Perceptions and practices of dress-related leisure: shopping, sorting, making and mending

This article explores the attitudes of seven women to four dress-related activities: shopping for new garments; sorting clothes within the wardrobe; making – specifically knitting – clothes for themselves; and mending damaged items. This topic is of particular interest within the field of fashion and sustainability, because clothing consumption could be reduced if activity were to be diverted from shopping to alternative fashion practices. Positioning these practices as intrinsically rewarding leisure activities may encourage such a shift. The research demonstrates that all four of the dress-related activities occupy a grey area between leisure and chore. However, because perceptions are personal, context dependent and flexible, there is scope for attitudes to be changed. An experimental project indicates that it is possible to reframe mending as a desirable leisure activity by integrating attributes such as social interaction and creativity. This reframing is aided by individuals' concerns about wasting resources, but can also be limited by concerns about wasting time.