The Sound of Elegance

This article explores how clothing/fashion can express power, presence, and memory through multisensory design, focusing especially on sound as an often-overlooked element in fashion. The concept is inspired by the ancient Roman crotalia earrings, which produce soft rhythmic sounds that signal status, elegance, and embodied presence. Building on this past reference, the study reinterprets sonic adornment within a contemporary sustainable fashion context. The central design piece is a pearl-embellished top made with approximately 180 strands of both new and thrifted pearls. The garment is designed such that the pearls gently produce sound as the wearer moves, while the weight and distribution of the strands also influence posture and body movement. Using a practice-based research approach and the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) model, the garment was evaluated through wear trials and observations in public settings. The results showed that the sonic qualities of the garment influenced how the wearer moved and felt. Participants reported standing more upright, moving more slowly, and becoming more aware of their bodily presence. Observers responded in three main ways visually, through the sound of the pearls, and through the movement created by the garment. Wearers also described feeling more confident, attentive, and performative while wearing the piece. Overall, the study demonstrates that sound can act as a meaningful communicative element in fashion. By viewing fashion as solely a visual experience, the study demonstrates how sound can enrich sustainable design practices and revive historical traditions of sonic adornment in contemporary garments.