Sustainable fashion for children’s clothing : exploring permanent pleating for adaptive fit and textile waste reduction

Rashid, Shitab Sharrar (author), Rahman, Samia (author), Maisha, Labiba (author), Hossain, Kazi Rezwan (author), Rahman, Mohammad Faizur (author), Rashid, Mohammad Rafiqur (author)

Textile waste has become a serious global problem, leading to pollution, resource depletion and overcrowding in landfills. To overcome these problems, sustainable design strategies that reduce resource consumption, minimize waste and maintain ecological balance are needed. Additionally, children's rapid growth demands regular clothes changes, which generates a great deal of fabric waste. This highlights a serious research gap in creative, adaptable and waste-reducing ideas for children's clothing, which affects the sustainability of the textile industry. This study explores the potential of permanent pleating in children’s clothing to develop sustainable, innovative designs that minimize waste and improve garment durability. In particular, permanent pleating in both the lengthwise and widthwise directions are investigated, while the durability and fit of pleated garments are assessed, as well as manufacturing limitations and challenges. Permanent pleating was applied to 100% polyester, a polyester-cotton blend, and 100% cotton fabrics using pleating moulds and three distinct methods: oven drying, oven drying with water mugs and steaming. The results revealed that the steaming method yielded the most successful permanent pleats on 100% polyester fabric, outperforming the polyester-cotton blend and 100% cotton fabrics. Permanent pleating reduces frequent clothing replacement by allowing the fabric to expand and fit various body sizes without losing structural integrity. This extends the lifespan of clothing and reduces textile waste.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sustainable fashion, textile waste, permanent pleating, adaptive fit, durability
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 354-367
• Numbering: Vol. 68, no. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177567
• UDC: 677:658.8
• ISSN on article: 0351-3386
• DOI: 10.14502/tekstilec.68.2025038
• COBISS.SI-ID: 262339843
• Publication date in RUL: 08.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Tekstilec : glasilo slovenskih tekstilcev
• Shortened title: Tekstilec
• Publisher: Zveza inženirjev in tehnikov tekstilcev, Splošno združenje tekstilne industrije, Zveza inženirjev in tehnikov tekstilcev, Splošno združenje tekstilne industrije, Društvo inženirjev in tehnikov tekstilcev, Univerza v Ljubljani, Naravoslovnotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za tekstilstvo, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 0351-3386
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763396

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Trajnostna moda za otroška oblačila : raziskava trajnega plisiranja za prilagodljivo velikost in zmanjšanje količine tekstilnih odpadkov

Abstract

Tekstilni odpadki so postali resen svetovni problem, ki vodi do onesnaževanja, izčrpavanja virov in prenatrpanosti odlagališč. Za premagovanje teh težav so potrebne trajnostne strategije oblikovanja, ki zmanjšujejo porabo virov in količino odpadkov ter ohranjajo ekološko ravnotežje. Hitra rast otrok zahteva redno menjavo oblačil, kar povzroča veliko odpadkov tkanin. Na tem področju primanjkuje zamisli za zmanjšanje količine odpadkov otroških oblačil, kar vpliva na trajnostno učinkovitost tekstilne industrije. V raziskavi je proučevan potencial plisiranja otroških oblačil, da bi zmanjšali količino odpadkov in podaljšali trajnost oblačil. Proučevani so bili trajno plisiranje v vzdolžni in prečni smeri blaga, obstojnost gub, prileganje plisiranih oblačil, omejitve pri izdelavi in izzivi. Trajno plisirane so bile tkanine iz 100-odstotnega poliestra, mešanice poliestra in bombaža ter 100-odstotnega bombaža. Uporabljeni so bili kalupi za plisiranje in tri metode: sušenje v pečici, sušenje v pečici z vodnimi vrčki in parjenje. Pokazalo se je, da parjenje omogoča trajne gube na tkaninah iz 100-odstotnega poliestra, ki so obstojnejše kot na tkaninah iz mešanice poliestra in bombaža oziroma iz 100-odstotnega bombaža. Plisiranje zmanjšuje pogosto menjavo oblačil, saj omogoča, da se tkanina razširi in prilega različnim velikostim telesa, ne da bi pri tem izgubila strukturno celovitost. Tako se oblačila nosijo dalj časa, s tem pa je tudi tekstilnih odpadkov manj.

• Keywords: trajnostna moda, tekstilni odpadki, trajno gubanje, prilagodljivo prileganje, vzdržljivost