Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Redesigning Fashion: An Analysis and Categorization of Women's Clothing Redesign Behavior

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Abstract

While many Western consumers donate used clothing to charities, most end up in landfills (Chen & Burns, 2006). Redesigning used clothing could transform textile waste into new fashion items. Research methods included in-depth interviews, visual analysis of redesigned clothing, and questionnaires. The theory of planned behavior was the chosen framework for data collection and analysis (Ajzen, 1991). The thirty female participants (mean age 43.75, 86.67% Caucasian) were divided into groups based on their experience. Redesign Consumers (RC) 30% of participants, hired someone or completed simple redesigns themselves. Redesign Enthusiasts (RE), 33.33% of participants, implemented advanced sewing and design skills to redesign for themselves. Redesign Professionals (RP), 36.67% of participants, sold garments they redesigned. Eighty percent (n = 16) intended to keep their redesigned garments and indicated high likelihood to continue redesigning. The findings may assist entrepreneurs in weighing the pros and cons of starting a new redesign business.

How to Cite:

Janigo, K. A., DeLong, M. R. & Wu, J., (2016) “Redesigning Fashion: An Analysis and Categorization of Women's Clothing Redesign Behavior”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 73(1).