Clare Richardson
Lecturer, Fashion Consumer Behaviour
I joined Manchester Fashion Institute in 2025 as a Lecturer in Fashion Consumer Behaviour. After completing a BSc in Fashion Technology at The University of Manchester, I was awarded an EPSRC Studentship to complete a PhD in Apparel and Textiles. My research interests focus on wearer experience of the clothing consumption journey, from pre-purchase to disposal, and the impacts of these experiences on sustainability. For example, I have a particular interest in the impacts of inadequate approaches of garment fit on garment care and longevity. As such, my research often bridges garment technology and consumer behaviour, understanding the outcomes of changes made in garment development and manufacturing processes on consumer behaviour through qualitative methods and behavioural and sociological theories. I have published my research in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and have presented at prestigious global conferences. I have experience in industry collaboration, and am always keen to pursue research with innovative industry outcomes. This aligns with my mission to facilitate industry innovation toward greener and more sustainable practices.
Research
Projects
Research Papers:
Richardson, C., Boardman, R. and Gill, S. (2024). Exploring clothing fit as a motivator for lifetime extension and circular disposal. Resources, conservation and recycling, 204, pp.107494–107494.2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107494
Richardson, C., Boardman, R., Benstead, A., (2022). ‘Using Circularity As “Permission toshop” Among Gen Z Consumers’, International Journal Of Sustainable Fashion & Textiles, Vol. 1,No. 2, pp.249-272. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/sft_0013_1
Book Chapters:
Richardson, C. (2025) ‘Technical Garment Fit Innovation as Sustainable Design and Manufacture’ in Chrimes, C., Boardman, R., Melewar, T.C. and Dennis, C. (eds.) Future Priorities for Design, Branding, Marketing and Retail. Emerald Group Publishing. DOI: 10.1108/978-1-83608-806-620251004
Conference Papers:
Gill S, Hatch K, Azam Z, Cheema M, Richardson C, Brubacher K, Alhassawi R, Wang R, Navodhya PU, Hayes SG. (2024) Embedding body scanning in bespoke product development pipelines. In: Proceedings of the 14th international conference and exhibition on 3D body scanning and processing technologies, p. 35–40. https://doi.org/10.15221/24.35
Richardson, C., Boardman, R, and Gill, S. (2024) Understanding the impacts of technical garment fit innovation on consumer behaviour in the context of slow fashion and garment longevity. In: Proceedings of Global Fashion Management Conference. DOI: 10.15444/GFMC2024.02.08.03.
Richardson, C., Boardman, R. and Gill, S. (2023). A Social Practice Theory analysis of the impact of clothing fit on the use phase. In: Proceedings of 5th Product Lifetimes and the Environment conference, Aalto University, pp.855-860.
Office Location
Room C2.14
Cavendish South
Manchester Fashion Institute
Manchester Metropolitan University
Cavendish Street
Manchester M15 6BG