“The purpose of this project was to investigate the clothing preferences and choices of people who have anxiety issues. The goal of this project was three-fold: 1) study the relationship between people's anxiety and their clothing choices; 2) experiment with different apparel technologies to accommodate the wants and needs of people who have anxiety issues, and 3) develop an apparel collection that incorporates apparel technologies to address the anxiety issues of the wearer. The basis for this project revolves around innovative apparel technology, anxiety issues, and their relationships with clothing preferences and choices. The research study included questions about the effect of color, comfort, and fit in clothing in correspondence to participants' anxiety as well as their demographics. Our project “HUG” is focused on the subjects within our 18–25-year target market. Our project embodies the showcase theme because as designers when we look inwardly and outwardly and see a need, it’s our job to try our best to use our resources, skills, and knowledge to meet that need. This is especially true for anxiety, because of how relevant an issue it is. Excellence and empowerment start with the psychological aspect of yourself because before you can show empowerment and excellence, you must feel empowered and excellent.”

— Kaylee Bynum, Tamara Brinkley, Claudia Filinger,