Clothing and Textiles Research Journal

The present study examined (a)the effect of product characteristics and brand name on shoppers' evaluations of apparel quality and price and (b) the effect of consumer decision-making style on evaluations. One hundred sixty four mall shoppers evaluated the quality and price of one of three experimental shirts which were identical exceptfor brand labels. Brand labels had been manipulated so that each shirt contained a private, national, or designer label. Brand name did influence shoppers perceptions of price but not of quality. Consumers' decision-making style was found to influence perception of price.

The purpose of this research was to (a) identify incidence of use of customized sewing services, (b) develop profiles of users and non-users of sewing services, and (c) compare groups of users of specific sewing services. Thirty-seven percent of a stratified random sample of 641 Iowa households reported in a telephone interview that they had used customized sewing services during the past five years. Responses from a mail survey to 436 of the households were used to develop consumer profiles. Users differed from non-users on interest in self-enhancement through clothing, use of a variety of customized services, personal sewing abilities, education, and income. Five groups of users, identified based on type and frequency of use ofspecific customized sewing services, included Comprehensive Users, Custom Garment and Alteration Users, Mending and Alteration Users, Alteration Users, and Mending Users. Groups differed on interest in dress, use of a range of customized services, personal sewing skills, source of sewing professional, distance traveled for sewing services, and predicted future use of services. Recommendations were made to providers of sewing services.

This study explores big and tall men as an untapped market. More specifically, the study was designed to segment the big and tall men's apparel market by their clothing involvementand investigate its relationships to consumer characteristics and clothing shopping behavior. The big and tall men (n=172) reflected a wide range of clothing involvement and were classified into three groups: "low, " "medium, " and "high" involved consumers. These three groups were compared on consumer characteristics such as clothing orientations, lifestyle activities, and demographic characteristics and clothing shopping behaviors such as satisfaction with clothing shopping experiences and clothing buying practices. Managerial implications are provided for big and tall manufacturers and retailers.

During the latter part of the 18th century in Scotland, especially in rural areas, there was a dramatic shift from relatively stable and unchanging dress forms to fashion in dress, the ongoing substitution of existing forms with new ones. From an analysis of primary sources it is clear that these changes were often perceived as threatening. This paper addresses the conceptual relevance offashion as threat, it explores fashion as an ideal symbolic medium for venting perceptions of threat posed by other domains in the social/cultural system, and it addresses the symbolic power of dress and fashion in conserving the perception of social order and stability at the same time that it facilitates cultural change.

Beliefs toward comic strip advertising and recognition of a comic strip were investigated to examine the effectiveness of this medium for small retail firms in general and retail clothing stores in particular. In addition, the relationship between beliefs toward comic strip advertising and an individual's characteristics was examined. A questionnaire was mailed to randomly selected households in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Data from 147 questionnaires were analyzed by analysis of variance and chi-square. The results suggest that recognition of comic strip advertising is influenced by a set of belief items toward that medium and that it is a creative form of advertising clothing. However, no evidence was found to support that it will induce short-term purchase.

This study examined the importance of apparel manufacturing to rural areas in Missouri experiencing economic difficulties as a result of the farm crisis. Investigators anticipated that apparel manufacturing often represented the only source or one of a few sources of off-farm employment in these communitites. Seventy percent of Missouri's population of apparel manufacturers responded to a survey designed to assess apparel manufacturers' perceived needs in making their firms more viable and competitive. This assessment was made in light of an examination of the importance of apparel manufacturing companies to the local and state economies, particularly regarding employment in rural areas. Results indicated that 64.5 % of the respondents' firms were in small towns, and 69.4% said their towns had been hurt by the farm crisis. Manufacturers identified primary needs in improving competitiveness as marketing and increased productivity. Manufacturers' needs were found to vary by locale (rural or urban) as well as by size of the firm. Discussion considers possible ways in which universities may assist apparel manufacturers to remain a competitive and viable part of rural economies.

Unity is a relationship in which all parts belong and work together to achieve consistency. The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate how Jones' method of searching for visual inconsistencies could be used as a method for analyzing unity in uniform design. A review of popular articles dealing with uniform design resulted in several examples of implicit references to Jones' method. Visual inconsistencies in the following categories were detected: between garment parts within a design, between garment and accessories, between ensemble and person wearing it, and between the apparel-body construct and the situation in which it was placed. It was concluded that visual inconsistencies provided the impetus for many changes in uniform design and were the underlying reasons for many uniform design decisions. The process of searching for visual inconsistencies was made explicit and examples given of how this process was used by design students as a method to evaluate design unity.

Key United States government agencies and international bodies which administer and affect textile and apparel imports are outlined with their structure and functions. Associations and coalitions representing the textile and apparel industry and the retail industry also are presented, illustrating the free-trade vs protectionist views. Examples of conflicts between these two positions show the complexity of the textile and apparel import program.

One hundred and fifty eight Missouri Depression era quilts were documented and analyzed to characterize the design components and to substantiate design sources. The typical Missouri quilt made in the 1930s can be described as one which was pieced with scraps and purchased coordinating solids. It was moderately to heavily quilted by hand in more than one style to accent the different design elements. The whole design was contained by borders and was bound at its edges. Over 84 % of the quilts were traced to distinct pattern sources which included newspapers, magazines, catalogs, companies that sold quilt-making products, books, and exhibits. The Kansas City Star newspaper was one of the most influencial pattern sources.