Giving favourite old clothes a new lease of life
Florence Saves Clothes is a one woman-and-a-converted-campervan-mission to keep clothes alive longer through repair, alterations and total redesigns and upcycles…when customers will let us! Mostly, we are here for the public, based in Auckland’s seaside Westmere village. But we also travel around for street mending pop-ups and valuable mahi with businesses.
For the public
Mobile Mending pop-ups
Florence the mobile mending van is a fully functional mini-workroom. It is also the main customer consult and fitting room. Owner and long-time seamstress, Sally, has it set up most weeks from Tuesday to Thursday in Westmere's Rawene Ave, with Fridays as a 'road day' in surrounding suburbs. We set up by the Westmere shops on Saturdays, usually on Garnet Rd. We team work in Florence with work in a nearby private studio where we can cut, store garments and sundries, and sew on specific machines. Go to the Events page to see where we are each week.
Repairs, restorations and redesigns
We undertake almost every kind of clothing repair in the Florence Saves Clothes workrooms: vintage jacket lining restoration, evening gown repair, jeans patching, zip replacement and more. The difference between a repair and a restoration is the repair is usually a practical, visible or subtle measure to make the garment wearable again. Restoration is usually done on older, vintage garments that need special care and repairs done in keeping with the original construction. Redesigns often come out of cutting out the 'good' parts of a beloved but 'beyond repair' garment and turning it into something new.
Alterations with a sustainable focus
Here at Florence Saves Clothes we firmly believe that investing in alterations is a sustainable fashion act. Taking in or letting out waists or side seams; hemming or lengthening trousers and skirts; adding panels to make a garment wearable during pregnancy; re-tailoring suit jackets.....these are all valuable tasks that ensure you feel smart and comfortable in your clothes. When you feel confident and able to move well in clothes, you're much more likely to care for them, enjoy them, and treat them responsibly.
For business
Want a great example of an adventurous redesign? Sandy's kimono coat started out as three designer velvet cocktail dresses that hadn't seen the light of day for 15 years! Now, they're enjoying a new life at festivals and parties in this fun, versatile form. What do you have that deserves a second chance? Ph 027 331 8855 to discuss how we can save your special garments.
