Gen Z, desperate to get off their phones, is powering a sewing renaissance

The likelihood that one of your friends could hem your pants for you has never been higher. Sewing has become “cool” again, according to the New York Times, with classes filling up faster than they can be offered and TikToks about pinned hems snagging over 11 million views.

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Mending, hemming, and altering are especially popular among Gen Zers who hope to pick up a hobby that forces them off their phones—and saves them money by teaching them valuable skills. And sharing a well-edited “thrift flip”—a genre of sewing video where people transform old bedsheets or shapeless cardigans into trendy outfits—is also a surefire way to go viral on any platform.

The upcycled fashion market is growing. Including everything from sustainable fashion brands to companies that recycle materials, the market was worth $8.54 billion last year and is expected to grow to roughly $20.65 billion by 2034, according to Precedence Research.

Big picture: Other traditional textile art like crocheting, knitting, and embroidery have popped off among Gen Zers, following a surge in crafting during the pandemic era, when people needed something to do with their hands.—MM

_This report was originally published by _Morning Brew.

A version of this story was published on Fortune.com on September 22, 2025.

More on analog trends:

• The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

• Gen Zers and millennials flock to so-called analog islands ‘because so little of their life feels tangible’

• Gen Zers and millennials go analog with letter writing, typewriter clubs and calligraphy to take a break from screen time

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