"The purpose of the present study is to observe how the consumers select ready-to-wear dresses in a small oil town, which had a population of 3,336 in June, 1940...A brief summary of the entire study follows. (1) Of the 215 customers, 60 percent were sales customers and 60 percent stated the price they wished to pay. (2) The 135 dresses purchased were about equally distributed among $7.95, $10.95,$16.95 and $29.95 values. (3) The color desired was specified by 83 percent of the customers. Navy and tan were the two leading colors. (4) While 97 percent of the women designated the size they needed, only 83 percent purchased the size requested. Size 16 was bought by more women than any other size. (5) Customers had little knowledge regarding trade names and materials. Of the dresses sold, 64 percent were rayon. (6) About 90 percent of the women designated in some manner the type of dress they desired. Almost 50 percent of the purchasers selected tailored garments. (7) Slightly less than half of the customers check on the quality of workmanship or the material in the dress. Only 15 percent of the women asked for a guarantee of any type. (8) Ten percent of the women objected to the alteration of the garments which they contemplated buying and did not make a purchase because of this."--Leaves 35-36.