Finding the “perfect” pair of jeans among the hundreds on offer can be a daunting endeavour – and once you’ve found them, they are always almost impossible to replicate. But rather than buying one’s favourites in duplicate (or triplicate), there is another option for denim enthusiasts: specialists dedicated to preserving jeans in as good shape as possible for as long as possible.

Francine Rabinovich founded Denim Therapy, a Manhattan company that mends everything from ripped crotches to holey knees and torn hems, in 2006, and currently repairs about 600 pairs of jeans a month from places as far afield as Australia, Britain, Canada and France.

While dry cleaners and tailors often use patches to repair jeans, Denim Therapy reconstructs the original material using new cotton thread. Repairs usually take less than two weeks, and cost $7 per inch plus shipping (about $12); variables include “weight”, “wear” and “indigo saturation” to select the right thread. (Repairs to Gap jeans, for example, can run to $150.) The company also restores colour, turns light blue jeans dark ($85), and tie-dye jeans to grey, light blue and charcoal for $95.