Practices of motherhood: Embodied experiences of everyday life

Rigby, Emma; Connor-Crabb, Anja

Abstract

Practices of garment use and care are pivotal to sustainability in fashion (Fletcher, 2016; Laitala & Klepp, 2020). This research focuses on working mothers with young children: how the dual pressures of parenting and work influence changes in clothing practices. The project builds discussion about the feminization of care, how care can transform relationships with fashion, and how these ideas link to sustainability (Southwell, 2014; Fletcher & Tham, 2019). The intersection of care and motherhood is significant because it marks a time of change for women and forms the context within which the next generation grows up. The constraints posed by modern-day parenting often prevent women from acting upon concerns for the environment reflected in their garment practices and their ability to model proenvironmental behavior for their children. This exploratory qualitative study draws on findings from garment-led interviews (Twigger Holroyd, 2017) with 20 working mothers of young children in the UK to show how evolving household dynamics prompt changes in garment use. The findings present an entangled picture of the cultural, social and emotional landscape of early motherhood, evidencing the undeniable materiality of fashion embodied in the experiences of becoming and being a mother. Three key themes that emerged from the research in relation to change include: comfort and movement, identity, and enduring style.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (Published)
• Conference Name: PLATE: Product Lifetimes and the Environment
• Start Date: May 31, 2023
• End Date: Jun 2, 2023
• Acceptance Date: Jun 2, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 2, 2023
• Publication Date: Jun 2, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 26, 2024
• Pages: 869-875
• Series ISSN: 1799-4861
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11921725
• Publisher URL: https://www.plateconference.org/call-for-contributions-2/