M. Tech. (Department of Visual Arts and Design, Faculty of Human Sciences),Vaal University of Technology. / The sangoma cloth is one of the objects which the Zulu people use to utilised in terms of culture and tradition and still is significant amongst African diviners. Initially, sangomas (traditional healers/diviners) dressed in animal skin, but because of the lack or deficiency of the animal skin, the cloth substituted the skin. The cloth carries a wealth of sacred symbolism and meanings which have been constructed by the sangoma community to best fit or describe the symbolic meanings and the potencies embedded in them. However, such cultural artefacts and symbols change over time, and new ones emerge through cultural practice. Therefore, the tension between conserving the religious and sacred, on the one hand, and the emerging, context and contingency based development on the other leads to problems of acceptability, authorized use and sanctified adaptation. This project explores the symbolism in the meaning and function of the sangoma sacred cloth which forms part of the sangoma dress code. It sets out three sets of interwoven binaries or tensions. Firstly, it explores the tensions between the liminal of ritual practices, and the liminoid (following Turner 1969), so that the second set of tensions, namely between the sacred and the profane (or secular or the commodified) can be explored. This leads to the third set of tensions, namely between Indigenous Knowledge Systems on the one hand and a potential Global Knowledge System on the other. In this way the tensions in the use of the sangoma cloth was explored, to attempt to determine a system that would assist in defining at what moment and following what dynamics the symbology would move from one side of the set of tensions to the other. The artist/researcher worked together with a focus group of sangomas who are part of a nongovernmental organization are based in Sedibeng region. This study’s research methodology is a Practice-led research approach within the framework of qualitative research methodology in the Fine Arts. The first method of data collection included one-on-one interviews from which the data was analysed and from which the existing designs could be reworked into new ones. Following this, a series of design and artmaking processes were followed, where five original cloth designs were taken through six different redesign iterations. The third method was a focus group method where the focus group participants (consisting of the original sangoma community, but with a ritual to request insight from the ancestors/amadlozi and therefore their contributions) was employed to view the five sets of redesigned cloths, to attempt to establish the moment when the Indigenous Knowledge System and the sacred of the sangoma cloth enters the secular domain which forms part of Global Knowledge Systems. The research project offers one system or methodology which is based on comparison as presented by the community who claim originality, in that the community itself decide when something needs to be protected by IKS and when it may be allowed to move into a public, shared, domain. The findings of this project were done by the owners of the cloth which resulted in them stating that: to claim IKS, one has to make an inquiry with the community who owns it; one cannot claim an entire design as IKS due to the composition or design having individual elements which have distinct meanings; The element of colour plays a dominant role within the sangoma community; and finally, for this project a clear and powerful system of humanity was set out by the sangomas/amadlozi that the sacredness of the cloth lies with the human who wears or uses it, and not with the cloth itself.

The cultivation effect is defined as the distorted view of reality which results from the heavy viewing exposure to a certain type of programming content. The assumption behind the cultivation hypothesis is that the more hours an individual exposes himself or herself to a particular type of program content. the more the individual's view of reality will be consistent with the "reality" shown in the program. It is no mystery that for the past half-century, millions of Americans have made the broadcast soap opera a daily habit. In response to the heavy interest exhibited by this strong audience, social scientists have begun to systematically study this area of broadcast programming. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between women's perceptions of how other women dress based on their amount of viewing exposure to nighttime dramas. ln addition, this study will investigate the relationship between viewing exposure and the use of nighttime dramas for fashion information, and the importance of dressing like the characters in the nighttime dramas.

"Athleisure" is a relatively new term to the American lexicon, a portmanteau used to describe athletic clothing used for leisure purposes. Recent studies show a disconnect between consumers' desire to purchase athletic attire and the percentage of Americans considered "active to a healthy level and beyond." While athletic wear sales skyrocket, reported levels of inactivity have slowly increased in recent years. These trends indicate a phenomenon in which consumers prioritize ownership of athletic wear over athletics. In this research, I set out to answer the following research questions: How do university students interpret and understand the purchase and wearing of athletic clothes, in the absence of athletic activity; and is a student's decision to wear athletic clothing for nonathletic activity associated with a symbolic performance of a healthy lifestyle? In order to answer these questions, I focused on a set of UCF students between 18 and 24 years of age who wore athletic attire as leisure attire and exercised less than three times a week. My data collection included participant observation, literature review, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 UCF students who fit my inclusion criteria. Based on recurring narratives, I invited interview participants back to hold a focus group in which three students ultimately participated. In analyzing these data, I found that college students consider athletic attire suitable for a variety of casual situations, and therefore did not conflate wearing athletic attire with participating in athletic activity or the appearance of a healthy lifestyle. Further, research participants used age- and gender-based stereotypes when making judgments about their peers' habits regarding athletic activity and wearing athletic attire.These findings are important because they demonstrate how the boundary between public and private attire can change over time, how discourses of consumption outweigh discourses of personal responsibility, and how dress is a gendered experience.

The purpose of this chapter was to present the study findings, data analysis, and hypothesis testing results. Three hypotheses were established for the study. The first hypothesis was concerned with the differences in clothing buying practices between employed black and white women. The findings related to this hypothesis revealed that there were significant black-white differences for 20 of the 45 clothing buying practice variables which provided sufficient support for accepting Hypothesis 1. Three constructs (clothing buying dimensions, clothing buying style groups and life style dimensions) were developed to facilitate the testing of Hypotheses 2 and 3. Eleven clothing buying dimensions were identified from factor analysis of 39 clothing buying practices. These eleven clothing buying dimensions were used in NORMIX Cluster Analysis as a basis for clustering the respondents into four unique clothing buying style groups. These four clothing buying style groups were "Fashion Enthusiasts," "Clothing Mainstreamers," "Quality Conservatives,” and "Economic Utilitarians." "Fashion Enthusiasts'' appeared to be more interested in the style and fashion aspects of clothing. "Clothing Mainstreamers" displayed few extremes (very high or very low) in their response patterns. They were described as the average clothing concerned group of employed women. "Quality Conservatives" were more conservative in fashion interest and were not interested in lower price clothing. “Economic Utilitarians," on the other hand, were very interested in low prices, maintenance and utilitarian aspects of clothing. Factor analysis of 145 AIO statements identified 25 life style dimensions. These 25 dimensions, along with race and 5 other demographic variables were used as predictor variables in discriminant analysis among the four clothing buying styles. Hypotheses 2 and 3 were accepted since there was a significant relationship between: 1) race and clothing buying styles and 2) life style dimensions and clothing buying styles. With regard to race, the findings indicated that the "Fashion Enthusiasts" group contained significantly more black than white women. The "Quality Conservatives" group contained significantly more white than black women. However, the "Clothing Mainstreamers" and "Economic Utilitarians" groups had essentially equal black-white representation. As for life style dimensions, some major relationships were: "Fashion Enthusiasts" were not interested in household concerns such as shopping for household items; the "Quality Conservatives" considered themselves "Swingers"; "Clothing Mainstreamers" were very active in the community; and "Economic Utilitarians” tended to save more money than the other group members. / Ph. D.

For over three decades, during the height of Gilded Age economic extravagance, the women of New York High Society maintained an elite social identity by possessing, displaying, and cultivating cultural capital. Particularly, High Society women sought to exclude the Nouveaux Riches who, after amassing vast fortunes in industry or trade, came to New York City in search of social position. High Society women distinguished themselves from these social climbers by obeying restrictive codes of speech, body language, and dress that were the manifestations of their cultural capital. However, in a country founded upon an ethos of egalitarianism, exclusivity could not be maintained for long. Mass-circulated media, visual artwork, and etiquette manuals celebrated the Society woman's cultural capital, but simultaneously popularized it, making it accessible to the upwardly mobile. By imitating the representations of High Society life that they saw in newspapers, magazines, and the sketches of Charles Dana Gibson, Nouveau Riche social climbers and even aspirant middle and working class women bridged many of the barriers that Society women sought to impose. / Master of Arts

This study examines the use of True Fit® technology by millennial consumers and its impact on consumer confidence and satisfaction with respect to online sizing. In the apparel industry, there is a lack of size standards among retailers, and as a result consumers will encounter frequent size variations in their clothing size. Difference sizing technology has been developed to address the sizing issue. One is True Fit® which unlike other sizing technologies, uses mathematical algorithms to compile large amounts of data from designers. The purpose of this study was to analyze consumer confidence and satisfaction after True Fit® has been used to make a sizing decision while online shopping. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was used as the basis for the theoretical framework for this study. TAM explores how current advances in technology are influencing consumers' behaviors and attitudes. The variables studies included perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, intent to use True Fit®, confidence and satisfaction. The methodology used in the study is a quantitative method consisting of an online survey and a True Fit® task, where consumers were exposed to True Fit® prior to answering questions about the use of sizing technology. The results of the study suggest the dependent variable of confidence and satisfaction with the sizing technology was positively affected by the intent to use True Fit®. Thus, it can be inferred that consumers felt positively about adopting apparel size technology and that technology such as this would have wide application in the future.

In this dissertation, I explore how the twelfth-century poet Marie de France combines animals and clothing to define and teach noble conduct in her Lais collection. I suggest that the nexus she creates between animals, dress, and virtue is chimeric but consistent, appearing differently in each narrative situation but recurring as a means of demonstrating moral conduct. My chapters explore three of her lais that combine beasts and attire to address the unique way Marie features the animal-clothing combination in each to teach distinctive lessons in virtuous behavior. My chapter on Guigemar argues that Marie uses the magical hind and the exchange of a knotted shirt and a belt to rework Ovidian anti-love themes to teach the value of being tightly bound in loyal love. Chapter 3 analyzes the eponymous knight's removal of his clothing as the mechanism that triggers his appearance as a werewolf in Marie's lai Bisclavret. I show that Bisclavret's werewolf form is like a sartorial skin under which his selfhood remains unaltered rather than a true transformation, and I argue that Marie uses the knight's appearance as a wolf so that the loyalty he demonstrates to his king and his homosocial community becomes voluntary and therefore serves as a model of noble conduct to the reader. Chapter 4 discusses Marie's use of the characters' relationships to animals and dress in her lai Lanval to assert the importance of a feminine contribution to leadership in society.

Cette recherche propose une histoire immatérielle du vêtement en Occident et plus particulièrement autour des XIIIe et XIVe siècles. Que signifie s’habiller dans les sociétés occidentales où le christianisme apparaît, à l’origine, puis dans son principe, comme une contre-culture inversant le système de valeurs de la sociabilité matérielle historique.<p><p>Le développement s’attache au changement radical d’attitudes à l’égard du vêtement dans les communautés chrétiennes du Bas-Empire romain du IIe au IVe siècle ;à l’institutionnalisation des apparences chrétiennes au haut Moyen Age ;à la métaphore du vêtement comme grande figure explicative des mythes chrétiens ;au statut anthropologique du vêtement dans la pensée et les pratiques médiévales ;à l’histoire de la valeur de l’objet technique et corporel ;aux modèles de consommation des biens de luxe ;au gouvernement politique par les apparences à la fin du Moyen Âge ;aux causes de la transformation des formes du vêtement jusqu’à la naissance du phénomène de mode. Toutes les sources (théologie, littérature populaire, comptabilité, archives judiciaires, images) sont convoquées, parfois de manière quantitative. Lorsque c’est possible le raisonnement procède par inversion :mettre en lumière des situations ponctuelles par l’arrière-plan normatif ou affectif, comprendre les phénomènes de longue durée ou les contradictions internes à une société au moyen de cas précis (une controverse, par exemple). Une expérience de description « intégrée » du récit historique est donc tentée, séparant le moins possible les « univers » (le social, l’économique, le symbolique, l’esthétique…) qui forment d’un seul tenant une culture. Si l’on souhaite faire une histoire du vêtement médiéval, il n’est pas dit que les moments, les pratiques ou les auteurs interrogés appartiennent à ce que l’on appelle couramment le Moyen Âge.<p> / Doctorat en Histoire, art et archéologie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Sherry Haar / Nell Donnelly created a stylish, practical, affordable pink gingham apron frock in 1916, selling out her first order of 216 dresses the first morning at $1 apiece at Peck’s Dry Goods Company in Kansas City. This study investigates the forces behind the success of her dress, and finds that during the early 20th century, woman’s role became modernized, shifting from that of producer to consumer, and that clothing—in particular, the housedress—was a visible reflection of this shift. Specific attributes contributed to the success of the apron frock in design and social perspective. First, her housedress incorporated current design elements including kimono sleeves, empire waistline, waist yoke, asymmetrical front closure, and ruffle trimmings sensibly. Socially, mass advertising and mass media articles promoted fashion consciousness in women to look as pretty as those in the ad or article. As a result, integrating trendy design elements into an affordable housedress along with the growing demand for a stylish, yet practical housedress guaranteed the success of Nelly Don’s pink gingham apron frock. As such, the availability and value of the apron frock provide a vivid illustration of woman’s shifting role: its popularity as an alternative to old-fashioned Mother Hubbard housedresses demonstrates both women’s new consumer awareness as well as their growing involvement in the public sphere.

Thesis (PhD (Consumer Science. Clothing and Textiles))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The current apparel retail environment is marked by intense competitive activity. The key to survival is the implementation of effective differentiation strategies. Corporate and retail branding provides retailers with a powerful tool to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and store image is a vital component of this branding strategy. This exploratory study set out to investigate the underlying theoretical structure of store image. A store image scale was developed for the measurement of the perceived importance of store image. The study adopted a five phase methodology, namely (1) construct definition and domain specification, (2) generation and judging of measurement items, (3) purification of the store image scale, (4) assessing the reliability and validity of the store image scale, and (5) assessing the perceived importance of the dimensions of store image in selected discount and specialty stores through practical implementation of the store image scale. The first two phases of the study resulted in a Model of Store Image delineating the underlying structure of store image which formed the basis for a store image definition, as well as a 232-item store image scale with established content and face validity. Phase 3 comprised two pilot studies that served to purify the store image scale. The first pilot study concluded in a 214-item scale that was deemed too lengthy for practical implementation in the apparel retail environment. The second pilot study resulted in a 55-item store image scale that was deemed acceptable for practical implementation. Correlation analysis provided support for the shortened version of the store image scale. The scale was not representative of all the sub dimensions associated with store image. This was reflected in the Revised Model of Store Image. Phase 4 employed a mall-intercept research method. The sample population (n=534) consisted of apparel consumers, both male and female, between the ages of 20 and 60. They belonged to the black, coloured or white population groups who patronised specific apparel retail outlets. Trained fieldworkers gathered the data at selected discount and specialty apparel stores. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the data and results provided support for the reliability of the store image scale. The Atmosphere, Convenience, Institutional, and Promotion dimensions exhibited good model fit. The Facilities and Sales personnel dimensions, as well as the Revised Model of Store Image showed evidence of acceptable model fit. The Merchandise and Service dimensions demonstrated poor fit. Only the Sales personnel dimension showed convergent validity. Support was found for marginal convergent validity of the Atmosphere, Convenience, Facilities, Promotion, and Service dimensions, as well as the Revised Model of Store Image. The Institutional and Merchandise dimensions did not exhibit convergent validity. Apart from the Convenience and Service dimensions, discriminant validity for all dimensions was established. Item analysis identified seven scale items for deletion which could potentially result in better model fit of the individual dimensions as well as the Revised Model of Store Image. The deletion of these items could contribute to increased convergent and discriminant validity. For purposes of Phase 5 the data gathered during Phase 4 was submitted to statistical analysis. Results indicated that discount and specialty apparel store consumers ranked the Atmosphere, Promotion, Merchandise, Institutional, and Sales personnel dimensions similarly in perceived importance. Discount apparel store consumers ranked the Facilities and Convenience dimensions higher, whilst specialty consumers ranked the Service dimension higher. However, the differences in ranking for all dimensions remained relatively small for both store types. Statistical differences in the perceived importance of only two dimensions, namely the Institutional and Service dimensions were found. The study culminated in revised 48-item store image scale. A Final Model of Store Image and definition of store image were proposed as point of departure for future research.. The main implications for retailers were formulated as: 􀂍 The Final Model of Store Image identified the dimensions and sub dimensions of store image. Retailers should manipulate the tangible and intangible store attributes associated with these dimensions and sub dimensions to build a favourable store image. Due to the gestalt nature of store image it is imperative that all store image dimensions are presented in a cohesive and consistent manner. 􀂍 The store image scale will enable retailers to ascertain which dimensions are salient to their target consumers. These dimensions should be incorporated in the retail strategy.