[AD]DRESSING MUMMA: Longitudinal study of the pregnancy and postpartum wardrobe through the lenses of consumption, use and disposal

tobiasson on 5. August 2024

Authors: Dr. Zoe O. John, Dr Garrath T. Wilson, Dr Val Mitchell, School of Creative Arts & Design, University of Loughborough.

Aim of study

The research objectives were to understand the practices of consumption, use and disposal of clothing through a liminal period and whether this gives insight into ‘better’ practices of use. The research was explored through the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy and the approximate year following birth. The focus of the study was to see if an individual’s sense of physical and emotional comfort, including their sense of identity, changed over a liminal period, and whether these were compromised or bolstered through what an individual wore.

The research questions driving this were:

1. What are the drivers of the consumption, use and disposal of clothing during pregnancy and the postpartum period?

2. Can you dress ‘sustainably’ during pregnancy and postpartum?

3. Can you dress ‘sustainably’ whilst supporting your identity during pregnancy and into the postpartum period?

Method

This was the fieldwork for my PhD research, a constructivist study with a feminist lens (Letherby, G. 2003), the research was conducted with a bond of five women over nearly two years, inspired by my experiences of dressing through pregnancy and the postpartum period and through discussions I had with others going through a similar period. As the project developed it seemed obvious to me that I needed to be studying participant ‘wardrobes’ and using their clothes as a catalysis for the exploration of the themes I wanted to examine.

I visited my participants 4 times (twice in pregnancy and twice postpartum). Each visit looked at the same three themes (consumption, use and disposal). By invitation we would sit by their ‘wardrobes’ (these could also be a chest of draws, hanging rails or a whole room) and participants would talk through what they were or were not wearing, where it came from (purchase, gifted etc.) or where it was going (passed on again, the charity shop, waste etc.), how it made them feel and ultimately why they responded as they did. I recorded our conversations on a Dictaphone and took photos of the clothes they told me about, as well as their ‘wardrobes’.

Picture 1 – A birdy top that ‘makes me feel generic’ – Iris –WS1

Participants were recruited through social media and word of mouth. They were based in the South East of England. Initially, 8 participants were taken forward, but for the final thesis only data from 5, all first-time full-term pregnancies, participants were used. No specific characteristics were asked for in the recruitment process, but they all ended up being in a committed relationship, Caucasian and with a comfortable socio-economic background.

I did play around with ideas around using visualising tools etc. and took these into the wardrobe studies, but the data was already so rich, that they were not needed.

I used thematic analysis as popularised and researched by Braun and Clarke (2006 to 2021) with support for the process of analysis from Taylor-Powell and Renner (2003). I found the lack of information on how people analysed their data frustrating, so I included a section on the literal step-by-step analysis process in my thesis (3.7.1, John, Z.O. 2012).

One of the nicest things about conducting this research was that almost every time I shared what I was doing with other women who had been pregnant (some many years previously), they regaled me with stories of their own experiences and reflections of dressing through pregnancy, and those first few months that follow it, and both the internal and external challenges in locating ourselves with help and hindrance from the clothes we wear. I believe that sharing real stories is the essence of the human experience and a segue to understanding how we can better design for and serve the world around us.

Picture 2 – A dress that ‘doesn’t excite me that much’ – Lily WS2

The data generated was used to inform my PhD research and academic papers based on the thesis.

You can follow the methodology and carry out the same mechanics, but what became clear to me was that the outcomes from this exploration were shaped by my experience, the specific experiences of my participants, and the relationships that we developed over nearly two years of wardrobes studies, and just as every pregnancy and every baby are different, so too is every experience of dressing through pregnancy and into the postpartum phase. However, this research does not provide any data on the consumption, use or disposal of clothing for different socio-economic, cultural or geolocated studies.  It also does not take into account practices during liminal times such as living, dressing and pregnancy through a global pandemic, nor how identity was constructed through clothing when most of us were at home in our pyjamas till noon. Although there was research conducted within this space, this project places itself firmly in a pre-Covid time. However, it acknowledges that it is likely that aspects around the ‘what and how’ of our practices of dress, and our relationship with clothes, may have been changed through the experience we had during that time.

Wardrobe studies can offer several insights for understanding sustainable practices and emotional attachment for better practices, but they can also offer insights into, among other things, external factors such as seasonal or economic conditions and the impact of global events.

This was the first study to explore what it means to dress sustainably through pregnancy and the postpartum period and as such offers a number of opportunities for continuous exploration. The results could be used to support design work, business development, systems or services or used as a springboard to further academic studies. See 8.4 John, Z.O., 2021. for an extended number of prospects identified.

Wardrobe studies are an intimate exploration tool and that as such they should be treated with the utmost respect and sensitivity. However, this also means that they are rich with life experience and therefore can offer deep insights into the human experience.

Picture 3 – Daisy’s ‘room’ – Daisy WS1

My experience is that people like talking about the clothes they wear and the stories behind them. What happens as they tell these stories is a sub-narrative that offers insight into why we make the choices we do and therefore, how we can work with, rather than against, our human nature, to move towards better practices of consumption, use and disposal.

References:

Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006) ‘Qualitative Research in Psychology Using thematic analysis in psychology Using thematic analysis in psychology’, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), pp. 77–101.

Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2021) ‘One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis?’, Qualitative Research in Psychology. Routledge, 18(3), pp. 328–352. doi: 10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238.

John, Zoe Olivia (2022). [Ad]dressing mamma. Fashion practices of consumption, use and disposal at the liminality of pregnancy. Loughborough University. Thesis. https://doi.org/10.26174/thesis.lboro.20272389.v1

Letherby, G. (2003) Feminist research in theory and practice. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Taylor-Powell, E. and Renner, M. (2003) ‘Analyzing Qualitative Data (G3658-12)’. Available at: https://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/g3658-12.pdf (Accessed: 1 March 2018).

Wardrobe study of clothing and other textiles going out of use from Norwegian households

tobiasson on 21. November 2023

Author: Anna Schytte Sigaard, PhD Student, Consumption Research Norway (SIFO), Oslo Metropolitan University.

Aims and objectives

The wardrobe studies method has been a central part of my PhD project entitled “Want Not, Waste Not: A wardrobe study approach to minimizing textile waste from Norwegian households”. The aim of the project is to create knowledge about the disposal part of the consumption phase of textiles in Norwegian households by collecting and analyzing textiles going out of use to find out how and why people get rid of clothing and other textiles and what they get rid of. A comprehensive mapping of disposed textiles has been carried out to gain knowledge about the technical composition and history of the individual textile. The topic has been explored through the following research questions:

  • What do discarded textiles from Norwegian households consist of?
  • How and why are textiles disposed of from the households?
  • What value do people attach to their used textiles, and how does this affect disposal?

The theoretical framework is based on practice theory which has been used as a point of departure for carrying out wardrobe studies as a research method, and for understanding and analyzing data from fieldwork.

Context

The issue of textile disposal holds significant environmental implications, as waste creation poses a major challenge within the textile and clothing industry. Existing perspectives commonly attribute waste creation to production inefficiencies or place responsibility solely on the consumer. However, these perspectives fail to acknowledge the interconnectedness of the various processes and practices that constitute everyday life. Disposal should not be regarded as an undesirable byproduct, but rather as a crucial and integral part of the consumption process, encompassing social, ethical, and performative aspects. In the context of textiles, understanding consumers’ disposal behavior becomes essential, as they hold the power to determine how and when textiles are discarded. This directly impacts the lifespan of textiles, the amount of waste generated, as well as the potential for reuse and recycling. In my project, disposal refers to the act of getting rid of something regardless of whether it is discarded as waste, delivered to recycling, donated to clothing collectors, given to friends or family, etc. An important contribution of this project is to deepen the understanding of an important, yet neglected area of consumption research, namely why we get rid of the things we no longer want.

Method

The data material in this project consists of wardrobe interviews, fieldnotes and textile registrations. In total, 82 interviews were carried out with 28 households from three parts of Norway: Oslo (11), Vestfold (9) and Salten (8). A total of 73 people of different ages participated in the project. The households were recruited strategically with the intention of obtaining a diverse group of participants to cover as wide a range of perspectives as possible. Therefore, participants of different ages and genders living in both urban and rural areas have been included as well as different types of dwellings. Residing in a bigger or smaller residence affects how much can be stored which may decrease or increase the number of textiles leaving the household. Data collection was carried out during one year starting from October 2021 and ending in October 2022 and comprised a six month participation period for each participant.

A start-up interview lasting maximum one hour was carried out with each household at the beginning of the participation period. The following six months, participants collected all textile items that would have otherwise left the households. Textile items included everything made of fabric such as clothing and shoes, household textiles such as linen, towels, cloths, and equipment such as bags, packaging, and toys. Larger furniture and textile installations, such as fixed carpets, were excluded. After three and six months, at-home wardrobe studies interviews were carried out. The duration of these interviews depended on how much had been collected by the participants and lasted anywhere between 20 minutes and up to three hours. Interviews were centered around the textile items collected by the participants and usually took place in the living room, kitchen, or on the porch in the participants home. We would look at, touch, and sometimes smell each item individually and lay them out on a table or the ground in front of us while the participants answered questions about how long they had had the item, how much they had used it, how they had used it, if they had made any repairs or alterations, how they acquired it, and why they were disposing of it.

A total of 3556 pieces were collected. The textile items were tagged with a letter reference to the household it came from and number (for example A1, A2, A3 etc.) during the interviews in the order in which they were brought up by the participant. After the interview, all textile items were brought back for analysis and information about each piece was registered in Excel together with information from the interviews. The following information was registered for each piece individually (when available): type of textile, weight, brand, color, print, fiber content, number of fibers, construction, recommended wash temperature, ecolabelling, general condition, holes, broken seam, color change, shrinkage/shape change, pilling, felting, and repairs/alterations. In addition, each textile item was photographed after registration.

Stories from wardrobe interviews

Wardrobe interviews were based on what the participants had collected and differed therefore in length as well as content. Below are three examples from interviews of how centering the conversation around the physical items provide meaningful and interesting narratives and insights. Quotes have been translated from Norwegian.

Maria, 38
Item: kitchen towel and microfiber cloth (see image)

“I can’t get rid of the smell on them. This is an old kitchen towel from my grandmother. I took it when she passed away 15 years ago but it has become a little worn. I have used it a lot before, but I got some new ones for Christmas. [The cloth] doesn’t work so well anymore. It doesn’t absorb anything. I have had it a long time, probably for many years, so it’s old. I have used it quite a bit. Now I just want to get rid of it. It smells!”

Maria insisted that I did not bring the cloth back with me for registrations since it was so dirty and smelly. Instead, she threw it into the bin in her kitchen before we continued the interview.

The dirty kitchen rag. Photo: Anna Schytte Sigaard

Freda, 65
Item: sweatpants

“And then the cozy pants go. They have been used quite a bit, but I hate them. I think it’s absolutely terrible to walk around in them and I just don’t want them anymore. I broke my back 13 years ago and I had problems moving and putting on clothes so I asked my husband to go buy a pair of sweatpants because I didn’t have any, I’m not a sweatpants person, but I had to have something that I could just pull up, so he bought them for me. It’s nice to wear something like that to relax, so I have used it but not that much. It has been [visibly] washed and used after all. They were bought for medical reasons and I’m getting rid of them for medical reasons. I have to have pants where I can feel if I’m getting fat and you don’t in those kinds.”

Kasper, 33
Item: pants

“They are all worn out. You can almost see through them, so I’m not allowed to use them anymore. They have simply expired. And they have also ripped in the bottom. I have used them a lot, I managed to use them for at least two years, but they have been lying around for a while now. But I used them almost daily. They are very comfortable. I have really worn it to pieces. It was my gaming pants so it has been sat in a lot. I also used it for working out in the beginning. That was okay as well, just a little warm.»

Results

The project is still ongoing, but some preliminary results based on the quantitative data material have already been identified:

  • Most of the collected textiles were clothing and shoes (see graph below).
  • The largest category of collected clothing in percentage of number was children’s clothing followed by sock. When looking at percentage of weight, however, the largest category was bottoms (jeans, shorts, skirts etc.) and thin tops.
  • Almost a third (32%) of the collected were in very good condition (like new or with only minor changes) (see graph).
  • The most common damage was pilling followed by holes, color change, stains and shrinkage. The least common were broken seams and broken parts.

More results are available in the report “Want not, waste not: Preliminary findings” (see link below). Moving forward, the qualitative interview data will be analyzed. I will be looking into why clothing and textiles that are not broken or damages have been disposed of by focusing on the practices were consumption of clothing and textiles form an integral part.

Percentages for clothing and shoes (81%), household textiles (11%), other (8%)
Condition of items analyzed, from not usable (15%) up to “like new” (8%).

Insights

The contribution of wardrobe studies in the effort to minimize textile waste, is to create an understanding of the relationship between the individual textile item and the larger material context. As it includes the technical characteristics of the textiles along with knowledge about the owner’s social life including the practices involved, the method creates an understanding with a specific focus on the material element of social practices. In this way, it deals with the interconnectedness between how something is talked about and the material item itself. The purpose of including the physical element into the interview situation is to tap into the participants’ sensory relationship with the items. The aim of having participants engage physically with the items was to elicit memories about acquisition and use through the sensory elements which is difficult to obtain through the typical conversational interviews.  

Publications from project

Sigaard, A. S. (2023). Want Not, Waste Not: Preliminary findings. Retrieve here.
Sigaard, A. S., & Laitala, K. (2023). Natural and sustainable? Consumers’ textile fiber preferences. Fibers, 11(2). Retrieve here.