Feel First

The Science of Feel - Dr Tom Waller
Business of Fashion

How do the clothes on your body feel right now? I am fascinated by the sensory experience of dress, and so hearing someone talk about designing from "feel" as a starting point definitely has me interested. Approaching the topic from the perspective of performance clothing, I think that Dr Waller raises ideas surrounding our everyday experience of dress that are worth thinking about. He uses the example of people having a pair of lucky socks, or an equivalent in their wardrobe, and how that feeling of confidence may actually stem from the physical sensations and sensory experience of that garment. Lately I have really been thinking about the balance between clothing that hugs the body and clothing that flows around the body, and how I can best combine both in an outfit in such a way that feels comfortable but functional. I like having a full range of movement while clothed, and while I do enjoy interior garments fitting closely and feeling soft against the body, I like when exterior garments flow around the body in movement. At the same time I have been wearing some more fitted garments in general lately, and it provides an interesting contrast to the baggier clothing I wore throughout the majority of Winter. There is a certain elegance to the sleekness that I enjoy. However I am always tempted to disrupt the silhouette with something wider for a contrast, not just because of how it looks, but also because of how the outfit feels in movement. There is something interesting in having a loose top and tighter trousers, or vice versa, because that dynamic from a sensory perspective provides an enjoyable contrast.  

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