Characteristics of eco-friendly design in contemporary children’s fashion collection

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the eco-friendly design characteristics of contemporary children’s collections. Photos from FirstviewKorea were utilized for analysis; 29 brands were selected that included children’s clothing collections featuring eco-friendly characteristics from 2007 to 2018. The results are as follows. First, naturalness was the most frequent characteristic of environmentally friendly children’s collections. It was not conveyed in an eccentric way in any season, showed a relatively uniform distribution, and was seen in various ways, including printed on the fabric and expressed in appliques and embroidery. Second, handcrafted features frequently changed according to seasonal trends. Various methods such as beading, embroidery, applique, sewing techniques, and handbags were used, which enhanced manual workability, discrimination from other designs. Third, traditionality is divided into the characteristics of ethnicity and revivalism. National traditions were expressed in the clothing and reflected the current generation while connecting to the past. Fourth, simplicity appeared in classic designs such as simple silhouettes, sparse decoration, natural colors, and comfortable dress length that is not tight on the body. Simplicity was not a frequent feature due to the characteristics of the children’s clothing collections. Fifth, playfulness functioned to enhance the children’s clothing’s wear frequency. Although it was the least frequent of all the characteristics, it seemed to increase the design fun and the clothing’s value by fusing with other characteristics such as handcraftedness and naturalness.