From pleasure in use to preservation of meaningful memories: a closer look at the sustainability of clothing via longevity and attachment

Abstract

The short life span of clothing is problematic from the viewpoint of sustainable development, making the study of ways to extend garment use time worthwhile. This current study focuses on person–product attachments to clothing items and the context of attachment. The hypothesis in this study is that deep attachment to clothing offers opportunities to extend the owning and using time of garments. Hence, fostering person–product attachment would be one way to postpone disposal of garments. This study investigates the clothing lifecycle stages where pleasurable use experiences and meaningful memories encourage attachment. In this way, the study contributes to the sustainable design field by providing new research information about person–product attachments to clothing items.