Vaatelaastari patches the trouser knee in just one moment: “A stain or a hole does not make clothing waste”

“Everything began from a phone call between mothers in 2017, in which we complained about the clothes with holes we had lying in our wardrobes. We were wondering if there might be a good-looking and easy way to repair them. When nothing was available, we decided to do something about it ourselves.

Textile waste and fast fashion are a huge global problem. According to studies, the maintenance of fabrics and extending their useful life are the best way to reduce the emissions of the textile industry. Repairing clothes by sewing is one option, but it is time-consuming and not all materials can be repaired by sewing.

The Vaatelaastari Patch is a Finnish adhesive patch for textiles. It is an easy way to repair a piece of clothing quickly and without sewing or ironing. We washed the first sample patch in the washing machine in 2018. After that, we have done a huge amount of development work on using different materials.

Today, we make the patches from recycled polyester made from plastic bottle waste, merino wool and reflective fabric. The product can be used to patch up all kinds of garments from footwear to down-filled clothing and accessories and to hide stains that do not come off. So far, we have already sold more than 400, 000 patches.

We would like to change the image of repaired clothes. Patched clothing can be beautiful and a sign of environmental friendliness, not shabbiness. From the beginning, we have aimed to make our products beautiful. A stain or a hole does not turn textiles into waste.

Over the years, we have had to learn a lot about different materials, the legislation concerning the sector and running a business. We design and make all our products in Finland. We are manufacturers, wholesalers, online sellers and a partner to companies.

In the future, we seek growth particularly from partnerships with companies. We are the only company in the world to provide this kind of customised patches to companies, using their own patterns and materials. This is an easy eco act for companies as it enables them to help customers extend the useful life of their products. The demand for partnerships has indeed been huge. We are aiming for international growth.”