Determining female consumers’ perceptions of garment fit,personal values and emotions when considering garment sizing

Female consumer's clothing shopping experience is primarily influenced by the appearance and fit of a garment that may be influenced by their personal values and is a process that involves emotions (Otieno et al., 2005; Lopatovska and Arapakis, 2011). Very little research focussing on the emotional impact and the role that personal values play in the female consumers’ shopping experience of ready‐to‐wear garment fit has been conducted in South Africa to date. The primary objective of this study was to explore the areas of concern of garment sizing to establish the emotional impact garment sizing and the resulting fit have on the female consumer purchasing behaviour when evaluated against their personal value system. This study applied the means‐end chain theory approach that allowed the researcher to explore female consumers’ personal values and the resulting emotions, through the application of the laddering interview techniques. Using open‐ended questions, this study aimed to discover the role of female consumers’ perceptions of garment sizing and the resulting emotional effects of garment fit on their purchasing decisions. The findings from the data collected from a purposeful and convenient sample of 62 female consumers from Gauteng, Johannesburg showed that the majority of the participants in this study failed to attain their personal values through the fit of a garment due to inconsistent, unreliable and inaccurate sizing, garment sizing which is unsuitable for various body shapes and the unavailability of certain clothing sizes in ready‐to‐wear garments. The study established that it is extremely important that South African clothing manufacturers and designers should strategize to satisfy the clothing need of the consumers who are currently having problems with garment sizing, by understanding female consumers’ garment sizing and fit needs through extended research of their target markets.     

Knowledge: a variable in evaluating clothing quality

This study was designed to determine the effect knowledge has on the types of information cues used to evaluate clothing quality. Students ranked the importance of 24 product attributes for evaluating clothing quality before beginning a 15‐week university course on evaluation of clothing products and again at the conclusion of the course. Most (64%) of the intrinsic cues were ranked significantly higher on the pretest than post‐test and many of the extrinsic (75%) and aesthetic (67%) cues rated significantly lower. There were no differences in the ranking of the performance cues. However, caution should be taken when interpreting the results of the study. Although all of the cues ranked significantly higher in the post‐test were intrinsic cues, when evaluating the relative ranking of the cues in the pretest and post‐test, there were few differences. The same five aesthetic cues were in the top third on both tests and the same six intrinsic cues were in the bottom third on both tests. The findings of this study suggest that knowledge does influence how consumers evaluate quality and additional research that focuses on the effect of knowledge in consumers’ evaluation of clothing quality is needed.     

Fashion sensitive young consumers and fashion garment repair: Emotional connections to garments as a sustainability strategy

Where clothing consumption has continued to rise around the world, a deeper understanding of how and why garments are disposed of is critical in regard to addressing the issue of textile waste by consumers. The purpose of this study was to explore the garment management processes of young, fashion sensitive consumers, examining their disposal behaviours as well as motivations towards garment end‐of‐life extension through maintenance or repair of damaged fashion clothing. A survey of 161 South Korean young consumers (18–34 years) was conducted, utilizing a fashion sensitivity scale to measure impact on unsustainable garment disposal practices and garment repair behaviour. Further, general recycling behaviour of these individuals was examined, as linked to garment repair propensity. Results indicate that fashion sensitive consumers dispose of garments more rapidly, and with less ethical consideration. However, these same consumers are motivated to repair items that support their fashion identity. The study contributes some useful insight into encouraging garment life extension practise among heavy consumers of fashion, thus extending what is known about fashion garment disposal in the sustainability context.     

Relative importance of country of origin as an attribute in apparel choices

One hundred and eighty-four consumers (62 men, 122 women) participated in a simulated shopping experiment to rank garments on the relative importance of price, origin, care, quality and style. Monotonic Analysis of Variance (MONANOVA), a conjoint analysis, was used in this exploratory study to determine relative importance of garment attributes for individuals, for men and women, and for the total group. Both men and women ranked the five garment attributes in the following order: origin, style, price, care and quality. Removal of original labels and the substitution of experimental labels may, however, have encouraged consumers to evaluate garments on origin in the absence of brand and store identification.     

The Influence of Regulatory Focus on the Effect of Product Cues

The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which informational cues interact with individuals’ motivational states during their evaluation of a product. This article confirms the interaction effects between informational cues and motivational states by examining product attributes and advertising appeals as informational cues, and regulatory focus as a motivational state. The results from three studies indicate that consumers with promotion focus find extrinsic cues as more important and have more favorable evaluation toward a product with superior extrinsic cues. Prevention‐focused consumers, however, perceive intrinsic cues of a product as more important, and thus have more favorable evaluation toward a product with superior intrinsic cues.     

Female customers' expectation of the service offering and their perception of the service quality in an emerging clothing market

Worldwide, clothing retailers that offer similar merchandise and even the same brands are flanked almost next to one another in shopping centres. Clothing retail therefore appears to be poorly differentiated, and it is not always clear why consumers prefer to patronize one store and avoid another. This study explored female consumers' expectations of the service offering and their perception of the service quality of prominent clothing retail channels in Tshwane, a major urban area in South Africa. The survey involved 243 females that were 20 years of age or older. They completed a structured questionnaire that investigated their (1) expectations of customer service in terms of tangible evidence of the service offering; and (2) perception of service quality using two different instruments by means of a direct measurement approach. Explorative factor analysis was used to reduce the data in terms of relevant dimensions of the respective measuring instruments and to determine the significance of the various dimensions of customer service and service quality in the context of this research. Contrary to what the literature proposes about consumers in an emerging economy, findings of this study suggest that females' expectations of the service offering of clothing retail stores were high. Their expectations were cognitively structured in terms of three elements of customer service, namely (1) physical facilities and product presentation; (2) personnel; and (3) store image and processes. Their perception of service quality revealed an opportunity to augment the service quality through attention to activities that are associated with personnel and the so-called supportiveness dimensions of their service offering. Findings coincided with a prior investigation of Terblanche and Boshoff, although a re-labelling of one dimension of their instrument is proposed to prevent confusion. Recommendations to augment the service quality of clothing retailers are made in terms of tangible evidence of the service offering.     

Effectiveness of Marketing Cues on Consumer Perceptions of Quality: The Moderating Roles of Brand Reputation and Third‐Party Information

Consumers usually infer unobservable product quality by processing multiple‐quality cues in the environment. Prior research considering the simultaneous effects of marketing cues on consumer quality perceptions is sparse. Despite the growing importance of third‐party information, research examining its simultaneous effects with marketing cues on consumers’ decision making is especially absent. This research, drawing on cue‐diagnosticity, cue‐consistency, and negativity bias theories, proposes and tests a conceptual framework to reveal interplays among various marketing‐ and nonmarketing‐controlled product cues. The first study examines how two‐ and three‐way interactions of high‐scope (i.e., brand reputation) and low‐scope marketing cues (i.e., price and warranty) affect consumer perceptions. The second study examines a set of interaction effects between third‐party quality ratings and marketing cues (i.e., price and warranty) on consumers’ perceptions. Overall, the results reveal theoretical and managerial implications for processing multiple‐quality cues in consumers’ inference‐making behaviors and suggest that consumers generally aggregate perceptions in more complex ways than suggested in the prior literature when making global product quality evaluations.     

Pre‐purchase and post‐purchase satisfaction and fashion involvement of female tennis wear consumers

This study examined the relationship among pre‐purchase and post‐purchase satisfaction and fashion involvement of women who participated in tennis. As women's activities in sports, including tennis, are growing, it is necessary to investigate their clothing needs in order to meet consumers’ needs. A final sample consisted of 124 women who attended a Cortec United States Tennis Association Women's Pro Tournament. The questionnaires were personally distributed and collected during the tournament. The theoretical base for this study was the Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard model on consumer decision making. There was a positive significant relationship between pre‐purchase satisfaction and post‐purchase satisfaction (P < 0.01). There was a positive significant relationship between pre‐purchase satisfaction and fashion involvement (P < 0.001). Also, there was a positive significant relationship between post‐purchase satisfaction and fashion involvement (P < 0.001). Comfort was identified as the most important clothing attribute and fit the second most important for women to achieve satisfaction before and after purchasing tennis apparel. Seventy‐two percent of the women indicated the need for improved fit of tennis wear. Women of all ages reported garment length as a problem for each garment type. Two major reasons for not purchasing tennis clothing were high prices and inappropriate sizes.     

A train of thought in product experientiality: Working memory,distraction, and inconsistencies in cue order effects

The sequence of informational cues and the level of distraction have an impact on the judgment of a product’s quality and preference. Two quasi-experimental studies (N_total = 340) investigate the influence of the force behind the processing of these cues – working memory (WM). Previous research found that, in the presence of a distractor, high WM individuals are more able to recall the initial cue, and thus derive their product judgment from the initial strong cue. Study 1 contradicts these findings and raises important methodological questions regarding the conceptualization of strong and weak cues. Specifically, commonly accepted strong cues (e.g., product reputation) might not influence consumers as expected. Additionally, in a sequence of product evaluation with high vs. low degree of experientiality, study 2 reveals that consumers tend to show a primacy effect that is stronger for higher levels of WM capacity. Moreover, in a sequence of assessing low vs. high degree of experientiality products, consumers reveal stronger recency effects, thus showing that WM reinforces this recency effect. Our findings have important implications for marketers by suggesting that consumers with high WMC are more able to process complex stimuli and retrieve previously presented information on a product quality. These consumers also have a higher tendency to retrieve more information from product scenarios with a high degree of experientiality.     

Elderly women's clothing: acquisition,fit and alterations of ready-to-wear garments

The major objective of this research was to determine the clothing needs of elderly women. An interview schedule was developed to elicit information about specific clothing needs, including acquisition, fitting problems and garment alterations. Data were obtained from 150 women residing in northern Colorado. The subjects were grouped into three age categories: 30–64, 65–74, and 75 and over. Findings indicated that most women purchased ready-to-wear garments which sometimes required alterations. The most frequent alteration needed was shortening the skirt length. It was noted that with increasing age, women became less aware of needed alterations for proper fit. Elderly women did not perceive a need for garment alterations if they thought the garment was attractive and felt comfortable.     

Exit from the high street: an exploratory study of sustainable fashion consumption pioneers

In today's fashion system, dominated by business models predicated on continual consumption and globalized production systems that have major environmental and social impacts, the consumption of ‘sustainable fashion’ takes on an almost paradoxical quality. This paper explores this paradox by focusing on a previously under‐researched group of consumers – ‘sustainable fashion consumption pioneers’ who actively engage and shape their own discourse around the notion of sustainable fashion consumption. These pioneers actively create and communicate strategies for sustainable fashion behaviour that can overcome the nebulous and somewhat paradoxical reality that sustainable development in the fashion industry presents. Specifically, we use passive netnography and semi‐structured interviews to illuminate the role of motivational and contextual factors that help shape these consumers' definitions of sustainable fashion including such key behaviours as purchasing fewer garments of higher quality, exiting the retail market, purchasing only second‐hand fashion goods and sewing or upgrading their own clothing. Central to much of these behaviours is the notion that personal style, rather than fashion, can bridge the potential disconnect between sustainability and fashion while also facilitating a sense of well‐being not found in traditional fashion consumption. As such, our research suggests that for these consumers sustainability is as much about reducing measurable environmental or social impacts as it is about incorporating broader concepts through which to achieve goals beyond the pro‐environmental or ethical.     

Is the urban Indian consumer ready for clothing with eco‐labels?

India has witnessed rapid strides of development at sustained growth rates of more than 8% and has seen a huge spurt in consumption. Consequently, it has been estimated that the increased consumption may result in the country becoming one of the leading offenders relating to environmental pollution. The textiles industry in India is traditionally one of the worst offenders of pollution, with its small units following outdated technology processes. One opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of clothing industry in India is to concentrate textile production within environmentally certified or eco‐labelled clothing. In the absence of existing research, this study investigates whether the urban Indian population would be interested in clothing with eco‐labels. The results suggest the existence of a segment of consumers who are positively motivated towards eco‐labelled garments. This segment profile is described in terms of demographic and psychographic variables. Managerial implications and future directions are suggested.     

Influences of retail brand trust,off‐line patronage,clothing involvement and website quality on online apparel shopping intention

This study examines the influence of retail brand trust, off‐line patronage, clothing involvement, and website quality on online apparel shopping intention for young female US consumers. Data for this study were collected from 200 young female consumers who completed an online survey. Participants were asked to select one of three pre‐determined apparel retail brands that they have either had experience with or were familiar with. Respondents were then asked to keep their selected retailer in mind when completing the questionnaire and were also asked to briefly visit the retailer's website shopping for a shirt or blouse. Factor, correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to test our hypotheses. Retail brand trust, off‐line patronage, clothing involvement and two factors of website quality (usability and information quality, visual appeal and image) were found to significantly influence online apparel shopping intention. Off‐line patronage was the strongest predictor of online shopping intention. Implications for multi‐channel apparel retailers were discussed based on these findings.     

Labelling fashion markets

The present article discusses how an ethical and environmental labelling system can be implemented in fashion garment markets. Consumers act in markets that provide them with more information than their limited cognitive capacity allows them to handle. Ethical and environmental labelling in markets characterized by change, such as the fashion garment market, makes decision‐making even more complicated. The ethical and environmental labelling system proposed here is designed to alleviate firms' administrative burden and give consumers more choice. It proposes that information on ethical and environmentally friendly production should be combined to enable consumers to decide whether they want to contribute an extra sum for the item they purchase in the store, which would then be transferred to the workers or an environmental organization. The beneficiaries – garment workers in developing countries and environmental organizations – would decide what to do with the money. This is a simpler and more direct solution than those suggested by scholars and activists trying to solve the problems of ‘sweatshops’ and the environmental consequences of the production of fashion garments. It also reduces administration compared with existing systems. At the same time, it can be implemented alongside systems based on strict regulation of production.     

Low‐literate consumers' use of clothing labels amidst personal and product related challenges

Low‐literate consumers experience various challenges in the marketplace. This quantitative study focused on low‐literate female consumers' use of clothing labels amidst personal and product‐related challenges in the marketplace. An interviewer‐administered questionnaire was used among black African female consumers (n = 450) with literacy levels ranging from Grades 5 to 8 (on average, 11–14 years old), residing in the Emfuleni Local Municipality area, Gauteng, South Africa. Personal challenges experienced involved reading and numeracy skills, as well as concrete and pictographic thinking. Although respondents indicated that they read and understand clothing labels, results revealed problems experienced when attempting to use the information provided. Their numeracy skills were average and related abstract thinking skills were fair. Product‐related challenges were related to the format of labels, care‐label knowledge and evaluation of clothing quality. Respondents' preference for symbolic and graphic presentation of size format provided evidence of pictographic thinking. Care label understanding was poor, and clothing products were evaluated concretely. Some of the older respondents were inclined to follow the peripheral route of elaboration when reading clothing‐label information. We conclude that low‐literate consumers' use of clothing label information can improve if provided in a format that they can read and understand.     

Black urban consumers’ status consumption of clothing brands in the emerging South African market

Status concerns are noteworthy within a modern society as it is a key feature of individuals’ social reputation. Engaging in this form of thinking results in particular patterns of consumption within consumer groups. In South Africa, Black urban consumers have newfound spending power and social mobility. This study investigated motivators of Black urban consumers’ status consumption across different demographic variables (age, income and profession) in the South African (SA) emerging market. A survey research design was used to provide insights into the relationship of normative receptiveness (value expressive and utilitarian influences) and high self‐monitoring as status consumption motivators of clothing brand consumption. The sample consisted of 246 Black urban consumers between the ages of 24 and 36, residing in Gauteng, South Africa and currently working in professional positions. The results of the study indicated that when purchasing clothing Black urban consumers are motivated by factors related to status consumption. This study found no significant differences between age and gender variables in terms of status consumption. In terms of profession, all three motivational factors were significant. They proved to be very aware of the image that they communicate and how they are seen by others indicating that they are motivated especially by value expressiveness, utilitarian influences and high self‐monitoring aspects across various professions.     

Don't ignore the floor: Exploring multisensory atmospheric congruence between music and flooring in a retail environment

In retail environments, consumers commonly evaluate products while standing on some type of flooring and concurrently being exposed to music; however, no study has examined the interaction of these two atmospheric cues. To bridge this gap, this research examines whether retailers can benefit from creating multisensory atmospheric congruent rather than incongruent retail environments of flooring and music. The results of an experiment in a real retail store reveal positive effects of multisensory congruent retail environments (e.g., soft music combined with soft flooring) on product evaluations. This study provides a new process explanation with consumers’ purchase‐related self‐confidence mediating these effects. Specifically, consumers in congruent rather than incongruent retail environments experience more purchase‐related self‐confidence, which in turn leads to more favorable product evaluations. Furthermore, this study shows that consumers with a low rather than a high preference for haptic information are influenced more by multisensory atmospheric congruence when evaluating a product haptically.     

Effect of knowledge on decision making in the context of organic cotton clothing

This research was designed to study whether consumer knowledge on organic cotton and relevant issues influences attitude toward and price acceptance of organic cotton clothing. The effect of consumer knowledge was also studied on the way consumers use product label information in purchasing organic cotton clothing. An online survey was developed to measure the variables including experimental choice‐based conjoint models for mandatory and auxiliary label specifications. Four hundred ninety‐eight people completed the survey. The results indicated that moderately and highly knowledgeable participants were more willing to buy organic cotton clothing at higher price points and they had more positive attitudes toward organic cotton clothing than low knowledgeable participants. The results suggest that differentially knowledgeable consumers may attend to different types of information provided on product labels to evaluate organic cotton apparel products. Providing product‐related information on product labels is essential; however, providing additional information on the benefits of using organic cotton and socially responsible business practices may improve consumers’ knowledge and acceptability of organic cotton apparel products.     

Does attitude predict purchase behaviour of apparel products?

During the 1980s the world market in textile and apparel products has become increasingly internationalized. Retailers in Western Europe and North America import goods from around the world, often at the expense of domestic manufacturers. In an effort to encourage consumers to buy locally manufactured products, associations in several countries have tried to change consumer attitudes toward domestically produced textiles and apparel. The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between consumer attitude and consumer behaviour in an apparel purchase. Intercept surveys were conducted with 3,766 consumers in nine locations in the eastern U.S.A. Consumers were questioned about their attitudes toward domestic versus imported clothing and their awareness of the country of origin of their purchase. Reasons for purchase and demographic information were also collected. Some differences between variables were found related to sex, age and geographic location. While it was evident that a large proportion of the consumers sampled said they cared whether the clothing they purchased was domestically produced or imported, a far smaller proportion was aware of the country of origin of the garment just purchased. Therefore, a consistent link between consumers' professed attitudes and their buying behaviour could not be established. Summary and conclusions The consistency of consumer attitudes with consumer behaviour was assessed for a sample of U.S.A. apparel purchasers. Respondents in the eastern U.S.A. were asked about their awareness of and concern with their garment's place of production. Although some differences were found related to sex, age and geographic location, the lack of consistency between attitudes and behaviour was a common phenomenon. Of the total sample, only 20% professed both concern and awareness of their garment's country of origin. In contrast, 60% knew of the ‘Crafted with Pride’ campaign, 44% expressed concern for place of production, and 28% said they knew where the garment just acquired had been manufactured. These relatively low percentages may be due in part to the demographics of the consumers surveyed. This study included a high proportion of females, young and middle-age shoppers. This sample composition is consistent with other research citing these groups as the most frequent apparel purchasers. The results of this study indicate that the oldest age groups and male shoppers are most likely to be aware and concerned. This suggests that those wanting to change attitudes and/or behaviour need to target the groups most likely to be spending on apparel, females, young and middle-age groups. These consumers appear to be the least motivated by patriotic appeals or to base purchase decisions on cues such as country of origin. People from the south, who were more likely to be directly affected by the textile industry, generally were more aware, expressed a higher level of concern, and were more likely to know of the ‘Crafted with Pride’ campaign. Since the south has not been selectively targeted by the ‘Crafted with Pride’ Council, it is very possible that the demographics and personal link of southerners to the apparel and textile industries may be more influential than the Council's media campaign. While it is true that concern, awareness, and knowledge of the campaign are highly correlated, what has not been determined is the causal relationship between these three variables. Does knowledge of the campaign cause one to care more and therefore be more likely to be aware? Or does caring make consumers more susceptible to patriotic appeals and more likely to say they are aware when they really may not be? It has been determined that people who are aware are more likely to care and know of the campaign; it has not been determined that people with knowledge of the campaign will be more aware and therefore guided in their purchase decisions. The intense media campaign by the ‘Crafted with Pride’ Council suggests that the level of concern for domestic clothing production may be influenced by the level of marketing effort. However, the Council's expected behavioural effect of raising the number of potential clothing buyers who actively seek out and purchase American-made apparel was not displayed by respondents in this study. Since it is consumers who ultimately make the final purchase decision, industry representatives and legislators should examine more closely the link between attitudes and action before making production and public policy decisions that will have significant economic effects on all parties concerned.