Back to my previous Brave New World reference, I don't think it's as much that the clothes now can't be repaired but that we, as a society, have developed the attitude that we shouldn't bother mending things when we can just buy a new, inexpensive replacement items.

I've lost buttons and had tears develop in the seams of several inexpensive pieces of clothing, something I've attributed to the lower standard of quality you refer to. However, by fixing the item, rather than simply throwing it away, I've prolonged the usefulness of the items. These will likely never be items that last a lifetime ... but they will last much longer than their first failure.

This is something I've been challenged with for other things too. How often to I replace or throw out items that only require minor repairs or a little elbow-grease to remain useful?

For example, my kid's rabbit ate through his laptop charger's power cord so my first reaction was to buy a new one. They were pretty pricey so I made him wait while I shopped around and he ended up not being able to use his laptop for quite a while as I vacillated on what the best option was. In the end, after fixing something else with a similar problem, I just fixed the cord and he was back up and running. But why wasn't my first reaction to fix it? Why was I so eager to spend money on a replacement with out even considering repair as an option?

I edited too late. Missed the "so I wouldn't have to" part.

Are any of these sewing skills taught at School any more. I remember using a sewing machine at school to make a Kitchen Apron before everyone ventured into the home economics class.

They don't seem to be, as all we have now in the UK is the dumbed down pretense of an 'academic' basis for a universal Government regulated curriculum education for everyone.



This novel probably isn't on anyone's English literature reading list anymore just as with the 'Lord of the Flies'.

Which future beckons I wonder!

In a funny bit of timing, I lost a button on an otherwise fine shirt last night and had to fix it


I remember making a pair of shorts (or maybe they were supposed to be pants?) that didn't fit well at all . My skills certainly haven't improved since; I can do rudimentary repair work by hand but that's about it.

I know my son's school still has a home economics class, I recall him talking about some of the cooking classes. I am pretty sure there was (or will be) a sewing component too, but I'll have to double check that.


You may be right, but to be fair that wasn't the setting I read a Brave New World in (or most of the good/important books I've read in my life, for that matter).

Just checked my old schools published online newsletter to see if they are still teaching these home economic skills. Apparently they still are, which was a pleasant surprise.

Apparently they even had a School team which won a Design Engineering Elegance award for an Remote Operated Vehicle competition open to schools and Universities from around the world held by NASA at their Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston Texas.