Any Time, Any Wear: Enhancing wearer experience through adaptable garments

Existing garments are presented as a ‘closed’ item, limiting the wearer’s ability to make adaptations to suit their changing needs. This research asks: How does the creation of Wearer-Driven-Garments (WDG) inform a new kind of physical relationship between body and cloth? Through human-centred design and participatory design methodologies, 32 in-depth interviews were conducted from a group of 149 wearers, aged 18-65+ across New Zealand, to understand existing body-cloth relationships. From that 32, 6 wearers then experienced a spectrum of body-cloth relationships, from ‘closed’ garments such as flat pattern making, to ‘open’ an experimental approach such as the Amoeba. The resolved body-cloth prototype of Any Time, Any Wear (ATAW) explores how wearers can use adaptability and morphability for the personalisation of their changing needs. The wearer has the option of three main points - Static Points, Points of Flexibility and Closures points – to increase creative autonomy and the relationship between themselves and the item of clothing. Any Time, Any Wear aims to redefine the body-cloth relationship, while potentially enhancing wearer- value and reduce environmental impact.