In the past, repair was standard practice. New clothes were less accessible and more expensive. It was expected that a Sunday suit or dress would last for decades, and these items were looked after carefully with households having the skills to maintain them. It was a simple system and it worked.
Skip forward to the 60s/70s and we saw the introduction of ‘ready to wear’ paired with the proliferation of polyester making garment production, and ownership, faster and cheaper. In the 80s/90s we watched companies shift their manufacturing offshore to secure cheaper labour in less regulated regions. By the early 90s, tech was also rapidly evolving, the world wide web opened its arms to our homes and businesses began exploring digital spaces for the first time. All of these developments gave birth to what we now call fast fashion, which encourages a more disposable attitude to clothes rather than one of longevity.
It’s important to note that repair never went away over this period. Some manufacturers maintain the practice of making small repairs on faulty items before they go to brand partners. Also skilled individuals in retail (eg Nudie Jeans) and second hand charity stores can and do sew on a button, darn a hole or restitch a seam to get garments back on the floor. Repair and alteration businesses persist in shopping centres and in small home operations. There is also a persistent though small cohort of individuals and small businesses who have kept repair alive in their own ways. It’s safe to say that repair shifted from commonplace to a fringe or below the line practice - a gentle heartbeat.
In 2026, is repair having a moment?
We are seeing the rise of the reselling of garments with the growth of peer to peer shopping platforms all over the world like Ebay, Depop, Vinted and TheRealReal. Businesses are also jumping at the opportunity to secure a piece of this pie as the resale category is set to grow at three times the rate of ‘firsts’ over the next decade. We’ve seen large scale and global leaders like Patagonia, Levi’s and Kathmandu jump at this opportunity, and local sweethearts like Kuwaii, Elk and Kowtow establish their own versions of a resale offering. With all of this emphasis on the reselling of used apparel, suddenly repair is more relevant than it has been in decades as many of these items need a little bit of work. And at Brood, we are here for it.
Repair has always been part of our approach. We address knitting faults throughout our production and we fix any customer issues with our garments, whether a fault in the product or from damage that has occurred when in use. All our products are made for longevity and designed to be repaired over time as needed. But we also want all the garments people already have at home to continue to be used, and, if these items need repair or freshening up then we are keen to help make this happen.
So, why repair?
Repair is gentle on finances and the environment - both for the individual consumer and for the industry as a whole with less waste.
Repair is artistic - a new one-of-a-kind garment is created.
Repair is honouring and preserving skills and precious materials - in valuing something, we’re motivated to learn about it and share skills to maintain it.
Repair is political - a resistance to consumerism, and the growth of the right-to-repair movement.
So stay tuned as we share the Repaired by Brood journey. The inaugural collection is a fitting collaboration with Australian Red Cross Shops and is online now. Each item is a donated wool garment but one that could not be sold due to damage or signs of wear. Through this collaboration, we have carefully restored a number of these pieces in the Brood studio using 100% merino wool, resulting in a range of one-of-a-kind knits.
In future you can expect more from us on why we chose to produce knitwear over other modes of garment production, and how you can care for and repair your knitwear as it lives a long life with you.
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If you want to learn more about the local history of Australian Fashion Brands check out this deep dive by our friend, Lucianne Tonti from 2023 - How Australian Fashion fell to pieces
To read about the Right to Repair and its relevance for our global industry head here - Right to Repair for fashion brands: Your guide to compliance
To explore the world and opportunity of resale, check this one out - Resale Report 2025
To see how Levi’s is entering schools and the hearts of Gen Z peek this one - Levi's Wear Longer Project