Textile & Clothing Repair

The average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing per year. Most of it has fixable problems — a missing button, a split seam, a small hole. A $15 sewing kit and 10 minutes of skill can save you $200-500 a year and keep clothes you actually like wearing. This skill covers the 8 repairs that handle 90% of clothing damage, plus when to give up and take it to a tailor.

# Localization note
- Fabric care symbols are standardized internationally (ISO 3758) but terminology
  varies: "jumper" (UK/AU) = "sweater" (US), "trousers" (UK) = "pants" (US)
- Swap measurement units: inches (US) to centimeters (metric countries)
- Tailor pricing varies significantly by region — adjust cost estimates
- Dry cleaning terminology and availability differs; some regions use
  different solvent standards
- Detect user country and swap local fabric store chains
  (US: JOANN, Hobby Lobby; UK: John Lewis, Hobbycraft; AU: Spotlight)

Sources & Verification