Objective
This activity aims to explore the social norms attached to clothing in order to create positive changes in consumer behaviour. The students will reflect on how these norms can affect consumer behaviour in terms of purchasing choices, use, and consumer care practices, and therefore affect the longevity of garments. This activity is part of the ‘REUSE’ circular strategy, with a focus on designing for longevity.
What to prepare
Time
2-3 weeks
Activity brief
Prior to the activity kick-off, we suggest that your students review the topic ‘LONGEVITY’.
Social norms are the informal rules that govern behaviour and identify, consciously or otherwise, what is and is not acceptable in a community. Some norms are related to clothes and influence how we interact with and perceive their value. For example, in some cultures it is not widely acceptable to wear secondhand clothes because of stigmas around hygiene or because of how they reflect personal wealth, or bring bad luck and energy to the wearer.
In line with the ‘REUSE’ circular strategy, the focus of the activity is on designing for longevity.
You will be working in teams to identify existing social norms and explore ways to break them in order to reduce their negative impacts on a garment’s longevity.
- Within your own teams, you will first need to identify at least three social norms that reduce the longevity of a garment. Tip: Consider the reasons for early clothing disposal even when clothing is in close to new condition.
- Choose one social norm associated with clothing that you identified earlier.
- If you are a design student, come up with a design concept for a collection that addresses, changes, and/or raises awareness around it. If you are a marketing and communications student, create a marketing campaign that aims to make consumers aware of and/or change this norm. It can include imagery, social media strategy, in-store merchandising, celebrity collaboration, website copywriting, etc.
Examples of social norms
Among some cultures or peer groups, it is frowned upon to:
- Wear the same clothes over consecutive days
- Wear damaged clothes, such as cardigans with pilling, holes on T-shirts, and clothes with sweat stains
- Wear odd socks
Among some cultures or peer groups, there is an expectation to:
- Wash clothing after just one wear
- Keep up with fashion trends
- Wear new clothes and shoes to special events, or to have a continuously changing wardrobe for work or social events
Among some cultures or peer groups, it is perceived that:
- Damage (e.g. pilling, holes, stains) on clothes is deemed undesirable, resulting in disposal
- Secondhand clothing is only for environmentalists / hipsters / low-income groups
- Wearing hand-me-down clothes is a behaviour of those with lower incomes
- Clothing repair is not regarded as an important skill
Outcome
Design students:
- One mood board or theme board of your design concept
- A sketch book documenting your research and your design development including information covering:
- Your chosen clothing norm
- How the norm reduces the longevity of a garment
- Chosen customer market
- Design features used to break this norm
- One presentation board of the design line-up drawings
- One final outfit mockup
Marketing students:
- A 500–800 word report, which includes the following details:
- An explanation of the chosen clothing norm and why this may have arisen
- How the norm can reduce the longevity of a garment
- Chosen customer market
- Marketing strategy – How do you plan to communicate and effectively break the norm or educate consumers about the issues surrounding it?
- A communication plan for your marketing campaign (can include imagery, social media strategy, in-store merchandising, celebrity collaboration, website copywriting, etc.)