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To encourage greater sustainability regarding apparel consumption practices, policymakers have traditionally focused on economic and/or social psychology frameworks which rely on information-based campaigns to achieve behavioural change. Whilst such campaigns have had limited success and received significant criticism, additional policy solutions are called for. In contrast to conventional behavioural change strategies, this study responds to calls for further methodological insight and explores the potential of creative methods such as upcycling workshops and contemplative theatre performance, as practice-based mechanisms to engender a greater understanding of the environmental impact of apparel consumption and help bring about behavioural change to current apparel consumption practice. Via the theoretical lens of behavioural change theory and contemplative performance practice, our findings reveal the dynamic and continuously reshaping nature of the apparel market, in that most of our participants were until recently unaware of the unsustainable nature of the apparel industry. Despite some participants citing barriers, such as a lack of time, peer pressure, and the desire to express a specific social identity, reactions to practice-based methods were overwhelmingly positive. Thus, initiating a more proactive engagement with sustainability issues as well as increased reflection and discussion on how they might modify current apparel consumption behaviours in the future. We conclude by making suggestions for policymakers regarding future sustainability initiatives.

Critical skill gaps highlighted by UK professionals in the fashion industry and identified by Government bodies were evidenced in the classroom while observing fashion students. The issues include ...

The role of blogs and bloggers as conduits of fashion information has strengthened through their growing popularity with fashion consumers. Convenience has been identified as a key reason why fashion consumers use the internet and social media, enabling them to quickly and easily find trend information, new products and retailer discounts. While research into blogs and blogging is growing little is given of how blog readers perceive and merit the success of fashion blogs. In this study we aim to promote a better understanding of the characteristics that fashion blog readers’ value as contributing factors of a successful fashion blog. This is achieved through an exploration of blog readers’ opinions and through the identification of key blogging trends focusing on female fashion bloggers and readers. The most significant measure of a blog’s success was found to be how relevant it is to its readers, the qualities of which are revealed in this article.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in the UK has been a topic of controversy, frustration and complexity for design and designers for many years and this continues to be the case. The situation is further complicated by the different laws affecting IPR in different countries and, often, a lack of knowledge about IPR especially among young designers. Indeed, there are significant differences in knowledge and understanding of IPR among designers in both economically developed and developing countries. To understand IPR we must first alter or augment our perception of property. We grow up to consider property as a material entity: a car, a house, a television etc., something tangible that an individual has paid to take possession of or has manufactured themselves and therefore has the right to charge another individual for or even to give away; the last three words are important and may become more important as we begin to discuss IPR in relation to culturally significant patterns, products and practices. For example, many of us will give away our personal property to charity shops or any other non-profit organisation we choose because we believe that, in doing so, we are contributing towards the good of our national and global society. The concept of design knowledge as a property is covered in depth and breadth by Mwendapole (2005) in her PhD thesis. She explains that, although property is probably not semantically the right word to cover design knowledge it is used because, as MacPherson (1978 : 11) stated, ‘property must be grounded in a public belief that it is morally right; if it is not so justified it does not remain an enforceable claim. If it is not justified, it does not remain property’. Design knowledge can be placed into one of two groups (Rodgers and Clarkson 1998): tacit or explicit. To put this simply, tacit knowledge is what is in the designer’s brain; it has been put there by training, education, practice and experience. It is how the designer collects and interprets previous knowledge. The knowledge will remain tacit throughout most of the idea generation stage and even up to the stages of early sketches. Once the designer moves on to technical drawings, models, computer simulations and so on (i.e. they become explicit) the ideas can be tested, viewed, used and enjoyed in the public domain and therefore should be protected and a value placed on them. How this value is arrived at and whether it is purely temporal or spiritual or both is difficult enough in contemporary society; when the designer is an individual or corporate entity, when the designer is part of a cultural group or ecology that has existed for decades, centuries or even longer, the situation is highly complex.

The current fashion system largely sustains an industry through excessive consumer consumption habits resulting in an environmentally unsustainable industry. Fashion trends coupled with mass-production strategies, predominantly within the lower and middle market sectors, is considered to have devalued fashion by many; and has impacted on the higher end of the market forcing brands to reconsider their quality and price points to remain profitable, or to tolerate lower sales volumes. The online auction culture is a further consideration, with consumers having ready access to cheaper luxury goods, albeit second-hand, which supports the continuing growth of vintage and retro trends reinforced by trend forecasters and endorsed by those with an interest in a more sustainable lifestyle. This presents high-end brands with an opportunity to strengthen their position in a changing marketplace. This paper deliberates factors that contribute to the devaluing of quality before debating the opportunity that the new online culture presents to the high-end sector with the inclusion of a conceptual business model. While conceptual, after deliberating notions from fashion history and from current affairs, the paper proposes an optimistic future for luxury fashion brands and products if new technologies, such as on-line tools and facilities, and advancing consumer behaviour preferences are embraced and utilised to full capacity. It is not to be suggested however that the conceptual business model is solely for the purpose of the on-line retail context.

Many researchers who view fast fashion as being detrimental to the environment infer that the established fashion system is central to the sector’s sustainability challenges, and a barrier to a more sustainable and accountable fashion industry. The author has previously acknowledged the colour forecasting sector’s role within the fashion system as being a formidable driver of excessive consumer consumption. The continuation of fashion trends ultimately contributes to the textile waste issue. Contrary to the indicative meaning of the term, neither the colour forecasting process nor the fashion trend forecasting process provide systems of prediction, rather they are processes ultimately for the marketing change. Colour trends in particular are used as a powerful means for planned product obsolescence, in order to encourage a continuation of apparel sales and excessive consumption. While there are many factors contributing to the textile waste situation, the author has previously proposed a solution. By providing a colour forecasting system that reintroduces style rivalry as a strategy over the prevailing price rivalry approach, excessive consumption could be drastically reduced. This chapter now takes that original thinking a stage further. In essence, the improved system would require consumers to invest more money in higher quality apparel and accessories. For this to happen, consumers would need to become more confident in their own style, colour preferences and fashion needs. The concept of the capsule wardrobe is discussed in relation to colour and style analysis to further model a new approach to managing textile waste.

Since the societal and industrial move away from tailored clothing to ready-made garments, it has been suggested that the need for an optimal sizing system has being a constant challenge for the mass-production fashion industry sector and for consumers to acquire well fitting garments Ashdown [1]. However, despite inconsistencies in garment sizing among retailers, which some say serves to confuse, and in some cases infuriate consumers Brown [2], and despite the current economic downturn, clothing remains a high priority for women. In theory, fit can also be considered a barrier to purchase decisions in the second-cycle retail sector though some vintage consumers are prepared to alter clothing or to pay to have it altered to fit Cassidy & Bennett [3]. As the online shopping habit increases for both first- and second-cycle products, for fashion retailers operating mail order and on-line shopping channels fit in particular is considered to be a challenge as consumers cannot take advantage of trying garments on before buying, which is believed to be a fundamental part of the purchase-decision process and contributes to reducing the risk of high levels of product returns Nellis [4]. This study examines garment fit from a sustainability perspective to conceptually re-think the fit paradigm and debate

In this chapter we begin by rationalising the importance of design and technological knowledge for knitwear specialists and briefly discuss the growth of the knitwear industry; an industry sector that was revolutionised by influential designers at particular times during the 20th century, and has continued to be an important sector of today’s fashion and textiles industry. We introduce the processes of machine produced knitwear with a brief discussion of circular knit and flatbed fabric production which leads to the characteristics of knitted fabrics and making-up technologies before outlining the four garment production types: • Fully cut or cut & sew • Cut stitch shaped • Fully fashioned • Integral knitting and new full garment technology We discuss and demonstrate how to recognise the key garment production methods integrating basic knit-garment styles and design features (hems, necklines, sleeve shapes and fastenings including button-holing) relating these where relevant to trends. Garment specifications and sample garments (prototypes) are discussed and further production techniques and technologies are given associated with garment finishing plus a mock-factory layout is provided. Computer-aided design (CAD) is briefly made reference to and the stitch manipulation types used to create a range of knit fabrics are described. To conclude, the chapter highlights trend forecast sources specific to knitwear. While knit fabrics can be used for a number of garment types such as t-shirts and undergarments, as well as popular accessories such as hats, scarves, gloves and socks, this chapter focuses on the type of garments more generally associated with the term knitwear which includes sweaters, cardigans, knitted dresses, skirts and outer-wear. Some retailers refer to cardigans and sweaters as jersey wear due to the basic stitch type of the fabric. Traditionally knit textbooks either focus only on design, or on technology, or they discuss the two as separate entities making it difficult to appreciate how they work together and how they are dependent on each other. All knit specialists, be they designers or technologists, require a sound understanding of fibres, yarns, dyeing and finishing that can be found in other chapters in this book. Such knowledge is essential for all fashion and textile professionals. In order to connect design and technology in the context of knitwear the topics in this chapter combine the technicalities and the practicalities of knitwear production for a more fully integrated design technology approach to the understanding of this subject.

This chapter explores the relatively newly coined upcycling process as a viable recycling method for re-suing what would otherwise be textile waste; and compares the upcycling process with a typical fashion production process model. The barriers to be overcome by the fashion industry are identified should an upcycling process be adopted for mass fashion production, which has already been earmarked as an emerging industry. The chapter concludes with some solution suggestions.

A dress form is an essential tool in the clothing-making process for pattern block development, draping and quality inspection. However, it is noted that a single dress form is not applicable for a large variety of body shapes. Adjustable dress forms are readily available and some make their own custom-made dress forms in an attempt to make up for the insufficiency of conventional dress forms. However, such types of dress forms are rather costly and their effectiveness is debatable. With this is mind, a customised adjustable kit for the dress form was developed, with the aim to cover different body sizes and shapes more precisely. The kit adopts 3D printing technology which enables generating and changing the shape of components efficiently.

Value streams for collected post-consumer textiles continue to be analyzed within the global challenge to develop and employ commercially viable, yet ethical and sustainable strategies within the fashion industry. Upcycling is an existing strategy applicable to fashion production, with discarded materials used to design and create higher value products, keeping them in productive use for longer. A number of very small, niche upcycling enterprises have emerged in the UK. These brands have succeeded in creating stylistically relevant and commercially successful fashion styles utilizing waste textile materials. The advantages of scaling these enterprises up are not only environmental, but also economic and social, thereby creating a sustainable and innovative business model for UK-led fashion production. Due to high levels of three key metrics of carbon, water and waste, UK government agency WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) has identified textile products as priority materials for reuse and recycling. Upcycling enables a sustainable design option for reuse techniques to be employed for greatest economic and environmental benefit, in which used clothing and textiles are sourced for the production of newly designed fashion products. This paper identifies the key differences between standard fashion design and production processes and upcycled fashion design and production processes, in order to aid the development of large-scale fashion upcycling in the UK, and contribute to a circular economy.

Amongst other factors, the current economic climate appears to have contributed to the trend of acquiring and reusing vintage clothing, accessories, and homeware products, particularly with young consumers. The popularity of vintage has also been linked to a change in consumer attitudes towards wearing and utilizing secondhand goods. In addition to a change in attitudes, other factors that contribute to the growth of the vintage trend include a change in values, the inclusion of vintage inspirations used in current designs by fashion designers, and in the trends marketed by the forecasting sector, eco-sustainability, the media, and technology. Also vintage consumers and vintage retailers appear to share the viewpoint of the movement towards vintage fashion that has been assisted by a reaction against mass-produced fast fashion, as consumers strive for more individuality in their styling and garments. Eco-fashion and sustainable fashion ideals have emerged as solutions to the environmental issues t...

Cycling encourages a healthy lifestyle, emits no pollution, saves money and promotes general good health. In the UK, many are cycling to work even though doing so means making small changes to their lifestyle and habits. Although cycling has become more popular in the last 20 years, the attractiveness of the sport over the last 2 years has grown substantially. This may be partly due to the successes achieved in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The growth in popularity has encouraged demand for cycle clothing, thus this market is currently flourishing in the UK and it is natural to presume that sales will continue to increase. In this study, the requirements of cycle clothing for various cycling pursuits are explored in relation to fit for purpose, fashion context, innovative technologies and lifestyle. The research makes use of rich data compiled from active participants of cycling pursuits.

Mood boards are fundamental tools used in design industries. The term mood board is often used generically to cover a wide range of board types, each having specific uses. The types of boards consi...

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence that marketing has on teenagers and their development of identity and question the ethical implications of this influence. It aims to explore the extrinsic identity and the intrinsic identity using Erikson's model of identity versus role confusion; to identify passive and active personality types within adolescents; and to establish the importance of local community compared with web‐based communities.Design/methodology/approachThe views of developmental theorists are discussed and correlations between teenagers characterised as active; those who would be identified as being “cool”, and passive characters; those lacking “cool” are drawn. This is then applied to the theories of the self and the empty self, a concept arguably used by marketers who wish to encourage notions of the empty self through negative references to being uncool, with the aim of stimulating a demand for the cool sustenance that they supply. Data were gathered from a questionnaire survey comprising 79 secondary school teenage pupils.FindingsThe findings, though limited to only one locality, show that the majority of the sample was identified as being passive, implying that the majority of these teenagers were aspirational in their quest for cool. In addition, more of the participants felt a part of web‐based communities such as Bebo than of their local community. The study suggests that marketers, ethically or otherwise, are able to target the passive majority by encouraging feelings of being un‐cool encouraging the empty self to then profit from the sales of a cool fulfilling product.Research limitations/implicationsThe localisation and survey sample size impose limitations on the generalisation of the findings for a national or even a regional location. Also, the primary research provides only a snap shot of the tastes and personality traits of individuals taking part in the survey at that point in time that are susceptible to change as is the definition of cool. However, the evaluation of the findings offer some interesting and valuable indications of support and contradictions to the theories discussed.Originality/valueThrough an understanding of the strength of the influence marketing has on a teenage demographic and the importance that the teenagers surveyed attached to social network sites, some indication is given of the quest for identity of the youths of today in a UK locality. This study therefore provides a small but valuable stepping stone for a much larger investigation of this concept on a regional or national scale.

Mood boards are design and marketing tools used extensively in areas of industry where information is better communicated in a visual manner. It is considered important for the study of creative subject areas for students to understand the processes of mood board development and how to improve their own skills in order to produce effective or successful boards of a high standard and quality as they are an implicit part of assessment for creative modules and a fundamental tool used in industry. This study concentrates upon the teaching of mood board creation and development, and how students engaged with the learning process in order to produce visual boards. The primary research was achieved through case studies and questionnaires. The findings form a substantial foundation for understanding the learning and teaching methods currently used in higher education where visual boards are a part of the assessment requirement.

While there are some who would argue that the origin of Lolita fashion can be traced back to fiction (namely, the 1955 novel, Lolita, which was adapted to film in 1962 and again in 1997) and has relevance to sexual attractiveness with reference to the young, this popular style developed more recently into a subcultural identity in Japan as a distinctive style in its own right. This article regards Lolita as an independent street fashion and subculture and explores this particular culture that Lolitas (those who wear this distinct fashion style) have created. Although a small-scale subculture, Lolitas demonstrate an obvious way of thinking and behaving which reinforces their identity of which fashion plays a significant role. The fashion style suggests escapism through fantasy as it can be interpreted as a visual resistance against conventional culture and is therefore of interest to a range of disciplines including fashion, culture and behaviour theorists. The article explores this subculture in the UK context to provide a better understanding of British Lolitas and evaluates the marketplace to offer a retail-marketing perspective.

Electronic educational resources support search activities and manipulate information effectively in learning environments, thus enhancing education. This paper discusses the development of an electronic timeline database that classifies design and fashion details; technological developments; socio-economical influences; availability and popularity within fashion trends; marketing and distribution; and influential people including designers, in a manner that facilitates ease of cross referencing events at the same point in time for a rich analysis of fashion. The study focuses on the driving forces of fashion during the 1920s as a starting point for a much larger database. The data is presented in the form of a website allowing students to better understand fashion trends with macro-environmental and marketing strategies. The electronic resource is a useful tool for fashion, textile and marketing students as an educational interface providing design, production and marketing data for fashion-related products particularly useful for the analysis of fashion trends.

Prolonged observations of fashion students highlighted a limited understanding of garment construction quality, technical knowledge and skills, timescale boundaries, and a lack of confidence to experiment with construction techniques; it was the realisation of these issues which initiated a study to revitalise and enhance sewing skill capability through a purposely designed resource tool. While originally developed to be used by fashion design students the resource tool when fully developed would also be useful for craft dressmakers to develop and enhance their skills and expertise. In the fashion student context an extensive literature review substantiated the observed sewing skills which was also verified by further industry personnel through interviews. While the salient points from the literature review and interviews are given the main purpose of this paper is to outline the development stages of the proposed resource tool which was designed to serve as an aid to revitalise and enhance garment construction knowledge, skills and expertise. The resource samples were inspired by clothing collections held in two UK archives thus offering an opportunity to revitalise some of the more complex construction techniques that are no longer used in modern mainstream fashion. The usefulness of the resource tool is also given along with future developments to improve the system.

At the end of the twentieth century the decline of the domestic knitting craft was of paramount concern to the yarn companies and retailers that served this market sector. As demand reduced in the UK so did the number of specialist retailers. This was as detrimental to the yarn companies as it was to the craft. Research undertaken in 1999 by the author suggests that it is probably true to say that the knitting craft was at that point in time at its lowest point of popularity throughout the entire twentieth century. This paper reports briefly on the reasons behind the rise and fall of the hand knitting craft’s popularity throughout the last century in the UK before focusing on the latter decades in order to expose the factors related to the more serious decline of the craft in the 1990s. It discloses the perceptions of the craft at the end of the century and provides the foundation for the next stage of the research project which will involve an investigation of the craft in the early decades of the twentieth-first century.

Computer control systems, currently available for industrial knitting machines, have been developed by individual machine manufacturers. The result is that each system is applicable only to a particular machine type. This work is aimed toward the determination of a generic control system that could be applied to a wide range of knitting machine types. A model of a knitting needle operation is proposed. This takes the form of a multitape controlling automaton and an operational automaton functioning together. The conformity between the technological functions of the separate parts of knitting machines and the functions of an automaton is determined. Diagrams of states and alphabets of input, stack, and output symbols of an operational automaton are defined. The functioning of this automaton is reduced to the performance of nine operations, which are its system of instructions. This enables the processes of basic structural element formation, i.e., knitted loop, tuck loop, and float, on needles of different types and on knitting machines of various constructions to be modelled uniformly. The model proposed also describes the process of a loop transfer, the new knitted fabric commencing on empty needles and finished fabric press-off. Furthermore, consideration has been given to the operation of a multitape controlling automaton that would be integrated in the design of a knitting machine. An algorithm for output symbol determination has been developed that provides independent automaton control of the number of cam layers, the identification of cam track, and the number of needles in use. The software for minimization of the disjunctive normal form of Boolean functions, based on the methods of Quine and Gorbatov, has been developed. The possibility of modelling knitting machine malfunctions is described, enabling deviations from the correct process, such as hook or latch damage, to be studied.

The actual twist level in the drafting zone of a woolen ring frame is measured and analyzed with respect to false-twist tube speed, roller velocity, draft, deflector rod height, number of agitator pegs, and the presence or absence of the jaw on the base of the false-twist tube. In terms of influence on the drafting twist, the false-twist tube speed, the pegs, the jaw, and the draft are positive factors, while the deflector rod and front roller velocity are negative factors. An empirical equation is produced to relate drafting twist level to spinning variables, and deficiencies are shown for two earlier equations. A further study is made of the effect of various mechanical parameters on the spinning performance and yarn properties for a number of wool blends. For the sake of brevity, only one parameter is discussed in this paper.

This paper considers the compression properties of yarns. A model is proposed which predicts the behaviour of yarns in compression; the model takes account of the structural characteristics of yarns and the finite dimensions of fibres. A device is described which has been successfully used to measure the effects of compression forces on the dimensions of yarn cross-sections.A comparison between the theoretical behaviour of yarns and experimental results demonstrates the good predictive ability of the theory.

This is the second part of a two-part series. It introduces a method for simulating a two-component yarn based on the compression model described in Part I. A quadrilateral mesh is employed to generate the over-all yarn appearance from a wire-frame model with texturing and light reflection applied to the surface. Comparison with other simulated yarns using different models and with real yarns show that the simulated yarns using the method described in this paper are more accurate and yield an improved visual representation of real yarns.

This paper considers the distribution of fibres in yarns and discusses the development of a model for the simulation of fibre distributions; the concept of ‘virtual location’ within the cross-section domain, which may contain a fibre, is introduced. The distribution of fibres in real yarns is compared with computer-generated distributions. The distributions predicted by using the model demonstrate all of the properties of the real yarns considered.The change in the fibre distribution caused by compressive forces is considered, and a model to describe the behaviour of real yarns is proposed.

Gives a review of the various methods which have been developed to measure the stiffness of fabric and describes a new method. This new approach enables the testing of knitted fabrics which are difficult to test using the cantilever system. The inter‐operative reproducibility of the new instrument is compared with that of the cantilever method and the drape meter. Also reports inter‐laboratory comparisons on woven fabric and on knitted fabric, the latter having been measured on a KES‐F system.