Many Edify readers prioritize shopping local. But sometimes, you don’t want to shell out for something new — especially a new pair of jeans, one of the most arduous and frustrating items to shop for. Dig out that old pair of Levi’s from the back of your closet — you know, the ones with the holes, the ones that were always a bit too long, or have gone out of style. Before they go to the donation bin or the garbage, give them some new life.
Denim Rescue is run out of Unbelts, a local Bonnie Doon-area store. What began in 2024 as a two-days a week clothing repair operation has expanded to a full-scale business for the local belt maker. After another beloved local denim maker, Arturo Denim, closed, Unbelts owner Claire Theaker-Brown (Top 40 ’22) hired some of the Arturo staff to run the Denim Rescue project. Among them was Amy Truong, the tailor at Arturo, who brought loyal customers with her.
“Some of my clients tell me, ‘I can’t live without you!’” Truong says with a laugh.
Cassia Hardy, Denim Rescue’s program coordinator, concurs. “That was me after Arturo closed … I kept bringing Amy sacks of clothes.”
The repair and alterations shop is led by a similar philosophy as Unbelts — size inclusive, comfort first, deeply practical.
As the reality of the fast-fashion industry’s waste becomes apparent, and the cost of clothing rises, repairing an old pair of jeans is a more sustainable and financially responsible option.
Denim Rescue’s staff don’t just mend and hem — they also alter jeans to match the current trends. At one time, that meant tapering jeans. Now, Hardy says, “we’ve recently been getting up to speed about how that works in the other direction, for flared legs.”
Tailoring jeans is tough, and many tailors don’t work with denim. It takes someone with special skills like Truong, who loves the challenge of working with the material. Although she could retire, she said she loves the work too much. She’s been sewing since she was 12 and has spent her career in tailoring. Many of her friends worked in denim manufacturing in Edmonton in the 1980s and ’90s, before the Great Western Garment factory closed in 2004. Today, GWG is the only brand Hardy wears — vintage denim tailored to fit by Truong.
“There’s a connotation with tailoring that it’s only for special occasions or for people that live in a certain income bracket,” says Hardy. “What Claire’s trying to do with the business more widely is get people to think a little differently about clothes, especially denim.”
I brought in my own pair of jeans for repair, with a tear in them that made the button fly unusable. Truong and Hardy briefly consulted on the price and work, and rang me through. While we chatted, another customer came in with a question about his denim, and mentioned Denim Rescue’s excellent reputation in the community.
“Everyone has a story about their favourite pair of jeans,” Hardy says.
Both women are hopeful that the trend towards repairing our beloved clothes is here to stay.
Denim Rescue at Unbelts
Bonnie Doon | 8815 92 St NW, Suite 203, Edmonton | unbelts.com/pages/edmonton-denim-repair-alterations
