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Sewing skills
shortage exposed: 6 in 10 people from the North West can't sew confidently
or at all
55% people from the North West say that sewing is a
skill that is being lost in today's generation, with 49% of residents having
to ask their mothers to help fix their clothes.These surprising statistics
have been released on National Sewing Machine Day, Tuesday, 13 June 2017, by the
British Heart Foundation (BHF) for its Big Stitch Campaign.
Taking place throughout July, The Big Stitch encourages
consumers to pop into a BHF shop, buy an item(s) and inject their own
fashion flair to it to help fund life saving research into heart disease.
60% people polled revealed they
are unable to sew confidently or at all, with 30% of people revealing that
they were never even taught how to sew. The absence of sewing skills in
today's society means 49% of residents have to ask their mothers to help fix
their clothes and 14% asks their grandparents for help.
23% of those polled can't even
sew on a button on properly, 39% of people cannot alter the length of their
trousers and 30% cannot mend a rip in their clothes. 18% said that if they
lost a button, they would buy a new item of clothing instead of fixing it.
It has also resulted in
residents in the region spending over ₤130 million fixing or tailoring
clothes and ₤300 million replacing items of clothing due to an
easily repairable fault last year. Around 26 million items of clothing were
thrown or given away in the North West, due to a fault that could have been
repaired.
However, all is not lost as 51% of people in the North
West wish they could sew and 59% are willing to learn the money saving
skill. The BHF's Big Stitch campaign gives people the perfect opportunity to
either put into practice their sewing skills or learn how easy it is to
personalise their wardrobe. For a whole month, style seekers will be
encouraged to put their own stamp on their wardrobe by visiting a BHF shop
and personalising items bought in store by practising sewing and dressmaking
skills.
Jax Black, Senior Costume
Technician at London College of Fashion, said:- "It is great to see
the BHF championing sewing and dressmaking skills. Making alterations,
adding buttons, trims, embroidery, and other decorative items to your BHF
purchases is a great way to update your wardrobe this July."
Allison Swaine Hughes, Retail
Operations Director at the BHF, adds:- "As the largest charity
retailer in Europe, we want to bring sewing back to life. It always amazes
me to see how clothes can be transformed so easily and cheaply, so we are
really looking forward to seeing what the thousands of style seekers across
the UK can create throughout July. All of our customers will be helping us
raise ₤100 million to invest in heart research this year, so visit your
local shop, buy an item and inject your own style stamp on your clothes this
July."
By visiting one of around 750
BHF charity shops across the UK, buying an item and adding a touch of
individual fashion flair to it, shoppers can save a bit of cash and help
support life saving research in the fight against heart disease.
For further information on The
Big Stitch, which runs from the 1 July to 31 July 2017, and information about how to
locate your nearest BHF shop visit the BHF
website. |
