The Fabric of Society: an Investigation of the Emotional and Sensory Experience of Wearing Denim Clothing

Abstract

This article aims to open up the realms of sensory experience and affect in connection with the wearing of clothing. By creating a visual focus on denim, an 'ordinary' everyday style of generic urban dress, my intention is to present a new approach to the study of clothing in general. This approach is concerned with the study of the clothed body and the experiences of wearers, rather than as fashion, which tends to take up only the onlooker's viewpoint. This article intends to establish the need for such an approach, to stimulate the reader's sensibilities in relevant ways and to report on path finding experiments that indicate ways forward for future work.