People had relationships with tailors and seamstresses who knew their measurements and their preferences.
This practice has largely disappeared, replaced by a culture of disposability. When something breaks or wears, we throw it away and buy a new one. This is wasteful and unsatisfying.
We want to revive the practice of mending—not out of nostalgia, but because it makes practical and emotional sense. A garment that has been repaired carries history. The mend becomes part of its story, a visible reminder of its longevity and value.
What We Repair
We offer repair services for any garment we have made, no matter how old. Common repairs include:
- Replacing buttons or zippers - Mending seams or tears - Relining jackets or coats - Reinforcing areas of wear - Patching or darning
Some repairs are simple and can be done quickly. Others require more extensive work. In all cases, we approach the repair with the same care and attention we brought to the original construction.
Alterations
Bodies change over time. You may gain or lose weight, your posture may shift, your style preferences may evolve. Rather than discarding garments that no longer fit perfectly, we offer alteration services to adjust them.
Common alterations include:
- Taking in or letting out seams - Shortening or lengthening hems - Adjusting sleeve lengths - Modifying necklines or waistlines
These alterations ensure that your garments continue to fit well and feel comfortable, extending their wearable life significantly.
The Economics of Repair
There is a common perception that repair is expensive and not worth the cost. This is sometimes true for cheaply made garments—the cost of repair may exceed the cost of replacement.
But for well-made pieces, repair is almost always the more economical choice. A jacket that cost several hundred pounds but will last twenty years with occasional repairs is a far better investment than a cheap jacket that needs to be replaced every year.
We price our repair services fairly, reflecting the time and skill required but not attempting to profit from them. Our goal is to make repair accessible, to remove barriers that might lead someone to discard rather than mend.
Environmental Impact
The environmental benefits of repair are significant. Extending the life of a garment by even a few years dramatically reduces its overall environmental impact.
Consider that producing a new garment requires raw materials, energy, water, and labor. All of this has an environmental cost. Repairing an existing garment requires only a small amount of thread and a skilled person's time. The difference is enormous.
If we are serious about sustainability in fashion, repair must be part of the conversation. It is not enough to create clothing from sustainable materials—we must also create systems that support keeping and caring for that clothing over time.
The Emotional Value
Beyond the practical and environmental benefits, there is emotional value in repair. A garment that has been mended carries memory. It is a physical record of your life—where you have been, what you have done, how you have changed.
This is the opposite of the disposable mindset. It is about building a relationship with your clothing, about seeing garments as companions rather than commodities.
We have clients who have been wearing pieces we made ten years ago, garments that have been repaired multiple times and are still going strong. These pieces have become part of their identity, part of their story. This is what we hope for all our work.
How to Access Our Services
If you own a Veloura garment that needs repair or alteration, simply get in touch. We will discuss what needs to be done, provide an estimate, and arrange for you to send the piece to our atelier.
We aim to complete most repairs within two weeks, though more extensive work may take longer. When we return the garment to you, it will be cleaned, pressed, and ready to wear.
This is our commitment to you—not just to make beautiful clothing, but to support you in caring for it, ensuring that it remains a valued part of your wardrobe for as long as possible.