Most millenials don't know how to repare clothing, reports a recent survey.
Researchers at the University of Missouri surveyed over 500 women baby boomers and millenials who bought clothes within the last year aboout their knowledge of clothes repair, finding that millenials are more likely to throw away or bring clothes to a tailor rather than mend them on their own.
"In 2012, Americans created more than 14.3 million tons of textile waste," Pamela Norum, a professor in the Department of Textile and Apparel Management in the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences, who conducted the research, says, adding that this is what makes the not-so-surprising results concerning.
"Much of this waste is due to clothes being discarded due to minor tears or stains - easily repairable damages if the owners have the skills and knowledge to fix them," continues Norum. "If we, as a nation, want to move toward more sustainable practices in all aspects, we need to evaluate not only how we take care of our clothes, but how we educate younger generations to do so as well."
Norum reported that much of the baby boomers who had knowledge about repairing clothes learned this at home or early on in schools - pointing out that many schools are cutting home economics from their curriculums.
This is an issue that's effecting people across the country - including Norum herself.
"One day when my daughter, who's in her 20s, said to me, 'Mom, can I take my pants to a tailor to have the button sewn on?' I thought, 'Are you kidding me?'" Norum tells Huffington Post. "That's terrible - I really let her down."
Norum suggests that millenials who are interested in learning the trade to turn to online videos and pinterest tutorials.
