Transformable Fashion is the new sustainable practice in the green fashion world. In this era of fast fashion, it’s abundant choices at an affordable price. Here, we are going to elaborate on transformable fashion.
Table of Contents
What is Transformable Fashion?
Transformable Fashion is a unique strategy or method to minimize fabric waste and maintain a prolonged clothing lifespan through innovative design. Today’s Globalization has become a diversified fashion industry to adopt transformable fashion. Today, the concept of ‘transformable fashion’ had been promoted by many world-renowned international fashion designers.
Transformable Clothing:
Transformable clothing is defined as those garments and apparel that offer two or more functional styles or aesthetic alternative styles. For example, transformable clothing can be transformed into different fashion styles via different manipulative methods. Some of the best examples to manipulate clothing are transformable by wrapping, rolling, twisting, binding, tying, folding, and so on. Designers use different zippers, drawstrings, hooks, and eyes, to allow users to add or remove facets of clothes, or change their silhouette. Transformable clothes‘ appearance helps the wearer to be easily altered.
It could be transformed by maintaining its form. It’s could be fashioned by surface decorations and Smart clothing with a light-emitting diode which could be controlled from smartphone applications. Today, Transformable features can be unobservable like thermoregulatory clothing with Smart textiles, that can change its clothing color with matching surroundings.
How Transformable Fashion Works?
- Enhanced surface appearance with several patterns and textures.
- Clothes are slightly stretched and adjusted to fit different individuals’ needs.
- Extra fabric helps to wearer flexibility to pull the dress up or down
Using detachable Camouflage the desired body parts.
Transformable Design Methods
Different transformable fashion design methods had developed over the years. Today, the present study basically focuses on a modular design. Because this strategy doesn’t require the sewing and pattern drafting skills of the designer. There some mentionable techniques are as follows:
- Zero-fabric waste + transformable design.
- Transformable design + modular approach using the hook as well as eye fasteners.
- Transformable design + modular approach using zippers.
Moreover, this transformable design approach helps to be integrated into the mass-customization process. For example, clothing parts could be produced and offered in different fabrics, colors, and patterns. People can buy these basic clothing with additional mix-match clothing parts as well as fabric pieces. To re-create a refreshing look according to their personal needs and preferences. As like the picture.
Besides, if the clothing is damaged by stained or torn during use. It easily could be replaced without discarding the entire clothing. This type of mass customization has been referred to as modular customization.
Reason of Transformable Fashion is Getting Popular
Environmental activists are questioned about the fast fashion system. The main problem is overconsumption and disposable clothing. Therefore, many designers have developed several methods and strategies. It helps to minimize fabric waste and prolong the apparel lifespan through innovative design.
There are several reasons why transformable fashion style has got popular among fashion lovers.
Transformable Fashion is a practical solution to reduce fabric wastage. That allows a piece of cloth to be transformed into different looks to serve diverse different needs and purposes. Transformable fashion is the best sustainable fashion alternative to reduce overall clothing consumption by changing, replacing, and, or re-organizing, the clothing’s parts.
Through direct participation in the transformation process, contributions have made to sustainable practices. Transformability and versatility of the transformation fashion have positive impacts and are expected to be created all over the world. These are the followings:
- Consumers’ propensity to wear fashionable clothing may increase;
- The lifespan of clothing could be prolonged.
- The product’s psychological obsolescence will be postponed
- Disposal of garments waste in landfills must be delayed.
Today most fashionable people support sustainable fashion and the idea of transformable clothing and fashion.
Advantages of Transformable Fashion
The fast fashion trends of overconsumption have many negative influences on the environment, as well as on the economy, and society. But the consumer is purchasing clothing according to their needs. Therefore, fabric waste related to clothing consumption is increasing day by day. In this case, transformable fashion comes here to encourage sustainability.
The overall benefits of transformable fashion could be summarised in the following areas: Could extend a clothing lifespan, increase the versatility of fashion styles, offer renewable solutions that promote sustainable practices, reduce overconsumption and fabric wastage, and enhance consumer satisfaction over time.
Transformable clothing needs to be more encouraged among consumers. It engaged to naturally involved in sustainable practices. Many International designers have developed fashion trends. These naturally lead consumers to adopt sustainable clothing and their behaviour.
The transformable design could be one of the best practical solutions. That could encourage the consumer towards participating in sustainable fashion practices with still accomplishing their changing needs.
Disadvantages of Transformable Fashion
Despite the rise in sustainable awareness, many consumers are not yet ready to pay a premium price for eco-friendly or sustainable clothing. In case of willingness to high pay for the features of customization, transformable clothes surprisingly. Most consumers indicated that they are not willing to pay more for transformable or environmentally friendly clothing. Moreover, investors are not investing in transformable clothing due to its extra production costs and concept too new to the global consumer. Therefore, consumers need to be engaged and nurtured. So that they can have a better choice to justify their purchases. Especially when buying clothing parts to create a personal fashion.
Conclusion
Generally, the Lifespan of apparel: jacket, T-shirt, top, has generally 3-12 months. But a transformable coat or a pair of trousers could probably last from 1-3 years (depending on the style, fabric, and fabrication). But it could extend more lifespan.
Moreover, Transformable design methods need to be more explored. For example, zippers or velcro are not the perfect fasteners for transformable clothing. Collaborations and interactions among fashion designers, entrepreneurs, and consumers need to improvise for future transformable fashion research and studies.
References
- Sustainable Fashion Design: Transformable Garments for Versatility & Longevity by Minjie Gong. The University of Ryerson.
- Design Functions in Transformable Garments for Sustainability Helen Koo, Auburn University, USA Lucy Dunne, Elizabeth Bye, University of Minnesota.
- https://www.fashionstudiesjournal.org/longform/2018/9/15/transformable-fashion
- https://fashionandtextiles.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40691-019-0182-4
