Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-163).

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on March 10, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Thesis advisor: Dr. Laurel Wilson. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-76). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (BTech (Fashion Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / In the 19th and 20th Century, products were manufactured with little concerns for the environment. The result of this was an over flowing of low quality products and a high elimination rate, especially in the fashion industry where constant change is the nature of the business. Particularly in bridal wears, the sustainability is deficient and practicality is limited. bridal garments would only be worn once and are usually highly priced. The purpose of this research is to explore whether consumers are willing to contribute and make a difference to our environment by opting for versatile bridal wear. In order to obtain information regarding the bridal industry of Cape Town. a qualitative approach was applied to ensure that the end products will meet customer needs. Store visits and informal interviews were used as the primary methods. and Internet and magazines were used as secondary methods to gain relative information about the market. The information collected. regarding modem women's opinions on the concept of an interchangeable bridal range, current fashion trends and the concept of Slow Design, forms the foundation to the development of my range - versatile bridal wear. The entire range consists of 14 garment pieces that are interchangeable to form 6 or more looks. This allows the wearer to dress up according to their desires. As a result, these dresses are reusable and thus overcoming the problem of costly garments. which are only worn once.

Thesis (BTech (Fashion Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / This research was conducted to find a natural and functional alternative to commercialised bridal wear in South Africa, for a South African market base, which is holistically sustainable in light of the global paradigm shift towards sustainability. In order to find what the alternative would be I have questioned the symbolic meaning behind the product being presented to the South African bridal apparel market, and the bridal apparel consumer's views and attitudes towards commercialised bridal wear. For the research I have reflected upon theories of sustainability (Slow Design, Cradle to Cradle, and Design for Environmental Sustainability) which provided the main theoretical underpinning for product development, guiding material choice and usage, as well as production process in order to achieve a holistically sustainable product. My supporting theory, Representation, gives meaning to the idea of an alternative to the 'big white dress' being equally as 'bridal`, as Representation states that any object could substitute as a symbol for something else. Inspiration from a self-reflecting road trip through the Karoo as well as tracing my family heritage in Bloemfontein provided the back drop for my bridal range. The Karoo landscape inspired my garment aesthetic and natural fabric usage. I wanted a theme of old-fashioned romance to come through as the essence of my range - inspiring the garments to compliment the rite of passage to which they belong, and not to dominate the meaning of the ceremony. Therefore the garments could easily be adapted to a second function through styling and/or dyeing. The range consists of ten outfits, and comprises of men's and ladies wear.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Fashion, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / The Eco-Bride study is a practical product development research project in the fields of fashion, textiles, and sustainability. Currently it is considered fashionable to host an "eco-friendly" wedding, both because people are becoming more environmentally conscious with the prospect of global warming and also because the fashion industry, too, is attempting to reduce its impact on the environment. However, in spite of a growing trend in "eco-weddings", the bridal gown remains a conventional garment with a heavy carbon footprint. The intention of this study was thus to develop and produce a range of environmentally-friendly bridal gowns in order to create alignment between trendy eco-weddings and the bridal gowns worn to these functions. this was considered to fill a gap in the local market and to work toward educating both brides and industry as to a product offering which is less harmful to the environment. To this end, mixed methods action research was carried out within a constructivist worldview, firstly, to explore what might be construed as an environmentally-friendly bridal gown and secondly, to establish what would appeal to South African brides. The concepts of eco-friendly design models, sustainable fashion, celebrity and product fetish, customer behaviour and product development strategies were investigated in order to conceptualise, design and produce a collection of ten Eco-Bride-branded gowns for the South African market. It was hoped that the development of an environmentally-friendly bridal collection might assist in opening up the market to eco-fashion bridal wear. Further products of the research included instructional videos of the eco-friendly design-make process, which were intended to create awareness of the various eco-options in both the textile industry and bridal fashion market.

Submitted in partial fulfillment for Masters in Fashion, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / In my practise-based action research self-study I have developed ways in which to improve my practice as a bridal-gown designer in a highly-competitive and import-driven bridal-gown market. My earnest intent was to improve my practice using action research methods whilst simultaneously developing a solution through critical reflection and practice-based approaches as an economically-sustainable designer of bespoke, cost-effective, competitively-priced bridal gowns. I realised the potential for professional influence and positive economic growth through entrepreneurial thinking, not only for me but for others; it was this which cemented a sense of values in me as an action researcher. I have displayed a healthy marriage between equally important views of practice as theory and the theory as practice. I explored relevant literature that would validate my practice and aid in answering my critical questions, which became evident as validation chapters in my study. Carrying out internships with three bridal gown designers opened my eyes to the real world of business, a sense of theory as practice, where I could see, first-hand, the effects the import industry had on local designers and what they were doing to survive. The conceptualisation of foundational bridal blocks was a solution to save time in my own creative process so that I could produce cost-effective bridal gowns at a competitive price, in a sustainable manner. Once I had explored and created my own interpretation of the foundation block concept that transformed into a small collection of bridal gowns, I used the foundation blocks as a starting point to design bridal gowns for ‘real’ bridal clients. My study is personal in nature; by way of using self-study methods and also the personal ‘one-on-one’ connection I have with my ‘real’ bridal clients. I extended this ‘personal factor’ by holding a public exhibition to which I invited my friends, family, the public and my peers to view and give critical feedback on my work as a bridal gown designer. / M

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-60). Also available on the World Wide Web.