FIBR300 - Clothing Quiz

I'm back at art college, although technically it is a university now! My first class yesterday was great. Our first mission for next week is to find some used clothing we can repurpose. The title of the class is Selvedge/Salvage. A selvedge, in fibre terms, is the manufactured edge of fabric that looks like a tape. It's meant to kept the fabric from unravelling and is usually discarded.

One of the cool things about this class is that it involves material culture. I took a material culture class five years ago and loved loved loved it. Demystifying the how and why of everyday objects is so cool and we especially take clothing for granted. We buy it, we wear it, we wash it, we mend it, we thrift it, we discard it...clothing is extremely personal. The instructor handed out a questionnaire for us to think about our clothing habits. My answers are under the cut.

Strangely enough, the clothing and fashion industry, particularly fast fashion, is a major polluter and exploiter of cheap labour. Thinking about our choices and changing our behaviour can make a world of difference to someone who has to live next to a polluted waterway or struggles to make pennies an hour.

• How often to you shop for clothes?


• Do you wear second hand clothes?


• Where do you shop for clothes?


• Do you have a favourite retail store?


• Is there a retail store(s) you avoid?


• Are you drawn to specific fabrics or colours?


• Do you mend anything?


• Do you modify any of your clothing?


• How often do you wash your clothes?


• Do you use a dry cleaner?


• Do you use a dryer?


• How long do your clothes last?


• How old is your oldest piece of clothing?


• Would you pay more for better quality, longer lasting clothing?


• Do you have a favourite piece that you care for more than others?


• How many pieces of clothing do you have?

( My answers )