Methods
Qualitative study involving 15 participants across three age groups: young adults (18–24), parents with young children (25–49) and older adults (50+).
Data collected through in-depth wardrobe interviews, clothing audits, participant diaries, household tours and photo elicitation.
Research conducted in participants’ homes across counties Donegal and Sligo between 2018 and 2019.
Main Findings
The findings reported in this paper relate specifically to clothing repair and arise from empirical in-depth interviews which took place in participants’ own homes and in, or in close proximity to, their wardrobes.
The paper highlights the complex multidimensional impact that attachment, memories, and materiality play in user decisions to repair, or not to repair, a garment, and associated decisions related to clothing discard. It unpacks intergenerational competencies and confidences in undertaking everyday clothing repair, user-repair cultures, and sewing skills.
The discussion concludes with a critical consideration of findings in the context of wider debates surrounding sustainable clothing consumption and the circular economy.
Older adults demonstrated the strongest clothing repair skills and were more likely to undertake repairs themselves.
Younger participants often relied on family members, particularly mothers, for clothing repairs and reported lower confidence in their own repair abilities.
Emotional attachment, memories and perceived garment value were important motivations for repair.
Key barriers included lack of time, limited sewing skills, convenience of replacing clothing and the availability of low-cost fast fashion.
The study highlights the importance of intergenerational learning, repair skills and community repair cultures in supporting circular economy transitions.
