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M.S.

The youth market has been characterized as one of the most coveted market segments because of its spending power and tremendous potential for becoming lifetime customers (Bush, Martin, & Bush, 2004). The product market for adolescents is expected to grow to more than $208 billion by 2011, according to a report from market research firm Packaged Facts (Sass, 2007). Apparel, jewelry, and cosmetics are top product categories for adolescent girls and are important products used by adolescents to portray personal identity (Ossorio, 1995). Because of adolescents' buying power and the important role apparel plays in adolescents' lives, it is important for apparel marketers to understand the adolescent consumer market. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between each of three independent variables (i.e., reference groups, clothing symbolism, and clothing involvement) and adolescents' clothing purchase intentions and clothing behavior, and whether the three variables are predictors of adolescents' clothing purchase intentions and clothing behavior. Reference groups are a source of instrumental and emotional support, offering adolescents a sense of belonging during their physical, emotional, and cognitive adjustment (Blackwell, Miniard, & Engel, 2001). Adolescents may have many different types of reference groups. The reference groups included in the currents study were friends, popular girls, and parents. Specifically in the current study, ninth grade girls' perceptions of friends' clothing behavior, popular girls' clothing behavior, and parents' opinions concerning clothing behavior were examined for their relationship to the ninth grade girls' clothing purchase intentions and behavior. The second independent variable was clothing symbolism. Adolescents may use clothing as a symbol (i.e., clothing symbolism) to express their actual self-concepts or to attain their ideal self-concepts (Erickson, 1983; Solomon & Rabolt, 2004). Two types of clothing symbolism were included in the study: the degree of congruity between actual self-concept and the perceived images of four outfits (i.e., actual self and clothing image congruity) and the degree of congruity between ideal self-concept and the perceived images of four outfits (i.e., ideal self and clothing image congruity). The third independent variable was clothing involvement. Viera (2009) found that young consumers are highly involved with clothing. The degree of clothing involvement may be closely related to adolescent girls' clothing purchase intentions and their clothing behavior. A conceptual model that formed the framework for this study was developed by integrating several theories, propositions, and research findings in the literature. Based on the framework, 16 research questions were formulated. Focus groups provided input for questionnaire development, and four outfit images, one each considered sexy, conservative, springy, or sporty, were identified and included in the questionnaire. Before the main data collection, the questionnaire was pilot tested and revised. Data collection was conducted at three high schools in central Virginia, and 353 female students in the ninth grade participated. Standard and stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to address the research questions. Among the four outfit images, that with a sexy image was found to have the highest mean score for ideal self-concept, indicating that participants would most like to view themselves sexy. Results of a factor analysis for clothing involvement revealed three factors: clothing importance, clothing expressions, and clothing brand perceptions. Participants had fairly high mean scores for all three clothing involvement factors. Among those three factors, clothing importance had the highest mean. In addition, results showed that participants perceived that their friends and popular girls would most often wear the outfit with a sporty image, and they also perceived that their parents would most like them to wear an outfit with a sporty image. The sporty outfit image also had the highest mean for participants' clothing purchase intentions and clothing behavior among the four outfit images. Results of one of the stepwise regressions, for the sexy outfit image showed that perceptions of reference groups' clothing behavior or opinions (i.e., friends' clothing behavior, parents' opinions concerning clothing behavior, popular girls' clothing behavior), one type of clothing symbolism (i.e., ideal self and clothing image congruity), and one clothing involvement factor (i.e., clothing importance) predicted adolescent girls' purchase intentions for the outfit with a sexy image. The results for wearing clothing with a sexy image when hanging out with friends were slightly different from those for purchase intentions. For the behavior of wearing an outfit with a sexy image, the variable "perceptions of popular girls' clothing behavior" was not a predictor, but actual self and clothing image congruity was. For the springy outfit image, all the perceptions of reference groups' clothing behavior or opinions and actual self and clothing image congruity were the best predictors of participants' clothing behavior; however only friends' clothing behavior and popular girls' clothing behavior were significant predictors of adolescent girls' purchase intentions for this outfit image. For the conservative and sporty outfit images, only the perceptions of reference groups' clothing behavior or opinions predicted adolescent girls' clothing purchase intentions and clothing behavior. In conclusion, the research findings suggest a powerful relationship between adolescent girls' perceptions of reference groups' clothing behavior or opinions about clothing behavior and the girls' own clothing behavior and purchase intentions. Participants' perceptions of reference groups' clothing behavior or opinions were the best predictors of the participants' clothing behavior and purchase intentions for all four outfits. Furthermore, clothing symbolism (e.g., using a sexy outfit to express or attain a sexy image) appears to motivate ninth grade girls to wear clothing with a sexy or springy image. The girls would wear a sexy outfit to portray their actual self-concepts and attain their ideal self-concepts. They also would wear outfits with a springy image to portray themselves. Additionally, the more the participants in this study considered clothing to be important, the more likely they were to purchase and wear a sexy image outfit; however the participants indicated that, of the four outfit images in the study, they most purchase and wear clothing like the sporty image outfit the most for hanging out with friends in comparison to the other three outfit images. Based on the findings, suggestions and implications for parents, educators, and marketers were provided. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this research was to determine and compare the dimensions of clothing interest between Afrikaans female clothing and textile students at The University of Pretoria and female clothing and textile students at Virginia Tech. An additional objective was to test the validity of the measuring instrument by factor analysis. Dimensions of clothing interest for the two groups were measured with the Gurel-Creekmore Clothing Interest Questionnaire, as revised and shortened by Borsari in 1978. T-tests indicated that the group mean scores differed significantly for three of the five dimensions. The Virginia Tech sample had a higher score on the interest and the self-concept dimensions while the Pretoria sample had a higher mean score on the modesty dimension. The factor structure for the American group was very similar to that established by Borsari in 1978 but differences existed for the structure of the South African group. / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1965 P379 / Master of Science

Thesis (DSc (Consumer Science)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / 326 leaves on CD format, preliminary i-xix pages and numbered pages 1-210. Includes bibliography, list of tables, figures and appendixes. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research focused on the need of the children’s wear industry in South Africa for sizing systems based on accurate and current body measurement tables developed from the actual measurements of children. The broad objective of this study was to develop standardised measuring methodologies and techniques which would be relevant to the subsequent development of reliable, accurate and comprehensive body measurement tables. These tables could then be implemented as a basis for the development of new sizing systems, as well as new, improved and authentic fit dummy ranges. The literature study served as a point of departure for the planning and execution of the empirical study, focusing on sizing and size designation systems. The study population comprised children representative of three categories, namely age (2 to 14 years), gender (boys and girls) and sector (Black and Non-Black) categories. A convenience sample was selected, representing children from two geographical areas (Western Cape and Gauteng). The empirical study has a three phase structure. The first pilot study aimed at developing standardised measuring equipment, as well as the methodologies and properly recorded guidelines for their implementation. The specific standards according to which subjects were measured and the strict quality control measures implemented to ensure the validity, reliability and accuracy of recorded data, were confirmed during the second pilot study. Based on this, the final study was executed following the guidelines as recorded in the Field Worker Manual. The statistical analysis was done after data capturing during which the data sets were first cleaned up. Secondly, the key measurements for use as a basis for the development of the sizing systems were identified. Based on these, body measurement tables were compiled and age of gender split and growth patterns were analysed for fit dummy prototype development. The new size designation system developed for children’s clothing was successfully implemented as a multi-indicator system, linking height ranges with both age ranges and numerical size indicators. The development of the subsequent new and improved fit dummy prototypes was based on measurements within minimum and maximum values of the body measurements, in order to facilitate the construction of these three-dimensional bodies. It was also possible to develop complete body measurement tables with accurate, and notably irregular, increments between sizes as well as to determine specific growth patterns and separate growth spurts for both boys and girls. This study made new and original as well as more detailed and correct information available concerning the size and shape of the typical South African children’s wear consumer. Using the information contained in the new height based sizing system, retailers have been able to develop a proper set of grade rules for application in product development. The identification and demarcation of important body landmarks facilitated pattern drafting, garment development and fit assessments, resulting in an improved product offering for the typical South African children’s wear consumer. Recommendations regarding further research were formulated, such as comparing the study population categories, namely gender, age and sector. Implications for retailers, inter alia that each retail company could choose how to implement the new height based sizing system and the specific size designation system most suitably for their own consumers and internal systems. The standards set and methodologies implemented in this survey were an improvement on the sizing and fit of children’s wear in the context of South African manufacturers, retailers and consumers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing fokus op die behoefte van die Suid-Afrikaanse kinderklerekleinhandelbedryf aan ‘n sisteem van kleregroottes, gebaseer op akkurate en huidige liggaamsmate-tabelle wat ontwikkel is van die werklike mates van kinders. Die oorkoepelende doelstelling van hierdie studie was om gestandaardiseerde meetmetodologieë en -tegnieke te ontwikkel wat relevant is vir die daarstelling van betroubare, akkurate en omvattende liggaamsmate-tabelle, wat dan gebruik kan word as basis vir die nuwe kleregroottesisteem, sowel as om nuwe, verbeterde en oorspronklike figuurmodelreekse te ontwikkel. Die literatuurstudie het gedien as vertrekpunt vir die beplanning en uitvoering van die empiriese studie met die fokus op kleregroottesisteme en kleregrootteaanwysingsisteme. Die kinders in die studiepopulasie het drie kategorieë verteenwoordig: ouderdom (2 tot 14 jaar), geslag (seuns en meisies) en sektor (Swart en Nie-Swart). ‘n Gerieflikheidsteekproef is uit twee geografiese areas (Wes-Kaap en Gauteng) gekies. Die empiriese studie het ‘n drie-fase-struktuur. Die eerste loodsstudie het ten doel gehad om gestandaardiseerde meettoerusting, meetmetodologieë en behoorlik aangetekende implementeringsriglyne daar te stel. Die spesifieke standaarde waarvolgens die proefpersone gemeet is en die implementering van streng kwaliteitbeheermaatreëls wat geldige, betroubare en akkuraat vasgelegde data verseker, is tydens die tweede loodsstudie bevestig. Die finale studie is gebaseer op en uitgevoer volgens die riglyne soos uiteengesit in die Field Worker Manual. Die statistiese analise is gedoen nadat die data vasgelê en skoongemaak is. Vervolgens is sleutelmates geïdentifiseer wat as basis vir die ontwikkeling van kleregroottesisteme kan dien. Volledige liggaamsmate-tabelle is daarna ontwikkel. Die identifisering van die geslagverdelingsouderdom, sowel as die analisering van groeipatrone vir die ontwikkeling van figuurmodelle, is hierop gebaseer. Die nuwe klere-aanwysingsisteme wat ontwikkel is vir kinderklere is suksesvol geïmplementeer as ‘n veelvoudige aanwysingsisteem wat liggaamslengtereekse met ouderdomsreekse en numeriese grootte-aanwysers koppel. Die nuwe en verbeterde figuurmodel-prototipes wat vervolgens ontwikkel is, is gebaseer op minimum en maksimum waardes van die liggaamsmates ten einde die konstruksie van die driedimensionele figure te vergemaklik. Daarbenewens was dit moontlik om volledige liggaamsmate-tabelle met akkurate en opmerklik ongelyke inkremente tussen groottes daar te stel, sowel as om die spesifieke groeipatrone en afsonderlike groeitoenames vir beide seuns en meises te bepaal. Die studie het nuwe en oorspronklike, sowel as meer gedetailleerde en korrekte inligting ten opsigte van die grootte en vorm van die tipiese Suid-Afrikaanse kinderklereverbruiker beskikbaar gestel. Met hierdie nuwe kennis van die liggaamslengte-gebaseerde kleregroottesisteem, is dit nou vir kleinhandelaars moontlik om ‘n volledige stel graderingsreëls daar te stel en in produkontwikkeling toe te pas. Die identifikasie en afbakening van belangrike liggaamsbakens vergemaklik patroon- en klereontwikkeling sowel as die evaluering van die mate waarin dit pas; dit waarborg ‘n verbeterde produk vir die tipiese Suid-Afrikaanse kinderklereverbruiker. Aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing is gemaak, soos ‘n vergelyking van die studiepopulasiekategorieë, naamlik geslag, ouderdom en sektor. Die implikasies vir kleinhandelaars is onder meer dat elke kleinhandelaar kan kies hoe om hierdie nuwe liggaamslengte-gebaseerde kleregroottesisteem te implementer en watter die mees geskikte kleregrootte-aanwysingsisteem vir hul verbruikers en interne sisteme sal wees. Die standaarde wat vir hierdie studie gestel is, sowel as die metodologieë wat geïmplementeer is, is ‘n aansienlike verbetering op die groottes en pas van kinderklere binne die konteks van die Suid-Afrikaanse vervaardigers, kleinhandelaars en verbruikers.

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