Extending the lifespan of hand knitted garments : a case based approach

Abstract

Clothing has become a fundamental need in contemporary society, and a fast-moving and throwaway consumer habit has produced a considerable market share. Due to seasonal and trend-driven fashion marketplaces, it is difficult to persuade consumers to extend their clothes' functional or useful lives. Countless garments end up in landfills after their intended usage, and most inactive clothes in regular consumption occupy unnecessary closet space. Consumers are similarly encouraged to update with new garments if they have had to face out existing garments for a variety of reasons and have inadequate wearable lineups in their closets as per their life patterns. These consumer behaviours are causing some of the world’s existing problems to become uncontrollable future problems. This has been demonstrated by various studies, which have been described in depth in the literature review section. Extending the garments’ useful lives in the same form, in an adjusted or changed form, or in a dematerialized form to produce a new industrial application are key considerations driving modem sustainable movements. This research has been carried out in an exploratory study format with two phases that have been used to collect data on the craft-based clothing sector. Phase one was a survey focused on determining how consumers feel about extending the life of their used or everyday clothes in a general context. The results helped to understand their socio-personal attitudes and influences, cost consciousness, and behaviours towards clothing disposal and reuse, along with their commitment to attending the repairs or modifications or seeking outsourced options. In the second phase, a set of craft clothing consumers were interviewed in a semi-structured format and documented the causes of their clothing becoming idle and non-functional, focusing on hand-knitted items. Among the group, a few consumers have been identified who are interested in executing a re-craft (repair or modification) aid on their dormant clothing to prolong the life of the items in their wardrobes. Five hand-knitted cases were selected, which covered the three major causes for the disposal of clothes: fit issues, damaged issues, and boredom with the design or style, which were the findings of phase two. To connect skilled and knowledge input to this particular intention, a company that employs a craft making community was referred and selected a few local artisans. These local artisans were a group of highly competent hand knitters, and their re-craft opinions have been recorded to check the feasibility of extending the lifespans of worn-out hand knitted garments. A series of discussions were held with the local artisans in order to explore re-crafting possibilities for repairs and modifications to get the cases back to functional condition. There were four key aspects illustrated by them, with special attention to the pattem(s) or structure(s), tool(s), material(s), and colour(s). This was modelled as a framework for planning and achieving the goal of extending hand knitwear's functional life. The study opened the doors for future experiments with re-crafting concepts, even as possible business opportunities for existing local craft communities or for small scale businesses that are ultimately aiming to promote sustainability and reduce textile waste.