Despite Gen Z’s leadership in thrifting and resale culture, a major gap remains in basic clothing repair skills—and Levi Strauss & Co. is stepping in to address it.
The Problem: Thrift Without Repair
A new Levi’s survey reveals a striking disconnect:
- 41% of Gen Z report having no basic repair knowledge (e.g., sewing a button or fixing a tear) — nearly double the rate of older generations.
- 35% say they would keep their clothes longer if they knew how to repair them.
This skills gap has serious waste implications. The average American discards 81.5 pounds of clothing annually, contributing to over 2,100 pounds of textile waste entering U.S. landfills every second.
The Solution: Levi’s Wear Longer Project
To close this gap, Levi’s has launched the Levi’s Wear Longer Project, a new education initiative designed to help young people repair, refresh, and reimagine their clothes so they last longer and look better.
Key features of the program include:
- Free, standards-aligned curriculum aimed primarily at students in grades 9–12
- Hands-on skills such as sewing buttons, patching holes, hemming, and customization
- Development in partnership with Discovery Education, a global leader in K–12 learning
- Nationwide availability through a free digital platform for educators and students
Scaling Beyond the Classroom
Levi’s plans to expand the program through:
- Community-based partners
- Select retail initiatives
- Employee volunteer ambassadors, who will deliver hands-on instruction in schools and local communities
The initiative is launching in San Francisco, Levi’s hometown, with workshops for local high school students, followed by continued activations throughout the year — including events tied to Super Bowl weekend — before expanding globally.
Why It Matters
According to Michelle Gass, the program builds directly on Levi’s long-standing philosophy of durability:
“By building up repair skills within the next generation and emphasizing the idea of durability, we’re helping spark a culture of creativity, sustainability, and pride in taking care of the things we value.”
Bigger Picture
The Wear Longer Project reflects a broader shift in fashion sustainability:
- Moving beyond resale toward use-phase intervention
- Treating repair literacy as a missing pillar of circular fashion
- Embedding sustainability not just in products, but in skills and culture
For an industry grappling with overproduction and waste, Levi’s is betting that teaching Gen Z how to repair may be just as powerful as selling them something new.
