Affluence has delivered important increases in well-being; but evidence suggests that the ever increasing flow of new rewards can undermine our capacity to enjoy them. The challenge is to pace consumption rather than maximise it. The craft of use attempts to better balance the immediate desires of the present (‘buy me now’) with the needs of future (more self-reliant individuals; environmental and social quality) by fostering ‘commitment strategies’ which help us look beyond the short term by turning attention to the on-going, extended use of our garments and the skills, capabilities, stories and products essential for it.

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