Seeking Repair

I own a pair of  beautiful silk tunics I got from India several years ago and did not have enough time to get altered so they fit me. Once I got back, they went to the far end of my wardrobe waiting for inspiration to strike. In theory, I could do the job myself, it would take time and a lot of patience because this is not something I have much practice with. I made a couple of abortive attempts at the alterations but gave up in frustration. 

This is a great time of year to wear them and I mentioned it to my friend B who lives in London. She told me about M&S Fixed by SOJO. It is apparently a dedicated clothing repair and alterations service launched by Marks & Spencer  in partnership with SOJO, a UK-based, Black woman-owned repair platform. It allows M&S customers to book a range of clothing repairs, such as zip replacements and invisible knitwear mending, through an online hub. Customers can send their M&S garments for repair either via collection (in London) or by post, and receive their restored items back within seven to ten days with prices starting at £5. 

A service like that but not limited to any singular store brand would be so amazing to have in the US. I long believed that JonAnn's should get into this line of work, offer customer affordable tailoring and repair services. They experienced a surge in sales during the early pandemic as consumers took up DIY projects, but this demand faded as life normalized, leaving the company with excess inventory and declining sales, leading to bankruptcy. Too bad they did not harness that burst of energy and enthusiasm from customers while it lasted.