4. Conclusion

The obsolescence of consumer goods is a crucial economic and environmental issue for years to come. Fashion items are particularly affected by this problem. The manufacture and consumption of clothing have changed radically in just a few decades. Clothes are being produced on an ever-increasing scale, with the result that their useful life is becoming shorter and shorter. To remedy this situation, we need to identify the sources of obsolescence.

In this article, two types of obsolescence are identified for a garment: relative obsolescence and absolute (or quality) obsolescence. Relative obsolescence depends mainly on consumer attitudes, strongly influenced by consumer society and fashion trends. Absolute obsolescence is mainly linked to design and manufacturing parameters. Price wars and the reduction of production costs are the main causes of this obsolescence....