Repurposing Surplus Men's Fabrics in Traditional Women's Fashion Design

Abstract

This research aims to document fabric surplus in men’s tailoring shops in Riyadh and to explore their reuse in design of modernized traditional women’s garments, while also assessing specialists’ satisfaction with the proposed designs. The study used a descriptive method and conducted interviews with tailoring shop owners to examine the types and quantities of surplus fabrics. In addition, three models of modernized traditional garments were designed and presented to a panel of judges. The findings revealed that cotton and polyester fabrics weere the most abundant, with white and black being most common colors. The proposed designs received high evaluations in terms of aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability. The study recommends raising awareness about the importance of reusing surplus fabrics, encouraging innovation in traditional garment design, and promoting collaboration between designers and tailoring shop owners to achieve sustainability and support the development of the sector.