Possible System Applications

Visible Mending And Alterations

Although there has been a rise in the amount of thrift and secondhand stores available, they can only sell clothing that is in near-perfect condition, without any stains or tears Additionally, it is not easy for people to find items that fit both their style and size. Even though there are an array of used garments and textiles for people to purchase, not everyone has the time and ability to modify them into something that they would wear. The proposed solution for this problem is to use existing textile objects or garments to mend broken clothes, transform them into new pieces or tailor them to make them fit This new system could exist as an entire brand or store that sells mended garments, or it could take the form of a campaign that promotes fixing your own clothes and teaches people how to do it themselves It could also be a service that thrift stores offer to their clients. This system would not only increase the possibilities of secondhand garments and make them more inclusive, but it would also give people custom-made or tailored garments that would fit them better than what they can find readily available and therefore last longer. Customization and personal orders give the garment a story and therefore make it more valuable to the user

Paired Clothi

The second proposed system is inspired by my cousins, who are all pairs of siblings There are two sets of two girls, followed by a set of two boys, and lastly girl and boy twins. Because of this, my cousins and I have always shared clothes with our siblings and passed them down to the younger family members when they are outgrown Within the current fashion system, clothing has become very disposable and therefore enables people to buy items to wear once or that they know they can either get rid of or return if they simply change their mind It is important for new fashion systems to give clothing more value in order to enforce sustainability. This system would involve clothing collections that are meant to be bought in sets of two by two people The sets balance each other and can create an array of different outfits For example, formal and informal, and “feminine” and “masculine”1 . These would be bought by two people at the same time which changes the in-person shopping experience and promotes sharing Shopping with someone as well as sharing the garments with them already gives the garments a new backstory and value It also generates a sense of community in sharing and exchanging clothing, there’s a constant change in what’s available in your closet without having to buy new items. The garment’s lives are increased as they belong to two people and they both would have to agree to get rid of them It is also a useful system for young kids to explore how they want to express their gender through clothing, and easily have available more feminine and more masculine clothing to wear.

1 The words feminine and masculine refer to what is traditionally seen as gendered, not reflective of what my opinion of that is today

The final system explored during this part of the research focuses on family heirlooms and memorabilia This type of object is generally made or bought for one specific person and wearable for a limited period of time or not at all. Some examples include blankets, meaningful baby clothes, and fabric banners They are one of the few kinds of objects that have little to no practical value but lots of sentimental ones When people grow and move around, they don’t tend to take these items with them as they serve no practical purpose, but sometimes they are most needed when one is away from their childhood home This system proposes creating an object or garment that is made out of textiles that only have sentimental value. It gives a place to random textile objects that people may want to keep but have no use for them. The prototype shown in Figure 4 is a simple design that could be created and used by anyone It could serve simply as a blanket or as a scarf or coat. This system could simply be introduced as an object that people can recreate in their own homes or it could be a business that offers this service to people In this second option, clients would bring a box of their textile memorabilia which would be transformed into a single object. This system would reduce the volume of unnecessary objects in a person’s home or reduce the number of items that are tossed because they don’t serve a practical purpose. It could also serve as some kind of “rite of passage” when a person grows up or moves away