Heirloom Coats and Jackets: The Importance of Affection for the Design of Emotionally Durable Garments

In this research, a qualitative study was conducted on a group of fourteen owners of inherited coats and jackets, to analyze the peculiarities that arise in the relationship between them and their garments, on the understanding that these garments are, on the one hand, relics associated with an emotional value, both personal and collective, related to the history they carry and, on the other hand, practical garments, designed to shelter and protect the users. Thus, through a process of in-depth interviews and a subsequent text analysis that identified common topics, a categorization of these links between people and garments is proposed, establishing patterns of use, care, and perception of ownership, thus recognizing attributes and situations with relevance for the discipline of design. From the point of view of this discipline, the need to develop new products that stimulate emotional attachment and, therefore, the willingness to keep them longer and postpone their replacement, thus slowing down the wheels of production, has been proposed as an alternative resource to recycling or similar dynamics. The research results made it possible to establish the criteria of durability, timelessness, repairability, and adaptability as key considerations in designing this type of garment, thus enhancing its ability to become an heirloom.