Catherine Black

Application of the Functional, Expressive and Aesthetic Consumer Needs Model: assessing the clothing needs of adolescent girls with disabilities

The purpose of this study was to investigate clothing needs of adolescent girls with disabilities with the application of the Functional, Expressive and Aesthetic (FEA) Consumer Needs Model (Lamb, J.M. and Kallal, M.J., 1992. A conceptual framework for apparel design. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 10, 42–47). Survey data were collected from 33 adolescent girls with disabilities. Functional, expressive and aesthetic considerations of the FEA Model were used to analyse responses regarding satisfaction with specific garment types and general clothing needs. While functional considerations were most often reported, adolescents also indicated a number of expressive and aesthetic considerations. Regardless of their level of clothing interest, the common functional considerations identified were issues with fit and difficulty donning and doffing including difficulty with garment fasteners. Safety was not a consideration identified in the FEA Model but was identified by the adolescents as important when considering their level of satisfaction. Based on the results of this study, recommendation for future applications of the FEA Consumer Needs Model is presented.

An assessment of fit and sizing of men's business clothing

Purpose – This paper seeks to investigate issues with the fit and sizing of commercially available mens business clothing in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – The functional design process is a conceptual framework used to frame an investigation of fit and sizing of mens business clothing. Data were collected from 322 men aged 20‐55 at two different demographic levels. Sizing and fit of mens shirts, pants, suits and their garment features were reported to investigate fit issues with mens ready‐to‐wear business clothing and their relationships to sizing and overall body composition.Findings – Results indicated that many men self‐report fit issues with their business clothing, including issues with the key sizing dimensions of their garments. Consumers frequenting specialty stores with high service levels reported fewer issues with key sizing dimensions, but more issues in other areas of the garments. Many respondents did not know their garment size. Some consumers appear to be choosing their garmen...

Assessing functional and aesthetics clothing needs of young male tennis players

Within the Functional, Expressive, Aesthetic (FEA) Consumer Needs Model, the purpose of this research was to investigate clothing needs of young male tennis players. Both functional aspects and aesthetic characteristics of tennis wear were assessed through selected movement analysis and survey. Data were collected from 74 tennis players enrolled at tennis clubs in northwestern United States. Participants reported fit problems of different garment features in each specific movement as well as preferences for their tennis wear. In addition, this research also investigated the relationship between satisfaction of functional aspect and aesthetic appearance. As a result, the satisfaction of functional components including fit and comfort has positively related to the satisfaction of aesthetic components by male tennis players. Based on the results obtained, both functional and aesthetic considerations need to be taken into account to develop tennis apparel that meets the needs of male tennis players.

Sun Protection: Knowledge, Attitude, and Perceived Behavior of Parents and Observed Dress of Preschool Children

The purpose of this study was to determine the actual and perceived sun-protective practices of parents and caregivers of preschool children. Because children are dependent on adults for protection, an investigation of actual sun-protection practices of parents, child caregivers, and retailers in Florida was conducted. One-hundred children were observed at selected childcare centers to identify clothing worn during outdoor play. Eighty-six parents or guardians of the children completed questionnaires regarding their sun-protection knowledge, attitude, and perceived behavior. A survey of 15 retailers was conducted to determine sun-protective products. Although parents were aware of the need to protect their children from the sun’s UV rays, childcare observations revealed that children were wearing apparel that provided little sun protection. Retail stores were found to stock a limited supply of sun protective clothing and products for children. Increased sun exposure is leading to unprecedented levels of premature aging, skin cancer, and eye damage (Davis, Capjack, Kerr, & Fedosejevs, 1997). The rate of skin cancer in the United States has grown from 200,000 new cases in 1980 to more than 1 million new cases in 1997 (Schakowsky, 1997), and the age of onset is declining at

Taiwanese farm workers' pesticide knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and clothing practices

The purpose of this study was to assess Taiwanese fruit farm workers’ knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and clothing practices regarding pesticide activities. Seventy-seven fruit farm workers from four districts of Tainan City, Taiwan completed the questionnaire. Results indicated that farmer workers had a good overall level of knowledge of the adverse effects of pesticides on human health and most had experienced symptoms of pesticide poisoning. Farm workers’ attitudes toward pesticide use and handling indicated that they saw pesticides useful in controlling pests. Farm workers indicated the limited availability of comfortable clothing designed for a hot and humid climate while still providing sufficient protection was the main reason for not wearing personal protective clothing (PPC) and personal protective equipment (PPE). Emphasis on safety precautions is needed when using pesticides, and the importance of PPC and PPE is essential for the health of farm workers.

Evaluation of the New York Posture Rating Chart for Assessing Changes in Postural Alignment in a Garment Study

The New York Posture Rating (NYPR) was evaluated for assessing postural alignment changes in a garment study as captured in photographs and body scans. The posture of 15 pre-menopausal females aged 40 to 55 were assessed while wearing a control and a posture support garment. The scale was successfully applied with good rater reliability for photographs (0.77) and body scans (0.91). Overall photographic posture assessments were not significant, however, two body segments showed improvement. Overall body scan posture assessments revealed significant improvement for the posture support garment, and improvement in one body segment (neck). Paired t –test comparison of NYPR from photographs and body scans were not significantly different in the posture support garment and significantly different for the control. Possible solutions are discussed. Overall results, support the potential use of the NYPR in studies of garment effects on posture and the body scans as an assessment tool.

Evaluation of a Prototype Soft-Structured Thoracic Posture Support Garment:

A prototype soft-structured thoracic posture support garment was evaluated for postural alignment effectiveness, wearer acceptability, ease of movement and fit as compared to a sports bra (no posture support) and a commercial soft-structured posture support garment. Fifteen female participants conducted a wear protocol in each of the garments, were evaluated for posture, and provided wearer assessments of the other three variables. Results indicated that the prototype was as effective as the commercial support garment in improving posture but was more acceptable to wearers, easier to move in and fit less tightly than the commercial support garment. Wearer assessments of the prototype were not significantly different from the sport bra, indicating success in developing an effective posture support garment with potential for better wear compliance than existing posture support solutions.

Conceptual model and strategies for creative thinking in apparel design

Most educators would agree that the development of creativity is a crucial part of an apparel design curriculum and an essential component in the success of students. Models provide a conceptual basis for creative thinking; therefore, further investigation of models from other disciplines provides new insight. In addition to models, students entering todays highly competitive apparel industry need divergent thinking strategies that can effectively assist in enhancing their creative output. This article presents a Conceptual Model of Creative Thinking in Apparel Design and creative thinking strategies to serve as a practical means for recognising, encouraging, and developing creative thinking abilities in apparel design students by increasing the applicability of theory in educational practices.

Development of an apparel design graduate programme emphasising creative scholarship

The purpose of this article is to propose methods that could be employed to educate apparel design graduate students as creative scholars. Universities have been increasingly receptive to broadening the definition of scholarship beyond that of traditional research. In the field of textiles and apparel, many schools allow faculty to conduct creative scholarship as all or part of their performance portfolio. However, graduate education in the apparel field remains focused on traditional research requirements. This article describes an apparel design graduate programme to prepare students as creative design scholars. The programme is described in relationship to the four elements identified by Edström (Edström, A.M., 2008, International Journal of Education and the Arts, 9 (3), 1–24) as common to Master of Fine Arts programmes in Sweden: artistic development, analysis and evaluation, theoretical awareness and independent process development.