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Non-stigmatizing depictions of plus-size lovers of fashion are not easily found in traditional mass media, but in social media, fat fashion enthusiasts can readily be found. The purpose of this study was to investigate the little-studied phenomenon of plus-size YouTube content creators who make videos about fat fashion. To that end, thirteen individuals who wear plus-size women’s apparel took part in semi-structured interviews. A major theme found in the data analysis was transgression. Interview participants were staunch advocates of breaking discriminatory, unspoken societal rules that constrained them, especially in relation to dress. Three subthemes were found in relation to transgression: visibility, representation and agency. Embracing visibility, as seen in interviewees’ performance of fatness in public and in social media, may help to portray fatness as a human characteristic that is just as ‘normal’ as thinness. Serving as a positive role model to others was also embraced by participants, who hoped to assist their viewers in dealing with the consequences of living in the fatphobic US culture. The interviewees demonstrated and promoted agency through fashion, in marked contrast to their past experiences of being powerless and disparaged because of their size. Through celebration of mainstream, conforming fashion, the fat fashion vloggers are transgressive by joyfully wearing styles which previously were discouraged or often unavailable for plus-size consumers.

The objectives of the study were to a) test the validity of Gaskill's (1992) Retail Product Development Model across a broader range of specialty stores and b) expand the model beyond line presentation to include events and considerations in post-adoption product development. Twenty-one men's, women's, and children's specialty store retailers deriving 70% to 100% of their sales from private label merchandise through in-house product development were compiled from current retail directories to serve as the sample. Data were collected with a qualitative telephone interview schedule and analyzed using descriptive analysis. Stages in the original model were confirmed; however, modifications were made based on new data. Expansion of the model to include post-adoption product development stages was also carried out. The end result was the development of a revised Retail Apparel Product Development Model.

1400 subjects rated photographs of 28 college women on 150 descriptive adjectives. The ratings were factor analyzed to determine categories of personal trait descriptors. Seven factors were extracted from the male subjects' ratings and five from the female subjects' ratings. Similarities between the two groups of factors indicate that the male and female subjects were congruent in their conceptualizations of the photographed women.

Many consumers are making consumption decisions that reflect their desire to protect the environment. Consequently, many companies have embraced the "green marketing" concept to capture the environmentally conscious market. This study explores several constructs related to apparel consumption and environmentalism: knowledge of environmental issues pertaining to apparel products, concern for or attitude toward the environment, and behavior stemming from environmental concerns. We developed a model to examine how knowledge of environmental issues with respect to apparel products relates to concern for the environment as well as subsequent behaviors toward the environment. Results indicated that respondents' knowledge of the environmental effects of apparel products had a limited relationship to general concern for the environment. Also, environmental concern did not clearly relate to environmentally responsible apparel consumption, while a construct assessing general environmentally responsible behavior more strongly related to environmentally responsible apparel consumption behavior. Findings from this study provide insight into consumers' apparel consumption practices related to the environment and the importance of knowledge in generating environmental consciousness toward apparel consumption. Measurement issues are also addressed.

Differences in the use of and interest in sport clothing of 56 female bicyclists at two levels of involvement in bicycling were examined. Two data collection methods-qualitative open-ended interviews and quantitative questionnaires-were employed for triangulation of measures. Similarities were found between the two groups in their interest in attracting attention, satisfaction with appearance, modesty, and choice of role appropriate dress. Cyclists differed in concern with attractiveness, dressing correctly, and conforming with dress. Parallels in strength and direction of findings between the qualitative and quantitative results indicated validity of the findings. Discrepancies in findings related to Conformity illustrated the need for caution when using only one type of measure.

To identify criteria considered by consumers while making garment purchase decisions, free response interviews of 80 female customers were conducted at point of purchase in two specialty apparel stores. Subjects described the criteria they used to evaluate a garment they had tried on. The most important criteria for apparel assessment were related to aesthetics. Comparison of responses of customers who purchased and customers who did not purchase their garments revealed that different criteria had primary effects in two stages of the purchase process. During theInterest phase, color/pattern, styling, and fabric were most critical in influencing selection of garments from the display racks. Fit, styling, and appearance on the body were more important in determining rejection or adoption of the garments during theTrial phase in the dressing rooms. The research begins to fulfill a need for store intercept data collection, study of free responses minimally shaped by the researcher, and development of theoretical models of the apparel purchase process.

In previous research of person perception and dress a wide array of measurement items often have been incorporated with little consideration of relationships among findings. The objective of the present qualitative meta-analysis was to find consistent themes among findings ofprevious research. The sources of data were 109 impression formation studies reported between 1943 and 1986; 869 significant findings in the studies related to dress and comprised the data. Four superordinate categories—Evaluation, Potency, Dynamism, and Quality of Thought-were tailor made to fit recurrent themes in the data and incorporated 93% of the previous findings. The parsimonious dimensions emerging from the content analysis could facilitate development of future research instruments and serve as a framework for interpretation offindings. In addition, research designs were examined for trends in inclusion of perceiver variables, context of stimulus persons, measurement approaches, and efforts at programmatic inquiry.

This study was an investigation of the effect of interpersonal context—similarities and contrasts in apparel worn by two interacting persons-upon person and relationship perception. Male and female employees of private businesses (N=64) describd what they thought was happening in four different pictures of office settings inwhich a male and female stimulus person each wore formal or informal business apparel. Verbal responses were categorized according to a system tailor-made to classify content of the descriptions. Analysis of variance of content distributions indicated that men and women wearing suuits were more often assigned management roles than were persons in casual attire. Contrasts in formal versus casual clothing were also meaningful in that 1) male and female persons wearing suits more often were described as higher in rank when their adjacent companion wore casual clothing; 2) men in suits wee described as giving more directive, rewarding, or punishing communications to women in casual dress; 3) men wearing suits were described as having more positive feelings when pictured with a casually dressed woman; 4) male persons were assigned more "activity" traits when pictured with a formally dressed woman; 5) dyads in which the man wore a suit and the woman wore casual clothing received more descriptions of involvement in personal versus business mattes. Clothing shown in the context of social interaction provided a much broader range of information than previously studied in dress perception research.