Strategies to improve design and testing for clothing longevity Final report: December 2016 Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham - UK Authors: Professor Tim Cooper Dr. Lynn Oxborrow Stella Claxton Dr. Helen Goworek Helen Hill Angharad McLaren Defra project EV0553 [Type here] [Type here] If you need to reference this document, please use: Cooper, T., Oxborrow, L., Claxton, S., Goworek, H., Hill, H., McLaren, A. (2016), Strategies to improve design and testing for clothing longevity, Defra: London. Cover Image: Robyn Galloway, New College Nottingham [Type here] [Type here] Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................ 1 1 Executive summary ......................................................................................................................... 4 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Background ............................................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................ 6 3 Literature review ............................................................................................................................. 7 3.1 Clothing longevity and sustainability ...................................................................................... 7 3.2 Consumer perspectives on longevity ...................................................................................... 7 3.3 Brand perspectives on longevity ............................................................................................. 8 3.4 Material durability .................................................................................................................. 9 3.5 Product testing and failure ..................................................................................................... 9 3.6 Emotional durability .............................................................................................................. 10 3.7 Design for longevity and a systems thinking approach to NPD ............................................ 10 3.8 The global apparel supply chain............................................................................................ 11 3.9 Technological innovations .................................................................................................... 11 3.10 The business case and business models ............................................................................... 12 4 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 15 4.1 Industry Interviews ............................................................................................................... 15 4.2 Consumer research ............................................................................................................... 15 4.2.1 Focus groups ................................................................................................................. 15 4.2.2 Clothing diaries: ............................................................................................................ 16 4.3 Expert round tables and workshop ....................................................................................... 17 4.3.1 Testing round table ....................................................................................................... 18 4.3.2 Pilling round table ......................................................................................................... 18 4.3.3 Consumer round table .................................................................................................. 18 4.3.4 Expert workshop: Integrating design for clothing longevity ......................................... 18 4.4 Pilot studies ........................................................................................................................... 18 5 Research findings .......................................................................................................................... 19 5.1 Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 19 5.1.1 Sustainability, product longevity and durability ........................................................... 19 5.1.2 Challenges to longevity and durability of clothing ....................................................... 20 5.1.3 Design for longevity and durability ............................................................................... 20 5.1.4 Product testing and care labelling ................................................................................ 20 5.1.5 Skills and knowledge ..................................................................................................... 21 5.1.6 The supply chain as a facilitator or obstacle? ............................................................... 21 Design and testing for clothing longevity 1 Defra 5.1.7 Other key findings ......................................................................................................... 22 5.2 Consumer research ............................................................................................................... 22 5.3 Technical research ................................................................................................................ 24 5.3.1 Physical and emotional durability ................................................................................. 24 5.3.2 Testing and wearer trials .............................................................................................. 25 5.3.3 Understanding consumers ............................................................................................ 26 5.3.4 Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 27 6 Pilot exercises ............................................................................................................................... 29 6.1 Longevity testing to support Brand A’s guarantee of clothing longevity. ............................ 29 6.1.1 Background and rationale ............................................................................................. 29 6.1.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 30 6.1.3 Research findings .......................................................................................................... 31 6.1.4 Analysis and Implications: ............................................................................................. 32 6.2 Supporting Brand B to explore customer views on clothing longevity ................................. 33 6.2.1 Background and rationale ............................................................................................. 33 6.2.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 33 6.2.3 Research findings .......................................................................................................... 34 6.2.4 Analysis and implications .............................................................................................. 35 6.3 Developing a regime for testing colour durability based on Brand B’s consumer laundering behaviour .......................................................................................................................................... 36 6.3.1 Background and rationale ............................................................................................. 36 6.3.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 36 6.3.3 Research findings .......................................................................................................... 37 6.3.4 Analysis and implications .............................................................................................. 37 6.4 Investigating the cause of pilling in Brand C’s cashmere knitwear ....................................... 39 6.4.1 Rationale and objectives ............................................................................................... 39 6.4.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 39 6.4.3 Research findings .......................................................................................................... 39 6.4.4 Analysis and implications .............................................................................................. 40 6.5 Summary of findings ............................................................................................................. 41 6.6 Implications for design strategy and policy .......................................................................... 41 7 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 51 7.1 Summary of findings ............................................................................................................