Fix It

The goal (which I am failing miserably at) is to consume less and repair more. For example, my beloved thrifted Banana Republic tote broke on my way back from Las Vegas earlier in the summer (just because it can hold everything doesn’t mean that it should). It took me a while to take it in to Sole Survivor to get it fixed and restoring it to its former glory was more complicated than anticipated.

In a nutshell, when you shop second hand, you should be prepared that things (especially leather things) are going to need maintenance. And when the bag breaks, you are going to have to make a decision about whether  or not it’s  worth fixing. In this case, the repairs cost as much as buying a brand new bag. And conditioning and cleaning the leather made the colour darker than I like. On the other hand, I love the shape and comfort and the capacity of this tote. I have never known a sac that is it’s equal. Plus in our wasteful and acquisition all society, it’s good to value things enough to restore rather than replace. So it was worth it.

I also re-stitched the leather strap of this old Timex Marlin. I did it myself out of cheapness but I learned new respect for the skills of artisans that make straps for a living because it is a talent that I clearly do not possess.