Comparing Male and Female Wardrobes: Gender Dynamics in the Practice of Dressing

Kinga Zablocka on 11. februar 2025

Authors: Vilde Haugrønning, Ingrid Haugsrud

Abstract

This chapter explores the influence of gender on clothing consumption and the impact on differences in clothing volumes between men and women. Based on a qualitative and quantitative wardrobe study, we employ Schatzki’s (2002) social ontology of practice combined with Butler’s (1990) gender performance concept to examine the relationship between gender and clothing consumption in 15 households in Norway. The findings show that women had on average 497 items and the men had 258 items, and the main difference between male and female wardrobes was due to the number of items per occasion. These findings highlights the complexities and tensions faced by women in navigating clothing norms and maintaining a balance in the practice of dressing between appropriate dress, feminine expressions and having an ideal and more sustainable wardrobe. This chapter contributes to a better understanding of the interplay between occasions and gender dynamics that shape clothing consumption patterns. Moreover, it illustrates the potential of ‘occasion’ as an analytical concept and the implications of gender in clothing consumption, challenging the prevailing studies on clothing and fashion that often overlook the nuanced practices and actions that influence clothing volumes.

Klikk her for full artikkel (emerald.com) eller ta kontakt med forfatterne.

Overcoming barriers for «strong» sustainable consumption policy: the case of the Amsterdam Doughnut

Kinga Zablocka on 14. januar 2025

Forfatter: Irene Maldini

Abstrakt


This case study of the Amsterdam Doughnut highlights how barriers for “strong” sustainable consumption policy pinpointed in the literature were to some extent overcome in the city policy of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in the period of 2018–23. The study builds on interviews conducted in 2020 and 2023 with key stakeholders participating in the policymaking process, and on the analysis of relevant policy documents. It identifies a few factors that played a role as levers of the barriers mentioned in the literature. These factors facilitated the inclusion of upper consumption limits in a few policy areas at a conceptual and strategic level. However, resistance to “strong” sustainable consumption measures hindered their translation into concrete actions, targets, and implementation. Lastly, a change of emphasis in the city strategy towards the “social foundation” of the Doughnut Economy framework during the period under study led to a stronger focus on the lower levels of sufficiency, leaving the emphasis on the upper levels behind.

Klikk her for full tekst (taylorFrancis.com).

Clothing Care – The Palgrave Handbook of Sustainability in Fashion

Kinga Zablocka on 12. januar 2025

Forfattere: Ingrid Haugsrud, Ingun Grimstad Klepp and Kirsi Laitala

Abstract

The impact of the fashion industry on the environment is undoubtedly size-able. In response, the last decade has seen various changes in the fashion industry landscape, from new digital technologies that enhance zero waste productions, the emergence of the digital platform economy, to the development of innovative materials. This Handbook captures key innovations within the fashion industry and brings together work from leading academics, but also practitioners in the field. Offering a comprehensive and global perspective, it covers core topics such as: technological innovations and their impact on sustainable fashion, alternative models of consumption, the circular economy, the role of activism and the future of sustainable fashion. With clear managerial implications, chapters uniquely supplement conceptual work with short practitioner-led case studies that bridge the gap between theory and practice, making this a valuable resource for students and researchers.

Klikk her for lenke til boka og teksten (springer.com)

Decentering Durability: Decarbonizing and Decolonizing Ideas and Practices of Long-Lasting Clothes

Kinga Zablocka on 2. desember 2024

Authors: Kate Fletcher and Anna Fitzpatrick

Abstract

Durability is widely recognized as a key feature of materially resource-ful, lower-carbon clothing lives. Yet most of what is known about long-lasting garments is rooted in Euro-American ways of thinking, andreproduces its structures, priorities, values and resulting actions. Thispaper brings a decolonial concern to understandings of clothing durabil-ity to enlarge the conceptual boundaries around it, including those thatbreak apart dominant ideas and approaches to clothing durability inorder to show difference. It presents both the “workings” and the“findings” of a small research project, ‘Decentering Durability’, examin-ing both how research is conducted as well as what is uncovered at the intersection of decolonizing and resource-efficient, decarbonizing agen-das for fashion.

Click here for the full article (tandfonline.com) or contact the authors for a copy.

Holding on or letting go: Conflicting narratives of product longevity

Erlend Hua Lun Kok on 21. august 2024

Forfattere: Lisbeth Løvbak Berg, Marie Hebrok

Abstract

Increasing product longevity is seen as an effective way to reduce consumption within the circular economy. This paper explores narratives of product longevity, focusing on textiles, household appliances, and furniture as expressed by Norwegian business representatives and consumers. The study reveals dominant narratives of physical and emotional durability among businesses. Conversely, consumers emphasise managing consumption volumes and their relationship with products based on use contexts and life events. While both groups recognise the importance of physical durability, there’s a disconnect regarding how emotional attachment can be created between user and product, and the significance of production volumes. The study suggests that narratives of product longevity, shift focus from production to consumption, distancing from questions of volume and growth and that efforts should take ‘life durability’ of products into account when designing strategies and interventions aimed at extending product lifespans, including business models and policy directly targeting lower production volumes.

For å lese eller laste ned hele artikkelen, klikk her (sciencedirect.com).

Å forestille seg framtid(er): Utvinnelse av framstillinger av bærekraftig forbruk

Erlend Hua Lun Kok on 21. august 2024

Studien handler om å utvinne fortiden for bedre å forstå hvordan vi forestiller oss og former fremtiden. Prosjektnotatet er en leveranse fra arbeidspakke 1: «Mine» i forskningsprosjektet IMAGINE: Contested Futures of Sustainability. Arbeidspakkens formål er å konstruere et konseptuelt rammeverk basert på Paul Ricoeurs studie av forestillinger, og å samle data om fortidens imaginære forestillinger. For å identifisere dominerende fremtidsforestillinger fremhevet WP1 det diakrone aspektet til det imaginære som både hjelper å bedre forstå hvordan tidligere, nåværende og fremtidige tider henger sammen og samtidig begrenser eller muliggjør måter å tenke på fremtiden. Ricoeuriansk tilnærming til det imaginære er Ariadnes tråd i den konseptuelle delen, mens empirien følger den tredelte forbrukstilnærmingen til IMAGINE fokusert på å spise, kle seg og bevege seg. Ved å kombinere teoretiske og empiriske perspektiver utviklet vi et rammeverk for analyse av datamaterialet, der selvrefleksjon, gjensidighet, dialog og re-figurasjon spiller en sentral rolle.

Studien presenterer det imaginære funnet i minst 10 kjente filmer, 10 anerkjente romaner og tegneserier og 10 reklamer fra de siste 30 år, som eksplisitt omhandler den bærekraftige fremtiden (30 totalt). Videre gir notatet en analog analyse av policydokumenter (white papers, strategipapirer, policy-rapporter) og forretningsstrategidokumenter fra tre tidsperioder (1980-2000-2020) for hver av våre tre tilnærminger det vil si spising, påkledning og flytting (30 totalt).

The way forward for WOOLUME

Erlend Hua Lun Kok on 21. mai 2024

Summary

This note looks at knowledge transference between a country of high wool utilisation (Norway) and a country of low wool utilisation (Poland). The findings that are presented here, are collected through semi-structured interviews, via Zoom, in person and also with one written response. All interviewees were project partners. Economics and scale are important themes, especially for moving forward with better use of local wool. As identified in other projects, things need to happen in the right order and there must be an economic fundament that ensures a professionalism and not that what one does is done on a hobby basis. The skills gap is an important issue if there is to be a future for the wool industry in Europe, and this must be addressed at national and EU level, this is not something a project or industry can fix on their own.

Click here to read full report.

The Impact of Modes of Acquisition on Clothing Lifetimes

tobiasson on 14. februar 2024

Forfattere: Kirsi Laitala, Ingun Grimstad Klepp og Lisbeth Løvbak Berg

Abstract:

Reducing the environmental impact of clothing is dependent on a reduction of the produced volume. This chapter discusses how mode and volumes of acquisition impact the lifetimes of clothing. Based on our scoping review and reanalysis of international wardrobe audit data, we find that the number of
garments that are acquired has most impact, making clothing utilization an important concept. Secondhand garments are used fewer times than new items, and gifts less than self-chosen items. Self-made clothing was worn less than tailored garments, showing that product personalisation can both shorten
and increase lifetimes. Slowing down the rate of acquisition and increasing the lifetime with the first user should be the focus of policy development.

To read the full chapter, contact Kirsi Laitala kirsil@oslomet.no or the publisher of Recycling and Lifetime Management in the Textile and Fashion Sector.

Dypdykk i materialstrømmene for tekstiler fra husholdninger i Norge

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 21. desember 2023

Forfattere: Frode Syversen, Ingun Grimstad Klepp, Olav Skogesal, Kristiane Rabben, Anna Schytte Sigaard, Lisbeth Løvbak Berg og Kirsi Laitala

Sammendrag

Ved å analysere tre ulike materialstrømmer besvares FoU-prosjektet Wasted Textiles’ spørsmål «Hvor mye tekstiler, spesielt syntetiske, kvitter norske forbrukere seg med». I perioden 2021-2023 har prosjektet analysert prøver av tekstiler fra tekstil- og avfallsstrømmer fra Oslo, Vestfold og Romerike. Basert på resultater fra Wasted Textiles’ analyser, Mepex’ lukkanalysedatabase for husholdningsavfall, statistikk over mengder restavfall og tekstiler samlet inn av ideelle organisasjoner, er det beregnet nasjonale tall for mengde tekstiler, av tekstilprodukter, tilstand og andel syntetiske fibre i de tre strømmene.

Klikk her for å lese hele rapporten (mepex.no).

Regulating Fast Fashion out of Fashion

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 10. september 2023

Authors: Ingun Grimstad Klepp and Kerli Kant Hvass

Abstract

Among sustainable fashion and textile themes, product durability has recently come into focus within EU policy making. The dominant understanding is that increased textile lifespan will reduce environmental impacts, but this intrinsic link is not supported by research. The volume of clothing produced poses the greatest environmental burdens. Increased clothes availability leads to longer lifespan due to reduced utilization. To reduce the environmental impact of increased textile volumes measures should be expanded to encompass not only product design, life-prolonging, and end-of-life strategies, but also the volume of products to market. This concept paper contributes to the debate on how to address the growing amount of textile waste by applying the knowledge gained from consumer research regarding clothing use and proposing a regulatory measure called Targeted Producer Responsibility (TPR). The central method of TPR is waste analyses which relies on actual use – or non-use – of products as the starting point for eco-modulated fees. TPR reverses EPR and uses waste for overproduction knowledge, thus proposing a tool that can potentially reduce the total environmental impact of textiles.

Click here to download and read the full article.

Click here to download and read the full conference proceedings (aalto.fi)