Research in development | October 2026

What if a garment became more interesting the longer we owned it? What if fading and everyday wear were part of its design?

My paper What Makes Clothes Last? Emotional Durability and Garment Retention in Wardrobe Studies, presented at ITC&DC in Zadar, explored why some clothes remain meaningful while others fall out of use despite being physically serviceable. This new material proposal extends that research from studying retention to designing for change.

From deterioration to transformation

Denim develops character through fading, leather acquires patina through handling, and workwear can become more desirable as it records evidence of use. Yet similar changes elsewhere are treated as defects. Drawing on Mary Douglas’s concept of dirt as ‘matter out of place’, this research considers a culturally negotiated threshold of acceptable disorder: the point at which material change becomes understood as damage or, alternatively, character and value.

A fabric designed to reveal itself

The proposal is a woven cotton fabric with a concealed botanical pattern. Dark red and navy yarns would combine more colourfast dye treatments with others designed to fade. Through washing and wear, contrast within the woven structure could increase, gradually revealing a wildflower motif. The illustrated stages are hypothetical, not experimentally validated timelines; actual results will depend on dye chemistry, fibre, weave and laundering.

Designing for anticipation and attachment

Conventional fashion repeatedly offers novelty through replacement. Could an existing garment instead continue to offer discovery? Gradual pattern emergence might create anticipation and strengthen attachment. Jonathan Chapman’s work on emotionally durable design provides a useful foundation, but the proposition requires testing: some wearers may enjoy transformation, while others may dislike losing the original appearance.

The garment as a developing relationship

A chore jacket offers a practical context for this experiment. Its workwear associations with utility, repair and visible ageing allow material transformation to become part of its design narrative. The project would investigate dye performance, wash behaviour, colour transfer, environmental implications and whether the changing surface genuinely contributes to continued use.

What happens next?

The next stage is collaboration with weaving and dye specialists to produce samples, test repeated washing and develop a prototype. Alongside ongoing investigations into leather patina, the work extends my wardrobe studies from understanding why garments are retained toward exploring how designers might encourage lasting relationships. Perhaps an emotionally durable garment is not one that remains unchanged, but one that gives us reasons to remain interested as it changes.

Lee Mattocks | Fashion Design, Wardrobe Studies and Practice-Based Research