Independent magazines, zines & mending books

Choosing independent magazines

Independent magazines are made by small teams without big advertisers, so they can take time over a subject and print things a mainstream title would not. They tend to come out a few times a year, and each issue is made to keep rather than recycle. Sop stocks It's Freezing in LA!, an independent magazine on the climate, and Pentire Drinks publishes The Porthole, a community newspaper from the Cornish coast. Each title here comes from a maker we checked for how it is printed and what it stands for.

Zines from small makers

Zines are small, self-published booklets, often printed in short runs and sold by the people who make them. They can be about anything, a walk, a recipe or a political idea, and the handmade feel is part of the appeal. Many are photocopied or risograph printed, and the paper and binding are part of the experience, so they are worth keeping on a shelf rather than passing on. Deidei made A New Road In Zine in place of a lookbook. Independent magazines and zines make good small presents, and they slip easily into a card or a stocking.

Mending books and slow fashion books

Mending books show you how to repair clothes rather than replace them, with step-by-step stitches for holes, tears and worn patches. Socko stocks On Mending, Mend! A Refashioning Manual and Manifesto, Rag Manifesto by Rachael Matthews and How to Quit Fast Fashion by Emma Mathews. These slow fashion books mix practical skills with the reasons to buy less and keep clothes for longer. Pair one with a darning kit and you have everything you need for a first repair.

Art books and poetry

For something to leave on the coffee table, Bouclé sells a David Shrigley book of drawings, and Komodo sells Famous Last Words, a poetry collection. Store magazines flat and out of direct sun so the covers do not fade. Fabric & Crafts has darning needles and kits, Stationery has handprinted cards and notebooks, Wall Art & Prints has prints for the walls, and Slow fashion: How to stop moving so fast explains the slow fashion idea.