ABSTRACT
Consumers are often confused as to the intrinsic value of textiles. Many are unaware of the overly complex processes required to produce cheap fashion items and unfamiliar with the environmental and ethical issues caused during textile production, along with the environmental harm caused by textiles in landfill. This chapter provides an overview of the changing social practices within clothing textiles, perceived barriers to reuse in the fashion industry, and then through a design case study examines the process of component reuse as a way of reducing textile waste and how this might be implemented. Trialed by the author, ‘ReDress’ is a program of component reuse, and if it were more commonly practiced, could divert large volumes of textile waste from the landfill and reduce its current demand on the environment. ‘Refashion’, through component reuse, is presented here as the best compromise for slowing down the consumption of clothing, taking into consideration existing manufacturing processes, and the welfare of the environment.
