Fashion Business Commons^™

E-Commerce Brand Design And Website Prototyping, Ashley J. Tuliau

Graphic Communication

MJ Swim is an e-commerce brand and website concept with a focus on customizable products and individualized sizing. Most online swimwear companies follow a fast-fashion business model which prioritizes mass production and offers affordable prices. However, aside from the many environmental consequences of this, fast fashion leaves large disparities in clothing quality, sizing accuracy, and product uniqueness. My primary goal was to create a dynamic website that would be flexible across a variety of devices and allow for optimal product customization. My secondary goal was to create a strong and inclusive brand identity that would thrive in a solely online …

Apparel Students' Perception Of Denim Quality In Relation To Price And Brand, Karli Haws

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate apparel students’ perception of quality in denim jeans based on the influences of price and brand. The following research objectives were developed:

1. To determine if apparel students’ perceptions of garment quality are affected by price and brand.

2. To determine how apparel students perceive quality in a garment.

3. To determine if price and brand are indicators of quality to apparel students.

Exploring Women’S Sizing Chart: A View Into Psychosizing, Patience Billingsley

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The apparel industry lacks a universal sizing system and has created tactics to group consumers under a few generic sizes. The inconsistency in sizing has led to a struggle of consumers trying to find pieces of clothing that are not only their size but fit their measurements as well. An analysis of the sizing charts of 5 different women’s clothing private labels ranging from sizes 0-16 within two major department stores was assessed. The sizing charts within each individual store were evaluated, and then compared to one another. After calculating the sizing differences, an average of both store A and …

Fashioning The Flapper: Clothing As A Catalyst For Social Change In 1920s America, Julia Wolffe

Honors Program Theses

Fashion has been a catalyst for social change throughout human history. Fashion in 1920s America in particular reflects society's rapidly evolving attitudes towards gender and race. Beginning with how corsetry heavily restricted women for nearly four hundred years up until the twentieth century, this thesis explores how clothing has acted as a tool for societal progression following World War I and Women's Suffrage and during the Jazz Age and The Harlem Renaissance. Specifically, this thesis examines how the influence of jazz music and dance that originated from Black American communities led to the creation of the flapper evening dress. The …

Beauty And Lifestyle Subscription Services: A Modern Retailing Format For The Vigilante Collaborative Consumption Consumer, Melisa Spilinek

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Advancements in technology and ease of use of online shopping via phone applications (apps) and subscription services have fundamentally changed how consumers shop. Now more than ever, consumers are turning to time-saving technological tools that are subscription services. Subscription services provide a multitude of benefits to consumers and contribute to collaborative consumption in nearly every product and service category from coffee to apparel. To investigate beauty and lifestyle subscription services and collaborative consumption this study will utilize a mixed methods convergent design to analyze user experience including price sensitivity, subscription service apps and ease of use. Anticipated contributions to the …

Beautiful People: The Past, Present, And Future Of The Fashion Industry's Thin Ideal, Shane White

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Negative body image among women has become an extremely relevant topic in the last decade. The “ideal” female body image and what a person should look like according to marketing and advertising has become a highly controversial issue. This project seeks to show how the fashion industry has, over centuries, shaped how people think they need to look and in today’s time and show how it has been a root cause of issues like body image complexes leading to negative self-perception, eating disorders, mental illnesses like anxiety, depression and addiction, and even suicide. Over the last three to four decades, …

Media, Marketing, And More – How Social Technology Is Changing The Face Of Small Business, Lily Reynolds

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to identify the ways in which social media and marketing technology advances are affecting small retail businesses. A total of three interviews were conducted with working professionals in different areas along the fashion supply chain, and were contacted based on common acquaintances. Each interview was conducted over the phone, and lasted between ten minutes and half an hour, with guided and supplemental questions focusing on their experiences with technology in their fields. The results showed that each area was affected in numerous ways, from superficial business changes to advancements at the cores of their …

Exposing Racism In Fashion: How Black Women Navigate Societal Beauty Standards, Re'nae Dillard '21

Honor Scholar Theses

Throughout American history, Black women have been treated as the most inferior group. Social status is dependent on race, gender, and economic status. These factors contribute to overall social hierarchies. Whiter skin tones are more desired than darker tones. The fashion industry perpetuates white desirability while also displaying Black women as undesirable and inferior. The fashion industry is dominated by white males, and white women are the representations within fashion. Fashion, therefore, is a reflection of the white male’s ideal world: desirable white women, submissive Black women, and very few Black men. Black women however are changing the narrative within …

Appropriation Of Artisans' Intellectual Property In Fashion Design Accessories: Piracy Disguised As Giving Back?, Clovia Hamilton

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Creative industries are industries focused on the creation and exploitation of intellectual propert, including art, fashion design, and related creative services, such as advertisement and sales. During a trip to Burkina Faso in \Nest Africa, Keri Fosse was taught by an African woman how to wrap newborns with fabric in a manner that creates a strong bond and frees the mother's hands for other tasks. Burkina Faso has a craft culture and is known for its woven cotton and the textile art of Bogolan. Bogolan is a technique original to Mali and involves the tradition of dyeing threads with bright …

The Textile Industry: A Deep Look Into The Environmental Impacts Of Fast Fashion, Jordan Miller

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to understand the detrimental effects the textile industry has had on global environments and ecosystems across the globe. The textile industry for many years has continued to disregard the current acceleration of global warming and other environmental crises, and it is time the fashion industry holds itself accountable for these actions and takes a change in a new, more sustainable future. With proper education of the environmental pollution the textile industry has made, young consumers will be able to make the change necessary for businesses to develop more sustainable habits for the future production. …

Influence Of Convenience, Time-Savings, Price, And Product Variety On Amazon Prime Members And Non-Prime Shoppers’ Online Apparel Purchase Intention, Md Rashaduzzaman

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The number of internet users and online shoppers in the United States has grown at an incredible rate over the past few decades. Greater convenience and availability of a wide assortment of apparel products at a cheaper price made online shopping very enticing to consumers. Amazon.com (Amazon) gained unprecedented popularity among consumers with its Amazon Prime program. Amazon’s retail revolutions changed consumer’s way of shopping and expectations. Both online and physical store retailers are facing tremendous pressure to fulfill that level of expectation. Thus, it is essential for retailers clearly understand the shopping expectations and preferences of Amazon Prime members …

An Evaluation Of Sustainability In Consumption: The Behaviors Behind Purchase, Care, And Disposal Of Apparel, Ana La Rosa

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Fashion trend cycles have become increasingly fast-paced and unsustainable due to competition and consumer demand in the apparel sector. Despite having sustainable apparel choices available, consumers seem reluctant to adopt sustainable changes in their consumption habits due in part to the market allure of rapid turnover of goods, better known as ‘Fast Fashion’. Paired with aggressive marketing campaigns that encourage increased consumption beyond need, the apparel industry keeps expanding at alarming rates around the world. Although it has been identified that consumers increasingly care about the unethical behaviors in the industry that negatively impact the environment, this feeling does not …

Country Of Origin Impact On Consumer Perception Of Value In Fast Fashion, Katherine Walter

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With fast fashion growing rapidly, insight onto consumers perception of the value for the country of origin in this sector of the retail industry is a topic that needs to be delved into deeper. While there are studies over the impact of country of origin and fast fashion separately, the correlation between these two dimensions has yet to be reviewed. The purpose of this study is to identify consumers perception of the overall value of fast fashion merchandise based on country of origin. Through a questionnaire, participants were asked open and closed-ended questions about specific factors of value based on …

Sensable: A Comprehensive Exploration Of Designing For Sensory Interaction To Create Dynamic & Inclusive User Experiences In The Context Of Sustainable Fashion, Emma Comtois

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Often, the default in interaction design is to focus on visual interactions, but this leaves a lot to be desired when people can’t interact with those experiences because of an impairment. This approach is further limited when there are singular experiences for all users. To combat this, I completed an exploration of how to design sensory interactions using a combination of motion, visual and voice design, partnered with artificial intelligence to create expansive, accessible experiences. To give this exploration real-life context, I created a series of journeys for users who want to learn about sustainable fashion, an industry with a …

Millennials' Acceptance Of Voice Activated Shopping, Katelyn Nicole Sorensen

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The rise of voice technologies has changed the way individuals complete tasks and interact with their devices. Retail companies are now offering voice features to shop for products, but there is a gap in literature about consumers’ acceptance of using voice technology to make purchases. Previous studies have compared the different brands of voice technologies, investigated privacy issues, or explained the acceptance of voice technology. Millennials’ acceptance and shopping through voice technologies have not been researched before. Kääriä (2017) calls for future studies to focus on voice technologies, since the technology is constantly improving, and new forms are entering the …

Emotional Branding Speaks To Consumers’ Heart: The Case Of Fashion Brands, Youn-Kyung Kim, Pauline Sullivan

Human Sciences Faculty Research

In this highly competitive market, fashion brands struggle to distinguish themselves to increasingly apathetic consumers. To become more competitive, fashion retailers employ emotional branding as a way to engage their customers, addressing the growing trend of consumers’ seeking emotional relationships with a brand. Although brand technicalities such as product attributes, features, and facts may be unmemorable, personal feelings and experiences better shape consumers’ evaluations of brands. This study illustrates why emotional branding is essential, especially to fashion brands, when developing brand strategies in a volatile marketplace. Trends that support a need for these strategies include consumers’ desires for positive experiences, …

Waste Size: The Skinny On The Environmental Costs Of The Fashion Industry, Elisha Teibel

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

The fashion industry is a web of complex global markets currently valued at $3 trillion that employs somewhere around sixty million people worldwide and is estimated to be one of the most labor-intensive industries on the planet. Over the past couple of decades, the industry has evolved into a highly fragmented sector with complicated supply chains and completely unstandardized production practices, which vary by factory and by country. The most significant facet of the fashion trade is the clothing and textile industry. The current total value of the clothing and textiles trade is estimated at $726 billion and a staggering …

Objective Knowledge, Subjective Knowledge, And Prior Experience Of Organic Cotton Apparel, Han Tae-Im

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships between objective knowledge, subjective knowledge, and prior experience of organic cotton apparel and their effects on purchase behaviors. The sample of the present study consisted of Millennial consumers living in the United States. Multiple regression and cluster analysis were used to assess the relationship among variables. Objective and subjective knowledge related to organic cotton apparel had a weak relationship suggesting they are distinct measures of knowledge. Direct experience, indirect experience, and education level were significant predictors of subjective knowledge, however, they had insignificant effects on objective knowledge. Furthermore, consumers who …

Development And Marketing Of A Repurposed Textile Product For Homeless Individuals In Northwest Arkansas, Mckenna Whitaker, Beau Broyles, Lindsey Stone

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Growing concerns over waste disposal methods have led to a greater focus on recycling efforts in the textile industry. Second only to the oil industry, the textile industry continues to be one of the most wasteful among leading businesses around the world and determining ways to repurpose fashion materials could be a reasonable solution to this growing problem (Dobilaite, V., Mileriene, G., Juciene, M., & Sacevičienė, 2017). In addition to alleviating disposal issues, repurposed materials could serve the humanitarian needs of local communities, and even more importantly, could specifically benefit homeless populations. The purpose of this project was to design, …

How To Be The Perfect Asian Wife!, Sophia Hill

Art and Art History Honors Projects

“How to be the Perfect Asian Wife” critiques exploitative power systems that assault female bodies of color in intersectional ways. This work explores strategies of healing and resistance through inserting one’s own narrative of flourishing rather than surviving, while reflecting violent realities. Three large drawings mimic pervasive advertisement language and presentation reflecting the oppressive strategies used to contain women of color. Created with charcoal, watercolor, and ink, these 'advertisements' contrast with an interactive rice bag filled with comics of my everyday experiences. These documentations compel viewers to reflect on their own participation in systems of power.

Is Fast Fashion A Concern Of The Everyday Teen?, Mariah N. Cruz

Student Research Symposium

The phrase “fast fashion” refers to getting clothes at extremely low costs to keep up with the newest fashion trends. When we purchase items, we don’t put much thought into where our clothing goes after we “get rid” of them. The saying “Out of sight, out of mind” is apparent when it comes down to consumers and letting go of old clothes. Our only concern as consumers is the next big thing. The fashion industry has drastically changed over the past two decades and trends play a huge role in this push for mass production. We as a society are …

An Examination Of "Lookism" In Scholarly Literature, Diana Saiki, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis, Gundlach Jessica

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Learning Styles Of Students Enrolled In Fashion Classes: Academic Level, Geographic Region, And Major, Harrison Qiu, Diana Saiki, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The Quality Of Mens 100% Cotton Jersey Knit T-Shirts Representing Three Retail Categories, Jeanne Oakes Badgett

Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the quality of design, materials, construction, appearance, and performance of mens 100% cotton jersey knit t-shirts from three retail categories: mass merchant, fast fashion, and better. These retail categories were represented by brands Fruit of the Loom, H&M, and Brooks Brothers, respectively. A convenience sample was comprised of 78 t-shirts. 13 white and 13 navy t-shirts from each brand were used for testing according to ASTM and AATCC standards and specifications. Evaluations and measurements were conducted before washing, and after one, five, ten, and twenty laundry cycles. The t-shirts were evaluated for …

Jean Genie

SIGNED: The Magazine of The Hong Kong Design Institute

Koyo William is now an internationally recognised fashion designer with his own label, but his story began at the HKDI, where he first understood the power of creativity and jeans that fit in all the right places.

Caring For Creativity

SIGNED: The Magazine of The Hong Kong Design Institute

From August to October this year fashion retailer Joyce showcased four new designer brands selected by HKDI. The pop-up boutique project at PMQ was called "Talent Shop" and aimed to provide young designers with a concrete business platform to showcase their work.

East Meets West

SIGNED: The Magazine of The Hong Kong Design Institute

A unique fashion shoot involving young designers from Hong Kong and Belgium took place at HKDI in February. Linda Van Waesberge directed the shoot and shared her insights into the contemporary fashion industry with Daisy Zhong.

Fashioning Desire At B. Altman & Co.: Ethics And Consumer Culture In Early Department Stores, Tessa Maffucci

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

We live in an age of fast fashion. Clothing is produced in greater volumes than ever before and the lifecycle of each garment keeps getting shorter and shorter. Many items are manufactured to be worn only one time and then thrown away—as disposable as a cup of coffee. There is much to be learned about our current fashion ecosystem by looking into the past. Beyond the garments themselves we must understand the larger historical and sociological context in which these articles of clothing were produced. How does the shopping environment shape the buying habits and fashion trends of an era? …

Quality Evaluation Of Jeans At Three Price Categories, Behnoosh Ghaani Farashahi

Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the specifications, appearance and performance characteristics of jeans at three price categories and to evaluate the relationship between price and product quality. Three brands; Lucky, Gap, and Faded Glory represented men’s jeans in the price categories of better, moderate, and mass merchant (budget). Jeans were inspected and the design, material, and construction specifications were identified and compared. The appearance and performance characteristics of jeans were evaluated initially and compared to the initial characteristics after one and five launderings. ASTM and AATCC test methods were used to evaluate color difference, colorfastness to dry …

Developing An Attitudinal Model Of Collaborative Consumption: Moderating Effects Of Consumer Traits And Situational Factors, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis, Caroline Kobia, Diana Saiki

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.