The best way to quickly spice up your wardrobe without adding new items to it is simply to have your beat-up shoes or clothes repaired by an adept cobbler or seamstress. My cobbler managed to breathe some new life into my old suede boots of which I had neglected to take proper care. They were worn to death in the worst imaginable weather, but even though I love the look of worn-out shoes it looked as if there was no life left in them. But hello, now they look almost brand new and I’ve fallen back in love with them again. What a relief! And the same holds good for my other quotidian shoes. Too bad I don’t have a before picture.
These are my go-to places for a time machine fix:
Møller Rens Skorep Nøkkelservice
Møllergata 1
0179 Oslo
Cordonnerie 36
36 rue de la Roquette
75011 Paris
very true !!
taking good care of what you already have and love is a pleasure. That’s why I always enjoy doing the laundry + always buy the best shoe polish* haha !
*i even force-polish my boyfriend’s shoes because i love it so much. oooh dear…. ^^
Lucky you! I hate taking care of my clothes because I don’t have time for it… hence it’s a dull chore to me.
These boots are wonderful, they go with everything.
please do more posts, please please please ! Summer night party outfits (!), bikinis, summer tops …
yes and it’s also a good reason to invest in quality shoes b/c the cobble best and last the longest!
Love the boots! I have a few shoes that I’ve dragged through everything and probably should get restored sometime soon, haha.
http://aspiringforever.blogspot.com
they look wonderful! and are you wearing them with your apc jeans? my boots are getting kind of beat up and could benefit from a visit to a cobbler.
As good as new, right? Yup, I’m wearing them with my APC jeans. They go so well together, but I always worry a weeny bit that the jeans will discolor suede leather which happened before with another pair of blue jeans.
I love the faded color! I like worn out stuff too. That’s why whenever I get new stuff, I will always try to wear it a lot so that no one says”is this new?” “did you just get this!” I hate that. RIP to my red flats. Got a hole on the sole today while crossing the campus’ wood paths :( I did not get extra sole for it before wearing.
Glad to see the IM again!
Me too! I like that the clothes look like they’ve been with you forever.
Oh yes I absolutely agree! I take my shoes to the cobbler at least twice a year because I walk around everywhere and they get worn out at an alarming quick rate. Every time I get them back I’m delighted and amazed at the new life breathed into them.
Eventually I have a bunch shoes and a bag to take to the cobbler that needs a bit of restoring. Not to mention pants that need to be dropped off at the tailor. And unfortunately at some point in the not a priority future, I may consider getting the zipper repaired on one of my jackets, trust me, being LITERALLY trapped inside Chanel is not as glamorous as it sounds.
-ps. You inspired me. I dropped off my leather goods @ the cobbler today. I’m hoping for good results even with the texture change that comes with having things re-dyed.
-pps. I would use a waterproofing spray for your shoes. I’ve recently been impressed by the Kiwi All Protector but before that I would use the sprays I bought from Kenneth Cole/Nine West, and a suede kit (usu comes with a bar and brush). Both inexpensive items. Les Anti-Modernes (http://www.lesantimodernes.com/2012/02/foundations-shoe-care-and-maintenance.html) and this blog: (http://assembledhazardly.blogspot.com/2011/07/protecting-your-clothing-investments.html) have done posts on shoe maintenance.
Oh, you’re having your shoes re-dyed? I can only imagine how great the texture will turn out eventually. I always deliver a bunch of shoes and clothes that need to be fixed at once. And when I pick them up, it feels as if I’m collecting my entire wardrobe. Lol!
I do have a few waterproofing sprays at home, but I’m just too LAZY to spray my shoes. I think I spray them twice a year or so, haha. Well, I could always spray them every time before heading out but that’s easier said than done since I’m always running late and just put on my clothes in a hurry.
So true! My cobbler is brilliant at repairing and polishing shoes. It’s a blessing especially as I hate breaking in new shoes and would much rather wear the same ones for as long as possible.
Yes yes! I would rather have my loafers repaired forever than breaking in a new pair. Seriously, it took me four utterly painful months to break in my current pair.
Thank god for cobblers, right? Funny thing is sometimes we forget that they exist, and our beat up shoes languish for months before we remember there’s a way to save them. I usually wear out the heels and soles on my boots from walking, but I always try to get the fixed before I start eating away at the wood.
http://nomadic-d.blogspot.com/
“but I always try to get the fixed before I start eating away at the wood” – we should see that as a sign that the shoes need to see the cobbler. Fortunately, my cobbler managed to fix the wooden heels on my shoes but that was a bit expensive!
Ah, how right you are! I’m so glad you were able to rescue your beloved Marants too (such beauties they are).
And thank you for reminding me that I need to take several pairs of shoes to the cobbler; both new (to have topy soles put on to extend their life before I even start wearing them down) and old, yet beloved pairs that I have neglected to baby in any way.
Briony xx
can they also fix the top leather part of shoes? The soles of my my suede shoes look fine, but the top part has horrible streaks that I’m worried have ruined them forever
Perhaps, perhaps! Just bring them to your cobbler and he’ll work his magic on them.
You must’ve read my mind! I’ve been thinking of bring out my suede ankle boots are too. I’ve neglected them for the past few months. There’s a fabulous cobbler in London who managed to polish and repair my Hermes boots. They literally looked like new when I went to pick them up.
Please do share who he/she is! I prefer to have my shoes and clothes mended when traveling as it’s 100 times cheaper for me (I paid nearly $300 for a dry-cleaned silk shirt and three pairs of shoes…. everything in Norway is so freakin’ expensive).
I’d really like to see update of your “Closet organization” post!
Cool! We’ll see… right now I don’t even know what I have in my closet. I’ve been buying so much since the last post , ahaha.
This is so true! It prevents you from buying unnecessary items too. I was about to go out and get a new jacket but instead I had my leather jacket relined and my favorite blazer repaired and realized that I really don’t need a new jacket at all! I just needed to fix the ones I had so I would enjoy wearing them again. A good tailor and a good cobbler are definitely a must!
Oh yes! It totally prevents you from buying unneccessary items indeed.
You always have this amazing way to make me treasure the things I have. Thank you! :) The boots are amazing.
Oh, you’re too kind! Best compliment ever!
Yes!!! I have a springtime ritual of cleaning and mending all my clothes, shoes and accessories. It’s always great to get my blazer back from the dry cleaners’ all fresh and crisp, and polish up my shoes till they shine again. A great way of falling back in love with familiar clothes.
Petit bonjour de Bretagne ( France). J’aime bien ton site que je visite régulièrement.
Taking care of your old and beloved clothes is such a pleasure. I’ve really enjoyed this post and, re-thinking about it during my day, I just had to come back to add that it’s with time that the true value of things becomes obvious.
Old clothes of good quality are like beautiful old people. They make young models look simply out of place because they carry such grace, wisdom and experience with them that just cannot be aquired overnight. It’s kind of like nobility I suppose. A good cobbler, a good dry-cleaner and a seamstress are definetely a quality-lover’s best friends.
Thanks for this blog, it changed my life !!
xx
Bonjour :)
could you talk a little about your beauty routine and make up? thank you :)
I actually love my cobbler:) given that I tend to wear out my heels veeeery quickly, and have to go to cobbler every 3-4 weeks, no kidding! I spent a small fortune on repairing my shoes…but as they say, shoes worth wearing, are worth repairing:) In fact I became so friendly with my cobbler that now they give me a discount. And they are truly masters, making my beaten up shoes looking brand new!
Ah, if you are in London, my cobbler is called Chiswick Cobblers, as they are located in Chiswick, west London. They are inexpensive (trust me, I checked many and they are by far the best and the cheapest) . Their shop is located near Turnham Green station.
Judging from your photo, you have a very good cobbler. I was fortunate to find a skilled cobbler where I currently live. In fact, they are refurbishing my old Chie Mihara platform sandal boots.
You will surely get many more years of wear from your boots now!