Browsing by Author "Vuorinen, Eeva"

In my thesis I explore the user experience in a new clothing-related service that is based on lending. The study is based on the users’ experiences of a clothing lending service called Vaatelainaamo. I have used a qualitative research method. The data was collected by personal interviews that followed the form of theme interviews. The data is analyzed according to the themes and research literature addressing product-service system, shopping, emotional and symbolical meanings of clothing as well as sustainable consumption. The purpose of the themes is to explore the experiences and the preconditions for adapting new clothing-related product-system services. In addition the purpose is to understand the meaning of clothing as material possessions and the challenges consumers face in the field of sustainable clothing consumption. The findings of the study indicate that lending clothing represents sustainable way of clothing consumption. Attributes most contributing to positive perceptions of the service is the available assortment of clothing and the social aspect of the service. In order to gain user satisfaction, the assortment of clothing is to meet the size and style requirements of the user. In addition the ease use of the service including the store location, opening hours and the easy maintenance of the clothing were found to be the main factors contributing to the user satisfaction. In my study, the importance of owning clothing is determined through the functional and symbolical meanings of the clothing. The functionality is mainly experienced through the ease of use and functionality of the clothing in everyday life. Quality, good fit and attachment, which is formed through use, were found to be the main contributors for functionality. The importance of owning clothing is restricted to basic and trustworthy clothing as well as to meaningful clothing that represented certain memories. However, the desire for variation, which is experienced through clothing, is hard to fulfill with the basic and functional clothing. Lending is found to be a good way to satisfy the desire for variation without attachment to material possessions. According to the study sustainable ways to consume clothing is seen as a trivial matter. Consumers have different practices in order to attain sustainability including decreasing consumption, saving and investing in quality. Overall the interviewees’ experience that lending clothing is an effective way to question the consumption practices and the real needs related to clothing. Lending service is also found to have an educational feature, as the users’ knowledge of Finnish designers, quality and maintenance of clothing is cultivated through the use of the service.