Cultural circularity: unseen models of fashion longevity in Indian households.

Author : Shalvi

Abstract :Cultural Circularity, Fashion Longevity, Indian Households, Emotional Durability, Sustainable Consumption, Clothing Care, Repairing Clothes, Repurposing Clothes, Donating Clothes, Textile Waste Reduction, Emotional Attachment, Memory and Identity, Heritage, Qualitative Interviews, Ethnographic Observation, Global Fashion Systems, Sustainability Mechanisms, Local Wisdom, Circular Models, Material Recovery The fashion industry’s move towards circularity often emphasizes new technology and recycling systems. However, the cultural and emotional aspects of clothing longevity are not deeply explored. This study looks at Cultural Circularity, the hidden practices of fashion longevity in Indian households. In these homes, traditions of repairing, altering, repurposing, and donating clothes have kept garments in use for generations. We explore two key questions: How does emotional durability in Indian households foster sustainable consumption patterns? and How can these practices inspire global fashion systems to adopt resilient circular models? Drawing on qualitative interviews, ethnographic observation, and literature review, the research reveals that deep emotional connections to clothing—rooted in memory, identity, and heritage— discourage wasteful consumption and encourage care-driven behaviors. Findings indicate that these cultural practices function as organic sustainability mechanisms, reducing textile waste without reliance on large-scale industrial systems. Moreover, they offer adaptable frameworks for global fashion, where emotional attachment could complement material recovery to create truly sustainable consumption patterns. By reframing everyday clothing care traditions as valuable sustainability strategies, this paper positions cultural circularity as a vital, transferable element in reimagining fashion systems worldwide—bridging local wisdom with global sustainability goals.

Keywords :Cultural circularity, fashion longevity, sustainable consumption, clothing care, textile waste, India, emotional durability, repurposing

Conference Name :International Conference on Current Fashion Trends, Beauty, Apparel and Cosmetology (ICCFTBAC-25)

Conference Place Bali, Indonesia

Conference Date 16th Oct 2025