Ingun Grimstad Klepp

Reading Fashion as Age: Teenage Girls' and Grown Women's Accounts of Clothing as Body and Social Status

This article discusses the similarities and differences in how women in two different stages of life describe the relationship between fashion and age. The analytical approach is basically discursive, based on Norwegian teenage girls’ and adult women’s verbal accounts of clothing and clothing practices in conversational interviews undertaken in the late 1990s. Ingun Grimstad Klepp is dr.art in ethnology and Head of Research at the National Institute for Consumer Research in Norway (SIFO). She is currently working on clean vs. dirty clothes in a project on laundry.

Leisure and sustainable development in Norway: part of the solution and the problem

The article presents the results of two succeeding Norwegian studies on the environmental impacts of leisure consumption. The first study presents data on the total consumption of leisure products and services by Norwegians, showing that leisure consumption increases more than everyday consumption, the most energy-intensive leisure activities increase the most, leisure activities have become more dependent on transportation and that leisure activities are to an increasing extent based on more material consumption. The second study consists of case studies from four leisure activities in Norway that have experienced the greatest increases in consumption over the last two decades: outdoor recreation clothing, cabins, leisure boating and leisure transportation. The case studies show that the problems connected with reducing the environmental impacts of leisure consumption are numerous and complex, and cannot be solved alone by technological improvements in leisure products and services. We conclude that new policies have to be developed which can on a short-term basis promote changes of leisure consumer habits in a more environmentally friendly direction, and on a long-term basis alter the existing strong links between economic growth and leisure consumption.

A methodological approach to the materiality of clothing: Wardrobe studies

The material is not just ‘a carrier’ of different types of symbols, but an active element in the practices. Bringing this to the fore requires new research methods. This article discusses a methodological approach, we call it a wardrobe study, which allows for the analysis of the way in which clothes relate to each other on the whole or within parts of the wardrobe. More specifically, we discuss how this method can contribute to increasing the materiality of clothes studies. The theoretical point of departure for this approach is a practice theory in which the material enters as an integral part. First, the article briefly discusses developments within the study of dress and fashion. Second, the methods combined and developed in wardrobe studies are discussed. The emphasis here is primarily not only on the weaknesses of the individual methods in practice-oriented dress studies, but also on how they jointly can contribute to the wardrobe study.

Environmental and Ethical Perceptions Related to Clothing Labels Among Norwegian Consumers

Norwegian consumers know little about eco-labeled garments as almost none are available on the market. Therefore, consumers who want to make environmentally sound choices have to act based on other information. This article discusses the environmental and ethical perceptions of Norwegian consumers that are related to fiber content, maintenance, size, and country of origin labels. The analysis draws conclusions from a research project where in-depth interviews were used to collect qualitative data on consumer attitudes, knowledge, and habits. The results show that several different types of labels on textiles can be connected with environmental impact, both directly and indirectly. Sometimes wrong assumptions are made, such as when all natural fibers are considered to be always more sustainable than synthetics. The country of origin label is even used to evaluate the production conditions or quality. The care label affects selection of laundry method and has great environmental consequences, yet it is not usually perceived to include environmental information. Ill-fitting clothing is an important disposal reason, and many respondents wish for consequent size labeling and more information on the clothing fit.

Troubles with the Solution: Fabric Softeners and Odour Properties

Abstract Fabric softeners are mainly used to reduce roughness and static electricity of textiles, as well as adding a scent to them. In this paper we study how fabric softeners are related to odour properties on clothing. We combine a Norwegian consumer survey with a sensory test on odour development on four different materials used in sports clothing. Samples went through several cycles of use with sweating, washing, and airing and the odour was evaluated at 11 stages. Washing was performed either with or without a fragrance-free domestic rinse cycle softener. Sensory test showed that use of softener increased odour on polyester garments. Survey results showed that a larger number of respondents who used softeners experienced problematic odours in laundry compared to those who did not use softeners.

Large? Clothing sizes and size labeling

This report examines the relationship between the clothing sizes and the size labeling given in the garments, and how the consumers experience it. The research is based on three different sources: a consumer survey, clothing size measurements in shops and in-depth interviews. The data is collected from three Nordic Countries; Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The size measurement results and the survey answers indicate that sizing systems are confusing and full of disparities. The European committee for standardization is developing a common European size code for garments, but they have experienced problems in reaching a system that indicates the sizes accurately, but still does not get too long and complicated for the consumers to understand or for the manufactures to use. A common and well-functioning size labeling system would be an advantage to many consumers, in particular to groups who find the size labeling insufficient, and for the consumers that are not able to try on clothes in the stores themselves. We also hope that a better understanding of the relationship between bodies, clothes and size labeling will be useful in future discussions, due to the growing focus on body and dieting, as well as the increased weight of the population. And finally, a diminishing number of mistake purchases will be beneficial for the environment as it decreases the disposal of textiles. The authors are Kirsi Laitala, Benedicte Hauge and Ingun Grimstad Klepp from Norwegian National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO)

Responsibility Without Means

The sustainability challenges facing the textile and clothing industry are substantial, but both the international and the national regulations of the textile industry are low. Consumers have, therefore, been passed a significant share of the responsibility for ensuring the sustainability. In this chapter, we present and discuss the results on how consumers can reduce the environmental impact of their own behaviour, and whether consumers are capable of and willing to change their own behaviour. Results are based on data retrieved through two research projects on environmental challenges connected to textiles and clothing, and are thus based on a triangulation of methods. Data from desktop studies, in-depth interviews in combination with wardrobe studies and from consumer surveys are used to elucidate the research questions posed. We find that consumers show limited knowledge, as well as limited engagement related to the environmentally preferable textile and clothing consumption. There is little information available to the consumers and environmentally friendly consumption is not facilitated. To place the responsibility for change on consumers is thus to give the responsibility to those without the means to take it. Therefore, solutions based on political consumption alone are insufficient and should be supported with additional regulatory instruments.

What’s the Problem? Odor-control and the Smell of Sweat in Sportswear

Abstract Sport and fitness are increasing in popularity, and so is awareness of body odor. Both are aspects people wish to gain control over, as promised by the marketing of sportswear with odor-controlling properties. This article discusses how the heightened awareness of body odor has developed, and how unpleasant odor varies between textiles made of different materials. A sensory analysis by a consumer panel was used to evaluate the odor intensity of 13 different fabric samples taken mainly from sportswear. The so-called odor-control textiles smelled less intense than similar polyester samples without such treatment. Wool and cotton smelled significantly less intense than both odor-control and polyester when the samples were sweaty or aired. After washing, the odor-control textiles had a level of odor intensity that was in between that of the cotton and woolen samples. The odor-control treatment reduced the smell, but not enough to make a difference on laundering frequency, and the textiles smelled still more strongly than wool.

Shared use and owning of clothes: borrow, steal or inherit

This chapter takes a close look at the different forms of sharing based on empirical material on leisure clothing in Norwegian families. We ask what forms of sharing are practiced, which terms are used, and how consumers draw distinctions between them. We find that the forms are numerous and have an established place in Norwegian clothing culture. Sharing within the household, outside the pecuniary market, appears still to be the most important and also the most understudied form of sharing. The literature about clothing consumption is increasingly about sharing, but limited to the new forms. However, sharing is a common form of human interaction, often misunderstood or overlooked. In order to understand the role of collaborative consumption in contemporary society, it is necessary to study both new and old forms of sharing. For a more systematic mapping of these forms a good place to start might be the study of relationships between access and ownership, and between different temporalities.

Nisseluelandet—The Impact of Local Clothes for the Survival of a Textile Industry in Norway

Abstract The article discusses the importance of local clothing for the survival of the Norwegian textile industry. It draws upon stakeholder interviews, as well as desktop research. Local clothes are discussed as they are understood by consumers, as knitted sweaters, bunads (Norwegian national costumes), and home-made clothing. The review shows how these products, and especially the materials used in their production, have been crucial for the continued existence of the Norwegian textile industry. We argue that the concept “local clothes” can contribute to showcasing resources outside the global “fast fashion” manufacturing system.