Everyday clothing exchanges between friends, partners and family members are reshaping how individuals experience identity and relationships. The study examined informal garment sharing practices and found that borrowing and lending clothes carries social, emotional and practical significance beyond simple utility, reflecting deeper connections between wearers and the garments they share.
- The study introduces “self-blending”, describing how wearing another person’s clothing can incorporate elements of their identity into one’s own.
- Researchers describe clothing as a “porous sheath”, highlighting how garments move beyond personal boundaries when shared informally among people.
- Based on interviews with 40 participants aged 19–45, the study outlines how shared garments play distinct roles in everyday life.
- The findings are drawn from a study published in Sociology by researchers at the University of Birmingham examining informal clothing exchange practices in everyday settings.
THE STUDY: The research examined informal clothing exchanges through interviews with participants who regularly borrowed and lent garments. It introduced the concepts of “self-blending” and the “porous sheath” to explain how clothing, typically seen as a personal boundary, becomes a shared social interface when circulated among individuals in everyday contexts.
- The concept of self-blending describes how wearing another person’s clothing allows aspects of their identity to be symbolically incorporated into one’s own.
- The “porous sheath” framework explains how garments shift from personal possessions into shared boundaries that connect individuals socially when exchanged informally.
- Participants reported that shared clothing practices occur across everyday situations, from dressing for special occasions to spontaneous wardrobe swaps with friends and family.
WHAT THE DATA SHOWS: Analysis of participant responses identified three distinct roles that shared garments play in everyday life, demonstrating that informal clothing exchanges extend beyond practical use. These roles—social, utilitarian and hedonic—capture how borrowing and lending clothes function as relationship-building practices, problem-solving tools for dressing needs and avenues for experimentation with personal style and self-expression within familiar social settings in routine, informal contexts.
- Social role: Sharing garments builds connections, strengthens friendships and reinforces trust, with lending often described as an act that deepens emotional bonds between individuals.
- Utilitarian role: Borrowing clothes helps individuals dress for specific occasions and make practical use of garments without the financial or ownership burden.
- Hedonic role: Participants use shared clothing to explore new styles, colours and identities, enabling playful experimentation without committing to permanent wardrobe changes.
THE BROADER VIEW: Participant accounts illustrated how informal clothing exchanges carry meanings that extend beyond utility, shaping identity and reinforcing interpersonal trust. Borrowing garments was described as a way of “taking a part” of others into daily life, while lending signalled confidence in relationships. Unlike commercial rental platforms, these exchanges remain embedded in social ties, offering an alternative way to access variety in dress without financial transactions or ownership expectations. Policymakers are also increasingly focusing on the environmental impact of clothing, with new measures aimed at reducing waste and supporting circular fashion models.
- One participant described sharing a coat with her mother and sister, saying wearing it felt like carrying a part of them into everyday life.
- Others used borrowed garments to explore styles and colours they would not normally purchase, helping them refine their personal sense of dress.
- Lending clothing was frequently framed as an act of trust, with expectations of care reinforcing relationship dynamics between individuals.
- Researchers noted that such informal exchanges differ from rental models, as they are rooted in social relationships rather than financial arrangements.
WHAT THEY SAID
When people wear someone else’s clothes, they can also be expressing connection, trust and shared identity, showing how garments can carry deeper social and emotional meanings beyond simple practical use.
— Doga Istanbulluoglu
Assistant Professor of Marketing
University of Birmingham
Fashion is usually discussed in terms of what individuals buy and own and their self-identity. Our research shifts the focus to what happens when garments move between people, revealing the social and emotional life of clothes. It also highlights the ways in which consumers can contribute to a longer, more circular life for garments, helping reduce post-consumer textile waste and contributing to more sustainable modes of consumption.
— Caroline Moraes
Professor of Marketing and Consumer Research and Director of the Centre for Responsible Business
University of Birmingham
Clothes sharing is often seen as a practical activity, borrowing something for an event or swapping items with friends. But our research shows these exchanges can carry deeper social and emotional meanings.
— Kelly Wang
Assistant Professor of Marketing
University of Birmingham
