Clothing care includes all practices linked to its use after a piece of clothing is purchased and brought home. It starts with deciding on the ways of wearing and occasions for which an item is used, with considerations such as practicality and appropriateness for purpose. Clothing care then includes domestic washing, drying, and ironing routines as well as the use of dry cleaning services. Long-term use of clothing also requires considerations such as repairs, alterations, or protection from moths. As extending the active life of clothing is currently considered the most effective way of reducing the environmental impact of the industry, clothing care can be critical in enabling a more sustainable fashion future. For example, the frequency of washing, temperature and detergents used as well as the ways in which clothes are dried can significantly influence their usable lifetime. Washing infrequently, at low temperatures, with minimal detergent use, as well as line drying instead of tumble drying can help save energy, water, prevent premature deterioration of fabrics and reduce the risk of shrinkage. Re-education in repair skills and improved access to professional repair and alteration services are also key for nurturing the mindsets of care and responsibility for the clothes we buy and use. Contrary to the current logic of disposability in fashion, ample empirical evidence confirms that people often draw deep satisfaction and pleasure from resourceful ways of using and looking after old and familiar clothes that unsettle the logic of constant change and newness in fashion.(1-8)
CLOTHING CARE
