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Boro has gained somewhat of a reemergence in recent times because of the way in which manufacturers and brands can utilize it to create stylish and chic clothing. What makes boro unique is its ability to utilize different fabrics to get a desired result.
Unlike other forms of stitching, the rise of boro was due to a sense of necessity. Its use was accepted more to accommodate the mending of torn and damaged fabrics than to create any sense of aesthetic presentation.
This style of stitching was popular in the rural areas of Japan during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. This was because cotton was not introduced into Japanese culture until well into the twentieth century. When a particular piece of clothing or covering material began to show signs of gaps or thinning, the family who owned the materials would find any piece of fabric that they could find. They would utilize the technique of sashiko stitching to get the job done.
Since rural families could not afford to purchase new articles of clothing, they would continue to use the damaged garment for as long as possible, often handing them over to the next generation. These garments would continue to gain more patches as they suffered more holes and tears. Eventually, what was left was a garment that was devoid of its original design (or even colors).
When these fabrics that had received boro stitching were discovered during World War 2, it created a renewed interest in the method. What was once a technique utilized for living in moderate comfort soon became a fashion sense that spread to different parts of the world. However, to many Japanese, the boro fabrics were a remnant of a past that reminded them of their rural upbringings.
But as the adage goes, time does heal all wounds.
In modern day Japan, people have begun to adopt boro stitching as a way to work with fabrics. There are companies that especially work with the boro technique to create fashionable garments and accessories.
We are going to use this incredible technique to mend denim. We will see how boro stitching can create such a wonderful splash of color, fun, and style out of your torn garments.
Let us begin.
