In line with new LS&Co. analysis, Gen Z leads the thrifting motion however 41% report no clothes restore abilities; that is the hole the Put on Longer Challenge is designed to shut.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — January 14, 2026 — As we speak, Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) introduced the launch of the Levi’s® Put on Longer Challenge, a brand new neighborhood engagement initiative designed to assist younger individuals take trend into their very own palms. This system will equip them with the talents and confidence to restore, refresh, and reimagine their garments—so they appear higher and last more.
Gen Z is driving the resurgence of thrifting, repurposing, and artistic self-expression in trend. But, many youth have been by no means taught the talents wanted to restore and customise clothes — abilities as soon as handed down by way of generations or taught in colleges. A new survey performed by LS&Co. in the U.S. discovered that 41% of Gen Z report having no primary restore information, similar to fixing a tear or stitching a button, which is almost double the speed of older generations. On the similar time, 35% of younger individuals say they might hold their garments longer in the event that they knew tips on how to repair them. This highlights a significant alternative to scale back clothes waste when the common American throws away 81.5 kilos of clothes every year1, which leads to greater than 2,100 kilos of textile waste getting into U.S. landfills each second2. Equipping younger individuals with the talents to increase the lifetime of their clothes reinforces LS&Co.’s efforts to make use of its scale, attain and platform to drive towards a extra sustainable, much less resource-intensive attire business.
The Levi’s® Put on Longer Challenge introduces free assets primarily aimed toward college students in grades 9 by way of 12. Developed in partnership with world edtech chief Discovery Schooling and aligned with nationwide Okay-12 training requirements, this system teaches younger individuals hands-on life abilities similar to tips on how to restore and customise their garments, from stitching a button to patching a gap or tailoring a hem.
“At Levi Strauss & Co., we’ve spent greater than 170 years designing garments to be worn and liked for so long as attainable. The Levi’s® Put on Longer Challenge builds on that legacy by giving younger individuals the arrogance and instruments to increase the lifetime of what they already personal,” stated Michelle Gass, President and CEO, Levi Strauss & Co. “By increase restore abilities inside the subsequent technology and emphasizing the concept of sturdiness, we’re serving to spark a tradition of creativity, sustainability, and satisfaction in caring for the issues we worth.”
Starting with highschool college students, the curriculum is now obtainable to educators and college students nationwide on the free platform. LS&Co. workers may even function volunteer ambassadors, bringing hands-on instruction into colleges and native communities. As well as, colleges utilizing Discovery Schooling Expertise, the cross-curricular supplemental useful resource, can combine Levi’s® Put on Longer Challenge straight into classroom instruction.
“Our partnership with Levi’s® displays the rising demand in colleges for curriculum that connects tutorial studying with actual‑world, future‑prepared abilities. By way of the Put on Longer Challenge, college students achieve palms‑on expertise that builds confidence, creativity, and sensible life abilities whereas deepening their understanding of advanced subjects similar to provide chain and useful resource administration. This initiative helps put together college students to be considerate, succesful problem-solvers,” stated Catherine Dunlop, Senior Vice President of Company Partnerships at Discovery Schooling.
Launching first in its hometown of San Francisco earlier than increasing globally, the Levi’s® Put on Longer Challenge will educate native youth by way of common alternatives to construct core restore abilities. This system will start with a Put on Longer Challenge workshop for San Francisco highschool college students on the LS&Co. Eureka Lab. Extra trainings and workshops will proceed all year long, together with activations throughout Tremendous Bowl weekend in San Francisco.
“Packages like Levi’s® Put on Longer Challenge resonate as a result of they meet college students the place they’re—hands-on, inventive, and rooted in actual life,” stated Ginny Fang, President of Spark, San Francisco Public Faculties. “When college students can study sensible abilities like repairing and caring for his or her garments, they’re not solely embracing sustainability, they’re gaining confidence, independence, and a way of satisfaction in what they’ll create and preserve themselves.”
Because the Put on Longer Challenge grows, LS&Co. will scale its curriculum by way of community-based companions and choose retail initiatives, creating extra entry factors for younger individuals and workers to interact in restore training. This strategy reinforces LS&Co.’s dedication to accountable consumption and encourages workers to put money into their very own abilities, to allow them to then train others. These initiatives will construct upon LS&Co.’s legacy of crafting sturdy, high quality clothes designed to final a lifetime, empowering younger individuals all over the place to look after, customise, and prolong the lifetime of the garments they love. To study extra concerning the Put on Longer Challenge, please go to levistrauss.com/values-in-action/wearlongerproject.
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About Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) is likely one of the world’s largest brand-name attire corporations and a world chief in jeanswear. The corporate designs and markets denims, informal put on and associated equipment for males, ladies and kids beneath the Levi’s®, Levi Strauss Signature™, Denizen® and Past Yoga® manufacturers. Its merchandise are bought in roughly 120 international locations worldwide by way of a mixture of chain retailers, malls, on-line websites, and a world footprint of roughly 3,200 retail shops and shop-in-shops. Levi Strauss & Co.’s reported 2024 web revenues have been $6.4 billion. For extra data, go to http://levistrauss.com, and for monetary information and bulletins go to http://traders.levistrauss.com.
About Discovery Schooling
Discovery Schooling is the worldwide edtech chief whose state-of-the-art, PreK-12 digital options assist educators have interaction all college students and assist tutorial achievement. By way of award-winning multimedia content material, tutorial helps, and revolutionary classroom instruments which might be efficient, participating, and simple to make use of, Discovery Schooling allows educators to ship highly effective studying experiences in 45% of U.S. Okay-12 colleges and throughout 100+ international locations and territories. By way of partnerships with districts, states, and trusted organizations, Discovery Schooling empowers lecturers with important options that encourage curiosity, construct confidence, and speed up studying. Be taught extra at www.discoveryeducation.com.
1, 2 Supply: U.S. Environmental Safety Company, “Details and Figures about Supplies, Waste and Recycling: Textiles Materials‑Particular Information,” https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/textiles-material-specific-data.
