When ripped jeans were excluded from the Lufkin High School dress code this year, some students were left without many pairs to wear.

Fashion Design teacher Katie Pruitt is trying to fix that.

“We patch jeans for students who can’t just go out and buy a whole new wardrobe of jeans,” she said.

Pruitt said she got the idea when one of Lufkin High School’s principals sent her a student who couldn’t afford to replace their ripped jeans. After patching the girl’s jeans, Pruitt figured there were many other students who face the same situation. Since then, she has patched four other students’ pairs of jeans.

Any student who would like jeans patched can find Pruitt in Room C-207 or can ask one of her Fashion Design II students, who will also be involved in patching jeans.

Pruitt said she is asking students who want their jeans patched to contribute from $3 to $5, since material for the patches costs money.

Patching jeans also takes bit of time, depending on the placement of the hole, Pruitt said. She said it takes her about 15-20 minutes to patch an easily accessible hole and a little longer for a hole that’s hard to reach.