Abstract
The aim of this study was to understand the kinds of thoughts and possible conflicts students experienced regarding their clothing purchases and how their consumption habits reflected on clothing quantity data. The objectives were to increase knowledge about the complexity of clothing consumption and develop new solutions for consumers’ wardrobe building challenges. In this study “wardrobe” was examined as a vast entity, including daily clothing usage and consumption practices and aspects of self-expression. Sustainable clothing consumption and its challenges were also examined in the wardrobe context.
Research material was collected by Räisänen between 2010 and 2016. Respondents (N= 395) were students at the University of Helsinki and the Open University of Helsinki who participated in a course Textiles, consumption and sustainability (2–3 ECTS). Responses contained wardrobe inventories (quantitative) and open questions (qualitative data) in which respondents were asked to describe their clothing consumption habits. A mixed methods approach was used to gain a diverse picture of the phenomenon.
Clothes were meaningful for most of the respondents and it was important that clothes reflected one’s personal style. Results showed that a significant number of students thought they had too many clothes and discontent seemed to have increased during recent years. One of the more important findings was related to the respondents who were content with their clothing quantity. This group was notably uniform: they were rational with their purchases, quality-oriented and loyal to their own style. Consumer education and clothing consultancy services could utilize the findings when building strategies for guiding consumers towards more sustainable deeds.
Research material was collected by Räisänen between 2010 and 2016. Respondents (N= 395) were students at the University of Helsinki and the Open University of Helsinki who participated in a course Textiles, consumption and sustainability (2–3 ECTS). Responses contained wardrobe inventories (quantitative) and open questions (qualitative data) in which respondents were asked to describe their clothing consumption habits. A mixed methods approach was used to gain a diverse picture of the phenomenon.
Clothes were meaningful for most of the respondents and it was important that clothes reflected one’s personal style. Results showed that a significant number of students thought they had too many clothes and discontent seemed to have increased during recent years. One of the more important findings was related to the respondents who were content with their clothing quantity. This group was notably uniform: they were rational with their purchases, quality-oriented and loyal to their own style. Consumer education and clothing consultancy services could utilize the findings when building strategies for guiding consumers towards more sustainable deeds.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | PLATE - Product Lifetimes And The Environment Proceedings : 3rd PLATE Conference September 18-20, 2019, Berlin Germany |
| Editors | Nils F. Nissen, Melanie Jaeger-Erben |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Place of Publication | Berlin |
| Publisher | Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin |
| Publication date | 11 May 2021 |
| Pages | 797-803 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-3-7983-3125-9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 11 May 2021 |
| MoE publication type | A4 Article in conference proceedings |
| Event | PLATE Product Lifetimes and the Environment - Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany Duration: 18 Sept 2018 → 20 Dec 2019 https://www.plateconference.org/plate-2019-conference/ |
Fields of Science
- 516 Educational sciences
- wardrobe
- wardrobe building
- clothing quantity
- consumption habits
- sustainable clothing consumption
- Craft science