Prince Charles has millions of money to buy what he needs but he'd rather fix broken things he owns than get a brand new replacement for it. The 71-year-old Prince of Wales is not a fan of throwing things away if he can still have these repaired or reused.
In an interview with British Vogue editor Edward Enninful via Zoom, Prince Charles said that he hardly thinks of himself as a well-dressed and fashionable man after Enninful complemented his style. As a royal, he has access to great designers but the Prince of Wales said that he is one of those people who would rather get his shoes or clothes repaired from the "marvelous people" who are good at what they do.
Prince Charles said that he likes quality-made items because he could keep using these longer. As such, the Prince of Wales is a staunch supporter of small businesses and community crafters or artisans who make clothes, shoes and other items for the home.
The royal has been into sustainable fashion before the term became popular in the wake of his daughters-in-law, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, dominating the style pages for their picks on eco-friendly clothes, accessories and shoes.
Proving he's been into sustainable fashion for decades, Prince Charles apparently owns just two coats, which he has worn in public engagements since the 1980s. According to the Telegraph, the Queen's son also keeps a bag of textile scraps, which are used for repairing his old suits.
The royal acknowledged that he's lucky to be in touch with such brilliant makers. He thinks that there is an economic advantage for people who know how to repair, maintain and reuse things.
Prince Charles' talk with Enninful is part of the Modern Artisan project, which will be launching a new sustainable fashion collection. The Prince's Foundation co-founded the project to help local communities by providing interested crafters with a training program linking Italian artists and students with Scottish locals who want to learn to sew and understand high-end fashion.
One caveat to reusing old things, however, is that sometimes the clothes no longer fit because of the body's physical changes. Prince Charles admits it has happened to him since he is aging. However, for old clothes that still fit well, the royal said that he tries to wear these at least four times a year.
The future King of England recalled developing a fascination for things being repaired after visits to the cobbler while he was studying at the boarding school in Scotland as a young child. He said that he and his other school mates would often take their shoes at a local shop, where he would enjoy watching the cobblers work.
British Vogue will print the interview with Prince Charles for its December issue, which will hit newsstands this week.
