Elaine L. Pedersen

Theory Is Everywhere: A Discourse on Theory

There is confusion concerning what theory is, how to recognize it, how to know when and if it is needed, and when it is present. The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of theory via a concept analysis and to examine how and why understandings of theory may vary. Definitions of theory are examined. Definitions have two to four definitional components: theoretical structure, functions, elements, and relationship of theory to research. The use of theory in textiles and clothing is discussed including theory for practice and creative activity. When using the identified functions of theory as a guide, theory can be identified as present in most applications within the textiles and clothing field, even when theories are not named or discussed.

Gender Differences in Characteristics Reported to Be Important Features of Physical Attractiveness

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether characteristics of physical attractiveness named by respondents as important would differ from those attributes previously examined by researchers. Gender differences related to the identification of important characteristics of physical attractiveness were also explored. Subjects, 230 male and 240 female undergraduates at two western state universities, completed a self-administered questionnaire. Respondents agreed that body build was the characteristic of greatest importance for both physically attractive males and females. Other important characteristics for physically attractive males were eyes, face, height, and hair and for females, hair, face, and eyes. Other than body build, there was no consistent ranking of characteristics by male and female respondents.

Social Support, Research Interest, Stress, and Research Productivity of Textiles and Apparel Faculty

This study examines the relationship between work stress and research productivity among faculty members in the field of textiles and apparel. Work stress and research productivity were studied in relation to four antecedent variables: collegial or institutional support, chairs support, professional organization support, and research interest. In addition, rank, institution type, position description, expertise, and degrees offered were examined in relation to the variables. Data from 173 members of the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) classified as assistant professors (n = 63), associate professors (n = 63), and professors (n = 47) were analyzed. Results show research interests to be the only significant factor to influence research productivity. No variables in this study significantly influenced work stress. Respondents with higher research productivity were from 4-year, land-grant institutions with graduate programs and had a lower teaching load. Further investigation in examining research productivity of faculty members is recommended.

West African Apparel Textiles Depicted in Selected Magazines from 1960 to 1979: Application of Cultural Authentication

The purpose of the study was to determine the extent of West African influence on apparel textiles in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s and whether the concept of cultural authentication could be applied to the borrowing of West African textiles for use in the United States. A small number of West African and West-African-influenced apparel textiles were found. More illustrations of these textiles were found in Ebony in the 1960s than in other magazines, whereas Mademoiselle had slightly more illustrations in the 1970s. West African textiles were some-times used in fashionable U.S. garments, an example of selection, one stage of cultural authentication. No evidence of characterization or incorporation was discovered. Illustrations were found of contemporary U.S. styles made from textiles inspired by West African textiles; this may be the fourth stage of cultural authentication, transformation where an original idea has been transformed into a new product.

The relationship of gender expression, sexual identity, distress, appearance, and clothing choices for queer women

The purpose of this research was to explore how queer women today negotiate gender expression and sexual identity through clothing and appearance and its relationship to negative stress or distress. Data related to 20 queer identifying women were collected via an initial in-depth interview, daily diary entries for two weeks, and a follow-up interview at the end of each diary week. In the diary, participants were asked to rate how distressed they were when getting dressed and when wearing their outfits in different spaces throughout their day. Data were coded and the authors looked for emergent themes and patterns. The authors found that identifying as queer influenced how the interviewees chose to dress and style themselves, and that performing queerness in their appearance for a number of women caused distress in both straight and queer spaces.

The Ecological Alternative: An Option for the Future

Professionals have traditionally used a linear, unifocal approach to the study of textiles and clothing. Since families do not select their clothing and textile products uninfluenced by their environment, the use of an ecosystem framework is suggested. Included among the benefits of this approach are increased visibility, support for interaction with home economics colleagues, and an expanded research base. The ecosystem approach will provide a means to enable professionals to aid families by using clothing in making adjustments to their changing environment. Support for the adoption of an ecological framework is given along with illustrations of how it . may be applied.

Pretty and patriotic : women's consumption of apparel during World War II

Abstract The War Production Board issued limitation order 85 in April 1942 in order to conserve fabric and manpower needed for the war effort. The United States government hoped to curb, at least temporarily, the purchase of apparel and other goods to help support the war effort by restricting materials needed for the war. However, the apparel industry was one of the leading consumer industries in the United States, and putting it on hold was not only impractical but could harm the domestic economy. The United States apparel industry even marketed goods as patriotic to stimulate, not curb, consumer spending. The purpose of this research was to examine how female consumers of women’s apparel were influenced by the federal regulations of women’s apparel during World War II. We also examined extant wartime apparel in order to provide a more complete picture of women’s wartime apparel styles.

Curriculum integration across fashion-related curricula

Curriculum integration enables students to understand connections among disciplines and to begin to develop a holistic knowledge base. The purpose of this article is to discuss a departmental curriculum integration process, its results, and its effectiveness as evaluated by faculty and students in the department. Pedagogical and administrative goals influenced the curriculum integration that took place in both postgraduate and undergraduate curricula. Integration resulted in minimising the departments curricular overlap and created a stronger department both visually and politically. It provided the opportunity for faculty and students to understand more about the other subject areas. Integration was least successful in a process-oriented course and among process-oriented students. It is suggested for departments thinking about integrating courses that it will be most successful when faculty are supportive and enthusiastic about the integration process. Two case studies are presented.

Writing Quality Manuscripts for the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal

The purpose of this article is to discuss the components of a quality Clothing and Textiles Research Journal (CTRJ) manuscript from the perspectives of different categories of scholarship including qualitative or quantitative data analyses. The expectations for the content and quality of the typical manuscript sections are discussed. These sections commonly include the introduction, review of literature, method, results, and conclusion, although terminology may vary according to varied disciplinary norms. The conceptual or theoretical framework segment is also discussed. Overall, conceptual terms should be used consistently, key concepts/variables should be defined, the manuscript should be clearly and logically organized, and the writing should be clear, careful, and logical. Ethics and intellectual property rights are discussed as is the CTRJ review process.

Queer Women’s Experiences Purchasing Clothing and Looking for Clothing Styles

The purpose of this study is to understand queer womens experiences when shopping for clothing, looking for style inspiration, and if they experience minority distress or discrimination during these processes. Three research questions guided our study: (a) Where do queer women look for fashion style inspiration? (b) What are queer womens experiences with shopping in brick-and-mortar stores for clothing and accessories? and (c) Do queer women experience minority distress or discrimination while shopping or looking for fashion style inspiration? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 queer-identifying females with two follow-up interviews. Four themes surfaced from the data: (a) awareness of or attention to queer styles, (b) frustration with or feelings of alienation with the current apparel marketplace and media, (c) minority distress or subtle acts of heterosexism related to queer visibility and crossing gender boundaries, and (d) interest in an LGBTQ-friendly shopping environment.