Perceptions and practices of dress-related leisure: shopping, sorting, making and mending

Abstract

This article explores the attitudes of seven women to four dress-related activities: shopping for new garments; sorting clothes within the wardrobe; making Ð specifically knitting Ð clothes for themselves; and mending damaged items. This topic is of particular interest within the field of fashion and sustainability, because clothing consumption could be reduced if activity were to be diverted from shopping to alternative fashion practices. Positioning these practices as intrinsically rewarding leisure activities may encourage such a shift.The research demonstrates that all four of the dress-related activities occupy a grey area between leisure and chore. However, because perceptions are personal, context-dependent and flexible, there is scope for attitudes to be changed. An experimental project indicates that it is possible to reframe mending as a desirable leisure activity by integrating attributes such as social interaction and creativity. This reframing is aided by individualsÕ concerns about wasting resources, but can also be limited by concerns about wasting time.

Consumer Perceptions Related to Clothing Repair and Community Mending Events: A Circular Economy Perspective

“…Sharing time, skills, and experience (such as in the case of communal mending events) promotes collaborative consumption, which helps one to reuse materials goods (like clothes), extend a product's life, and build social connections [21,45,46]. Other research has shown that engaging in clothes mending in a social setting also helps users attain a sense of achievement and promotes mindful consumption [47,48]. With numerous community repair events/cafes organized across the globe, it is imperative to understand the factors that will influence U.S. consumers to participate in such community events.…”

“…Modified from the previous literature [43,48], the frequency of mending-related behaviors (MENDFREQ) was assessed using four statements measured on a seven-point Likert scale (1 = never; 7 = always). Based on the factor analysis, all four items were retained: (a) "I mend my own clothes", (b) "I help mend clothes for my family and/or friends", (c) "I feel confident in my mending skills", and (d) "I ask my family and/friends to help mend my clothes".…”

Impact of physical condition on disposal and end‐of‐life extension of clothing

“…Respondents also opted to mend clothing themselves rather than pay for someone to repair the items for them, again indicating that money may play a more significant role in participants’ efforts regarding garment life extension. As the need to mend clothing has lessened with the increased availability of cheap clothing, Twigger Holroyd (2016) suggests positioning mending as a creative leisure activity rather than household chore. This suggestion could be a difficult sell, however, with the ease and cheapness of replacing damaged garments (Twigger Holroyd, 2016).…”

“…Relatedly, mending clothing has transformed from necessity to option (Twigger Holroyd, 2016) as there is really no driver towards repairing items when replacements can be bought cheaply and with little effort by the consumer (Gibson & Stanes, 2011). Sending clothing for repair may also be considered too expensive, especially in comparison to the cost of buying new (Goworek, Fisher, Cooper, Woodward, & Hiller, 2012; Laitala, Austgulen, & Klepp, 2014).…”

Care and Production of Clothing in Norwegian Homes: Environmental Implications of Mending and Making Practices

“…These activities require a similar type of competence and the motivations for doing them can coincide, being somewhere between leisure and a chore [8]. Favorite clothing items are kept longer than those lacking emotional attachment, and individual tailoring and customization have several advantages for meeting the user's preferences [9,10].…”