Love What You Have!
We’ve all seen the advertisements—”Huge Black Friday Sale!” “For Today and Today Only!” and my personal favorite, “You Need This!” We’re no stranger to the mysterious pull of something new. Last year, Americans spent $717 billion on holiday shopping, the highest number in the last 15 years. However, sometimes the most interesting items a person can own aren’t the shiny new things. They’re the well-worn and loved items. Something with a story.
So this Black Friday, we at C3 are encouraging you to #LoveWhatYouHave. We share our team’s most weathered and loved items that they could have thrown away ages ago, but didn’t. They salvaged, glued, duct-taped them together for longer wear and thus rescued these beloved items from the landfill. The choice to repair and reuse is good for the wallet and the planet, saving the energy and resources it takes to make a brand new product.
Claire Habel
Favorite Item: Coat
Claire shared the story of her time-worn black coat. It has lasted through many winters, and she’s made multiple repairs to ensure it can see many more. My favorite thing about her coat was the functional adaptations she’s made. When we take care to give an item a longer lifespan, it’s adapted to our specific needs or style—in this case, a coat that could only be Claire’s!
What’s the story of your item?
I was living in Chicago and… I was working at a bar at the time, and someone had taken my jacket. The bar had been closed, it was late, and so I had to walk home in my t-shirt and the next morning I had to run over to the store and get whatever jacket they had because it’s Chicago in the wintertime. I found this for pretty cheap and I’ve had it for probably 6 or 7 years. It’s been through it with me. It used to have a fur thing around the hood, but that fell apart so I just took it off so it would still look put together.
What repairs have you made to it over the years?
The regular pockets on the side have safety pins to make sure nothing falls through. I sewed up the tear in the seam with some cool turquoise thread. When the fur was on, I had to fix all the buttons. I’ve had to repair the zipper twice.
Why have you kept it for so long?
I had to keep it because it has pockets in the exact right places and adjustable drawstrings. I’ve looked for other jackets a couple years ago. I just didn’t like any of them so I’ve been fixing this one ever since. I grew up in the midwest and I got this in Chicago. So for two years in Chicago and all the years I’ve lived here it’s been with me all winter. All winter seasons it’s been me and this coat.
Caetano de Campos Lopes
Favorite Item: Computer
For Caetano, his notebook computer serves as a testament to finding creative solutions. From broken wifi to malfunctions in the hardware, Caetano’s discovered his own savviness in tech repair! In doing-it-ourselves, there’s also the potential to gain new skills in the process.
What’s the story of your item?
My item is a notebook computer. I bought it when I used to live in Argentina in 2017 from Ebay for $250. For a similar version in Argentina, it would be $700 something dollars. Quite a difference not only because notebooks lose a lot of value after the first months of their purchase, but also because in Argentina electronics and technology are much more expensive than in the United States, in Europe, etc. because the costs of imports, taxation, and tariffs. Right now, the notebook has pretty much 6 or 7 years. It works pretty well; it’s a decent notebook.
How have you repaired your notebook over the years?
One of the consequences of it being a used computer is at first, it had some problems with its operating system, so I had to bring it to an expert to reinstall Windows and I was having some issues with the HD as well. That was solved… and it was pretty cheap to make this adjustment.
The wifi antenna stopped working, so at a certain point it was really frustrating because the notebook as a whole was working pretty well, but then you cannot do anything without the wifi. You can buy a wifi USB for $15-20 depending on the model you want and it pretty much solves the problem. The cover had some cosmetic effects— I think someone probably touched a cigarette into the notebook, so there’s even a little burn but I don’t mind. The wifi situation is solved, but it’s kind of funny because everywhere that I go, I have this thing coming out of my computer and the light is blinking all the time, but it works pretty well other than that.
I guess some other thing that I learned is how to open your computer frequently. At some point, the fan wasn’t working very well, and it was making a lot of noise. One of the ways of solving it is opening your computer and clean the fans because sometimes they can collect a lot of dust. So you have a lot of noise, the computer is getting overheated, and so you open the computer and clean it. Right now, you have so many videos on the internet. I learned how to do all of that online and I’ve been maintaining my computer since then. It runs perfectly.
Why have you kept your computer for so long?
As an environmentalist, the idea of throwing things never was something I felt really comfortable with, disposing of things I mean. So I always try to make the things I have last as much as they can. I’ve been learning a lot ways of perfecting or improving the efficiency of notebooks. Before changing, it’s worthwhile exploring ways of improving what you have and also, buying second-hand notebooks doesn’t mean you are buying a bad product, you are buying a product that someone didn’t know how to make function well, but if you invest some time you’re going to learn how to do that on your own and it’s going to be a good notebook anyways.
Teri Kent
Favorite Item: Recycled Seat-belt Belt
Teri brought her well-loved belt to the table. This consigned piece took on a new life in her hands as a standout, up-cycled accessory. My favorite thing about Teri’s belt is the embodied power it carried over the years. That kind of energy can’t be bought!
What’s the story of your item?
It’s hard for me to choose one item. I have so many favorites. If I had to pick one, it’s my seatbelt belt. I bought this on consignment a long time ago. It has an old seatbelt buckle and it clicks like one, which I LOVE. It has used bottlecaps around it. I would always get compliments. It’s definitely reused and recycled, something a reuse and recycle champion should wear.
What repairs have you made?
I had this belt for probably eight years and everytime I repair it, it gets smaller! So now I can’t wear it. It’s just very funny, I’m no longer this waist size.
What will you do with it now?
At some point, I need to come across an artist who will help me decide. Hint Hint. Maybe it can be a strap for a purse, have a new life. I haven’t lost hope for one day being able to wear this again in some way, shape or form.
Do you have any good memories associated with this belt?
Caetano called it a power belt and I guess it did kind of feel like it had a certain power to it. Also, I think the funny part is that as we have more technology sometimes you forget the sounds that we associated with the old technology, like phones. Phones sound different from when I grew up when you would dial. You still hear it [the seatbelt sound] on airplanes, but this is definitely an old seatbelt. It has that old sound and it’s heavy.
Susan Kruse
Favorite Item: ‘98 Toyota Corolla
Susan had the biggest item by far. Her ‘98 Corolla was her first car, and she’s sticking with it until the end. Not to mention, she hasn’t had a car payment in 15 years! Goes to show how reducing your impact can maximize your savings.
What is the story of how you got your car?
So it’s the first car I ever purchased on my own, probably twenty years ago, and brought our 10 year old son home from the hospital in it. I’ll have it until I get an electric vehicle, which will be my next car. But this one is still going strong. It’s a 1998 Toyota Corolla. We’ve replaced door handles. The rest of the car is sort of falling apart around the engine, but the engine is still going strong so we’re still driving it.
What other major repairs have you had to do?
I haven’t had many major repairs to the car, it’s just that the interior is disintegrating around the engine. It’s got 189,000 miles on it and we’ve had it for 20 years.
We’ve driven to New York, to PA, I don’t know that we’ve driven any further than that in that car. I think maybe we drove it to Florida once? The most memorable was bringing my son home from the hospital.
Why have you kept it so long?
We kept it because it gets good miles per gallon, trying to minimize the embodied carbon of a new vehicle, and I’d rather keep an old vehicle until I’m able to purchase an electric vehicle to reduce my emissions further.
Linnea Laux
Favorite Item: Jansport Backpack
Linnea introduced us to her backpack, which she’s had since grade school! What I loved about her story were the familial connections she associated with her bag. These items not only still carry their functions, but they grow in sentimental value with time.
What’s the story of your item?
The backpack I currently use was bought over 14 years ago, when I was going into third grade. It was my first "big kid" backpack, and it was definitely too big for me back then, but I wanted a style that looked more like the school bags my older brother and sister had. I only used it in school for two years (tote bags carried on one shoulder were all the rage in middle school), but it found a new life when I needed a larger backpack for traveling in my teens. When my cheap printed backpack broke during college, I started using the old red backpack every day again. Jansport has a generous lifetime repair policy, and I took advantage of that this past summer to fix a spot where the bottom had worn through.
Why have you kept it for so long?
Sometimes I do browse new backpacks online and dream of a waterproof bag with an outside water bottle pocket and a padded laptop compartment, or a sleek gray style that would help me blend in with my fellow Landscape Architecture students, but at the end of the day my backpack does everything I need it to. Besides, I know where my parents keep the waterproofing spray and the sewing machine, and I'm visiting them in December. I'd rather customize the backpack I have than get something new. You can still see where my mom wrote my name on it before the first day of school, and I know that a shiny new bag wouldn't carry the same memories.
Ariana Piacquadio
Favorite Item: Jeans from Target
When I tried on these jeans three years ago at Target, it was love at first wear. I feel like I could go to yoga or run a mile these jeans! They’re the perfect style and fit for me—high-waisted, cropped just a little at the ankle, light wash. I love them. I can’t even count the number of photos I have of me in these jeans, they’ve been a college staple.
In terms of repairs, all I’ve had to do is sew a patch on the upper part of the thigh, where the fabric had worn away and a hole formed from wear. When that wears away, I’ll sew a new one. I also try to remember to let them air dry versus putting them in the dryer when I wash them to extend their life a little bit. I just really like these jeans. They’re the perfect, casual thing to wear to class or grocery shopping or wherever. It’s always a challenge to find the perfect pair, so when you’ve got one, why get rid of them?
There you have it! A snapshot of some of our team’s most loved and storied items. There’s something really special about each one of these. I’d like to think that the things we own can become a part of us as we grow and move throughout life.
We hope this has inspired you to reduce your consumption, reuse what’s already yours and #LoveWhatYouHave this holiday season.
Cheers, Ariana