Fashion's most exciting atelier this winter is not in Paris but in a small community hall in Leith, where a queue of people have brought along their holes.
The look
The look has less to do with what is new than with how it has been worn: sleeves pushed up, collars a bit lived-in, nothing ironed with much conviction. It suggests somebody who owns a few good things and has stopped worrying about them, which has always been the point of style.
A darn in contrasting wool says that you loved this thing enough to keep it.
On the street
Resale has moved from niche to mainstream with startling speed. Second-hand clothing now accounts for a meaningful share of what younger shoppers buy, and many established labels have launched their own vintage programmes, a thing that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
How to wear it
Tailors and menders are busier than they have been in years. A good alteration costs a fraction of a new purchase and can transform a charity-shop jacket into something that seems custom-made. The modern luxury may simply be clothes that fit, repaired by someone who knows your name.
Start with what you already own, and add just a single thing this season: a heavy overcoat, a good pair of boots, or a scarf that is far too long. Wear it for a while before you judge it. Style, like most things, is largely a matter of repetition and nerve.
