Patched in a time of broken bras

Hello and welcome to Patched,

In between my regular newsletter I send out Patched - a members-only series where people can ask me a fashion (or fashion-adjacent) question, and I'll reply with a short letter from an anti-capitalist perspective.

If you have a question, please email me at: DearPatched@proton.me

The title Patched is a reminder that at this critical time we need repair and regeneration as well as analysis. I will keep unpicking and unravelling the fashion industry but Patched makes space to explore mending - finding solutions to both personal and structural problems.

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The Right To Repair Bras

Dear Patched,

I've been struggling to replace a broken underwire in a bra because there are no physical stores selling them near me and every time I order one online it seems to be the wrong size and shape no matter how carefully I measure.

Bras don't just require a lot of labour and materials to manufacture, they're very expensive, so it got me wondering whether there was any campaigning going on for a Right to Repair for clothes that need specialist components like underwires?

Wouldn't it be useful if there were standard, numbered, interchangeable parts you could order online and be sure to get the right one?

Feeling unsupported,

Jules

Dear Jules,

Thank you for your letter. In a world where supposedly broken things and supposedly broken people are pushed to the margins or expelled out of society, campaigning for a system of care for community, people, and our material world is a radical act.

While I volunteer in a Repair Cafe, I'm not an expert so I reached out to different specialists for some advice.

First up, I contacted Right to Repair Europe Coalition. There is not yet a right to repair for clothes, but they pointed me towards their handy iFixit guide on Bra Underwire Replacement. They also sent this link for finding underwires by bra size.

I also put your question to Corinne Riepert, who has just co-authored this marvellous zine Patched and Care which is all about repair. Corinne had some great suggestions.

“Sew on some preventative patches in places the wire tends to poke through. You can easily make them yourself,” Corinne said. “A good option is thin but stable lining fabric and iron-on Vliesofix.” (For folk who have never worn an underwire bra - being jabbed in the chest by a piece of escaped wire is about as fun as it sounds.)

Make sure to wash bras gently. Bras are labour intensive to make and have many components including lace, clasps and wire. “I would recommend washing them by hand in your sink or using a laundry bag, and avoiding excessive spinning. Also, be sure to close the clasp before washing, as the little hooks can easily damage your other garments.”

Another point Corinne made was if something repeatedly breaks, is it the best option? Bras are a personal choice and depend upon body shape but a simple tip to avoid wire breakage is to try bras without metal – bralettes, sport-style bras – which can also be more comfortable.

If you’ve already bought replacement underwires that don’t fit, Corinne wondered if you could try altering them. “You could try shortening them with pliers, rasp the ends, and then cover them with a little fabric or tape,” she said. “Alternatively, you could try reshaping the underwire with pliers to match the required form, using the existing underwire as a pattern.”

It would also be good, for the principle of Right To Repair – to contact the brand that sold the bra and ask if they will send you the underwire they use. Let's work towards the day we have right to repair for clothes so that brands have to fix things like bras, jeans and shoes when they break.

Never Take Broken For An Answer!

In solidarity, Tansy.

Share Your Repair

1) Corinne's Sustainability by Design project at Folkwang University of the Arts would love to see your repaired textiles: 'It doesn't matter if you repaired it yourself, if it was a commissioned repair, a family heirloom, or a second-hand find; we are interested in everything. It could be, for example, clothing, shoes, a bag, a curtain, or a sofa cover.'

Send it in here by the 18th May.

2) Repair Cafe are campaigning for a Right To Repair for clothing. There are thousands of Repair Cafes around the world - find one to join here: https://www.repaircafe.org/en/visit/

3) Watch this video about why we need the Right To Repair:

p.s. I'm teaching InfoSec this month and there is a place or two left. Bookings and more info here.