ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Environmental Psychology
This article is part of the Research TopicPioneers & Pathfinders: 15 Years of Frontiers in PsychologyView all 4 articles
From Function to Well-Being: Healing Design Strategies in Contemporary Outdoor Fashion
Provisionally accepted
- Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Introduction: This study explores outdoor fashion as a medium for promoting psychological well-being, functional comfort, and sociocultural connection. As leisure, health, and identity converge, the research conceptualizes the components of healing environments, defines key healing design characteristics, and analyzes their practical applications in outdoor fashion to support psychosocially responsive design strategies. Methods: A literature review established theoretical links between four types of healing environments (physical, functional, social, and psychological) and eight healing design characteristics (pleasantness, independence, accessibility, openness, safety, aesthetic quality, biophilic quality, and sociality). A case analysis of 805 products from six global outdoor brands (2021–2024) examined structural, pattern, material, and color elements. Coding reliability was verified through expert validation and Cohen's Kappa analysis (κ = 0.74–0.76). Results: Outdoor fashion integrating healing design principles combined structural, pattern, material, and color elements that theoretically support psychological, physical, and social well-being. Ergonomic, semi-open, and adjustable structures enhanced comfort, independence, and safety; nature-inspired and geometric patterns strengthened biophilic connection and cultural identity; soft and reflective materials provided tactile comfort and perceived security; and color strategies influenced emotional stability, visibility, and aesthetic quality. Comfort, aesthetic quality, and psychological stability emerged as shared brand priorities, and the integrated use of multiple elements generated stronger healing effects than isolated features. Discussion: Findings indicate that outdoor fashion serves as a transdisciplinary platform that integrates psychological, functional, and sociocultural dimensions of care. Theoretical associations suggest that holistic combinations of design elements can enhance well-being by addressing sensory, emotional, and physical needs simultaneously. The proposed framework provides practical guidance for health-oriented design across commercial, community, and therapeutic contexts. However, these interpretations are theoretical rather than causal, and empirical user-based studies are required to validate the psychological and physiological associations identified.
Keywords: well-being1, healing design 2, outdoor fashion 3, healing environment 4, design strategies5
Received: 17 Aug 2025; Accepted: 20 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 LI and Kam. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Seon Ju Kam, sjkam@khu.ac.kr
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