TACTILE CATEGORIES IN FASHION SEMIOLOGY

The tactile categories refer to the materials used in the making of fashion “objects” and to the tactile perception these materials generate.

They are based on a series of opposite pairs such as, for instance, in a garment made of fabric, rough/smooth, soft/hard, stiff/flexible, thick/thin, hot/cold (with the cool variant), heavy/light, close-knit/perforated, strong/delicate and so forth.

These materials need not be actually touched; the perception is generated even by merely looking at them.

In other words, in the creation of a garment, a point to consider is the feeling one would wish the potential buyer to experience and, based on that feeling, decide what kind of fabric or material to use to achieve such an effect.

What range of feelings could be more effectively paired in the creation of an evening dress for a romantic dinner under the summer stars in a luxury hotel? Perhaps the most fitting tactile perceptual combination would be smooth, soft, flexible, thin, fresh, light, delicate.

If the creation is a men’s aggressive design, perhaps one would opt for the range tough, stiff, strong, heavy.If it’s baby winter clothing, then the most appropriate feelings would be soft, thick, warm, delicate.



It is obviously up to the designer to freely decide what tactile feelings his creation will need to generate, even by going against the flow and proposing audacious combinations, such as, for instance, the stiff, tough, strong perceptual range for a line of women’s clothing, or even perhaps reshuffling the cards with a combination of soft, stiff, perforated, flexible, for a collection embodying eccentricity.