Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Changing clothes for sustainability? The how and why of clothing redesign

Authors: Kristy A. Janigo (University of Minnesota) , Marilyn DeLong (University of Minnesota) , Juanjuan Wu (University of Minnesota)

Abstract

Redesigning used clothing – requiring deconstruction and reconstruction beyond basic repair and alteration – could be a sustainable alternative to these problems. Only a few authors have researched clothing redesign but even so have identified potential opportunities for economic and environmental gain (Janigo & Wu, in press; Young, Jirousek, & Ashdown, 2004). Our research goals were to add a longitudinal element to previous research which involved women in a collaborative redesign project in 2011 (Janigo & Wu, in press), to further understand how and why female consumers might redesign used clothing, and to identify what characteristics, if any, are shared among consumers of redesign.

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How to Cite: Janigo, K. A. , DeLong, M. & Wu, J. (2015) “Changing clothes for sustainability? The how and why of clothing redesign”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings. 72(1).