some ASPECTS or THE PERSONAL AND
SOCIAL FUNCTION or CLOTHING
FOR THE OLDER WOMAN

' ‘—'——- w
~4.
A _ - o- o

Thesis for “19 Degree of M. A.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Harriet Maloa EbeIing

1960

 

 

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Michigan State
University

 

 

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SOME ASPECTS OF THE PERSONAL AND SOCIAL FUNCTION
OF CLOTHING FOR THE OLDER WOMAN

by

Harriet Maloa Ebeling

AN ABSTRACT

Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Michigan State University '
of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

School of Home Economics

Department of Textiles, Clothing and Related Arts

1960

n I? ~.,)
Approved By j} I avid—a flaw [cc-"LLrL-Ca‘ cu Lad

HARRIET MALOA EBELING

The population trend in the United States, as in other industrialized
countries, has been that a larger percentage of peOple reach the upper
age levels. This change in our population structure has brought forth new
challenges. In the field of clothing much has been accomplished in help-
ing younger age groups with their clothing problems, needs and desires;
relatively little has been done to aid older women. The purpose of this
study was to gain an over—all view of the factors which influence social
and personal aspects of clothing of women sixty years of age and over.

Data for this study were obtained from a questionnaire administered
to one hundred and eightywomen9 sixty years of age and over, living in
Lansing9 Michigan. and in rural areas of Eaton and Clinton Counties in
Michigan.

The extent of these women’s interest in clothing was determined by
the use of an interest scale designed for this study. Through the appli-
cation of the chi square test, significant factors found to be related
to clothing were age and place of residence. 'Women between sixty and
seventyefour years of age were more interested than older women; rural
women's interest in clothes was stronger than urban women's interest.

In addition to age and place of residence, other factors significantly
related to specific attitudes toward clothing were income and organiza-
tional memberships.

For the women in this sample, interest in clothing extended beyond

the functional use of clothing.‘ Their clothes affected aspects of their

HARRIET MALOA EBELING

social participation~-their feeling of ease and their refusing invitations
for lack of clothes. The majority of them wished they had more money to
Spend on clothes and they desired a wider selection from which to choose
both their dresses and dress patterns. These facts indicate that more
research designed to help older women gain greater satisfaction from

their clothing would be of value.

SOME ASPECTS OF THE PERSONAL AND SOCIAL FUNCTION
OF CLOTHING FOR THE OLDER WOMAN

by

Harriet Maloa Ebeling

A THESIS

Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Michigan State University
of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

School of Home Economics

Department of Textiles, Clothing and Related Arts

1960

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The writer is deeply grateful to Dr. Mary Iou Rosencranz for her
invaluable guidance in the writing of this thesis.

Sincere appreciation is given Professor Hazel B. Strahan, Dr. Mary
Gephart, and Dr. Welter E. Freeman for serving as members of her
graduate committee.

Grateful acknowledgement for their aid in securing the sample is
made to Miss Anne Field, Miss Betty Ketcham, Mrs. B. Zeeb, Mrs. H. Moon,
and Mrs. E. Whitehead.

The writer also wishes to thank the women who filled in the
questionnaire, for without their COOperation this study would have been

impossible.

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES . . . . . .

Chapter

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . .‘. . .
Review of Literature . . . . .
Purpose of Study . . . . . . .

PROCEDURE ...........
Statistical Techniques . . . .

URBAN AND RURAL GROUP COMPARISON

SIGNIFICANT BACKGROUND FACTORS ..

INTEREST IN CLOTHING . . . . . .

Specific Dimension of Preference

.SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

FOR

FURTHER

STUDY

B IBLIOGRAPIIY O O O O O O O O C O I O O .0 O O O O O O O O O O

APPENDH O O O O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O 0' O O O O O O O O O

Page
iv

10
12
14
18
30
39
41

1+9

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

TABLE PAGE

I. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF LOOKING AT FASHION MAGAZINES
BY RURAIPURBAN RESIDENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

II. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF SEWING HABITS BY RURAL—URBAN
RESEENCE O O O O O O C O 0 O C O O 0, O O O O O O O 20

III. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF EFFECT OF CLOTHES ON EASE BY
ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

IV. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF REFUSING INVITATIONS FOR LACK
OF APPROPRIATE CLOTHING BY ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBER—

SH? 0 O O O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 O O O 0 O 2 3

v. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF DESIRE FOR MORE MONEY FOR
CLO‘TIESB‘YINCOIVIEOOOOOIOOOOOOQOOOOO 2L.”

VI. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF FINDING A PATTERN TO FIT BY
INCOM C .0 O O O O O O O C O O O O O O O O O O O O O 26

VII. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION_OF BUYING CLOTHING TO "CHEER YOU
IIP" BY INCOD’IE O . O C C O C C O )0 O O O O O O .’ O O 28

VIII. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF "DO YOU LIKE TO ATTEND FASHION
SHOWS?" BY AGE 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O D O O O O O 29

IX. AVERAGE SCORES AND RANGE OF SCORES FOR SELECTED GROUPS. H
IN RELATION TO INTEREST IN CLOTHING . . . . . . . . 34

X. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF INTEREST IN CLOTHING BY AGE . . 37

XI. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF INTEREST IN CLOTHING BY RURAIF
URBANRESEENCE06.000000000000000 38

FIGURE
I. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF 180 INTEREST IN CLOTHING SCORES. 32

II. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF INTEREST IN CLOTHING SCORES FOR
URBANANDRURALWOMEN......o.........33

iv

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

In countries shar ing‘Western Civilization, the trend has been for a
larger prOportion of the population to reach the upper age levels. These
countries, having unde; gone the Industrial Revolution, have lower death
rates due to social, economic and technological changes.

In the United States, from 1900-1950 the total pOpulation increased
by ninety-eight per cent. The number of persons sixtyafive years and
over expanded two hundred and ninetyzseven per cent.1 During this period,
life expectancy at birth increased eighteen years.2 The number of women
over sixty-five increased while the number of men decreased in this age
bracket.3 This change in the pOpulation structure was not steady and
uniform, for the three factors which influence population changes--births,
deaths and migration--are not static. These variables working alone or_

together bring about demographic changes. Although it is difficult to

 

llynn T. Smith, Ph. D., "The Changing Number and Distribution of the
Aged POpulationflWmLml, 111.1955. 13.4.

2Federal Security Agency, "Population Changes and Economic Impli-
cations, " Nan_and_fli§_xeara (Raleigh, North Carolina: Health Publications
Institute, Inc., 1951). ‘

3Special Staff on Aging, Department of Health, Education, and
‘Welfare, "The Aging POpulation: National Totals, 1958, Fact Sheet No. 1,
March, 1959, p. 4.

gauge these rates, due to the fact that all deveIOpments which could
affect them cannot be foreseen, it is predicted that the proportion of
older people will continue to grow.1
With this group enlarging in proportion and number, its problems,
needs and interests are becoming increasingly more important to the
total society. There is a growing number of private and public insti-
tutions and individuals in all fields of knowledge working to help make
the declining years of life more fulfilling. Through mass communication
media, the housing, nutritiona1,medica1, financial and recreational
needs of our older citizens are being brought to the attention of the
general public.2
The initial interest in the aged centered on their financial and
health problems, for these had a direct effect on the total society.
RecentLy, problems relating to other phases of their lives are receiving

recognition. ‘WOrk is being initiated to find solutions to problems

dealing with housing, recreation and adjustment to their social world

 

lG. Halsey Hunt, M. D., "Implications of Aging as Predicted by
Population Changes," geriatrigs, XIV, No. l, 1959, p. 5.

2Note: For instance, in 1959 Life magazine in a four-part series
(July 13, 20, 27 and August 3 issues) pictorially depicted the life
situation of the aged in the United States.

Recently, Senator McNamara of Michigan, who is the Chairman of a
Senate Subcommittee on Problems of the Aged, made the statement that
both political parties should consider the needs of this expanding seg-
ment of our pOpulation in formulating their 1960 party platforms for the
presidential election.

NOW in the planning stage is a White House Conference on Aging
for 1961. (Public Law 85-908, 85th Congress, H. R. 9822, September,
1958.

after retirement. More attention is also being given to the study of
the positive characteristics, desires and potentials of older people.

Up to the present, the clothing requirements and preferences of
this group have not received the consideration given to other age levels.
Dr. Michael M. Dasco, director of physical medicine and rehabilitation
at New YOrkes Goldwater Memorial Hospital, in discussing what people can
do for themselves and others to make the ending years of life more satis-
fying, makes the comment that merchants, engineers and designers should
look upon old age as an influence on their professions. He cites this
example:

Take the department store. Today it has a depart—

ment for almost every age bracket from infants through

"matrons." But how many have departments for old women?

How many designers design clothes for the elderly? The

old man can find suitable clothing without much trouble,

but the old woman finds little that has taken her figure

problems into account, and most of what she does find is

dark and dismal. She still has her pride and she wants

to wear something cheerful and apprOpriate.

He feels many new markets could be developed for the aged. These people
do not need condescending treatment, but they do need some fulfillment
of their needs as does any age group.

In the business fashion world, acknowledgement of the fact that
certain designs are more attractive for women sixty years of age and

over has been shown. One leading magazine in 19482 created a hypothet—

ical figure as a model image for this group. Periodically, she is

 

1Michael M. Dasco, M.D., "Practical Whys to Be Old and Happy,"
Part III: "Old Age: A Personal Crisis and U.S. Problem." Life, XLVII,
No. 4, p. 89. '

2Personal letter from Jessica Daves, Editor-inuChief, Mggue
magazine, November 13, 1959.

featured in the magazine modeling clothes specially chosen for women in
this age bracket.1

Clothing, as well as food and shelter, is an essential of daily ,—
life. It not only provides protection against the elements, but the
psychological aspects of clothing influence the social relationships of
peOple. Doctors writing on the psychology of retirement recommend
building elderly people's self-esteem and suggest it is just as impor-
tant for them to cl eate a favorable impression through personal
appearance as through behavior. Careless grooming shows feelings of
disregard for others and this attitude contributes to withdrawal and
increased introspection.2

Robert J. Havighurst, who is well-known for his research in social
psychology of later maturity, states that adequate clothing, a need
common to all people, is also a rational defense against aging. By
dressing even more carefully than younger people, older people can make
better use of their physical attractiveness.3

'With the increasing growth of the number of women in the expanding

upper age brackets of our society, it is expected that in the future,

 

:E______9 "Who Is Mrs. Exeter?" YQEEfis July, 1954’ p. 5h'

2Edward L. Allen, M. D., Hollis '.E Glow, M. D., "The Psychology of
Retirement." W. 11,1954, p- 802»

3Robert J. Havighurst, "Social and Psychological Needs of the

Aging," CCLXXIX: Sggjg| Contribution by the Aging (Philadelphia: The
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, January,

1952) , p. 160

their clothing demands will have a greater bearing on the kind of cloth-
ing produced and more thought will be given to their clothing needs and

desires.

Review of Literature

Clothing research has been conducted by consumer organizations,
trade associations, labor unions, government, industry, and by the
division of textiles and clothing in the Bureau of Home Economics,
since its organization in 1925.1

Dr. Hartmann,professor of educational psychology, in an address to
the Eastern Regional Conference of College Teachers of Textiles and
Clothing in 1948, made the statement that clothing is a matter of
intimate individual concern and is an appropriate subject for serious
systematic psychological study.2

In 1949 and in 1951, sociologists and college teachers in the
clothing field from all areas of the country attended a seminar on the
DevelOpment of Studies and Research in the Sociological Aspects of
Clothing offered by the Department of Sociology and the Textiles,
Clothing and Related Arts Department Of the School of Home Economics

at Michigan State University.3 Since this time, several studies on the

 

lKarlyne Anspach, "Clothing Research in Home Economics, 1925:1958,"
W. LI. N0. 9. (November. 1959). p. 767.

2GeorgeW'. Hartmann, "Clothing: Personal Problem and Social Issue,"
WW. XII. No. 6 (June. 1949). p. 295.

3Michigan State University, July 25 to August 12, 1949, Seminar on
Development of Studies and Research in the Sociological Aspects of Cloth—
ing, COOperatively offered by the Department of Sociology and AnthrOpology
and the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Related Arts of the School of
Home Economics at Michigan State University.

social character of clothing behavior have been completed at Michigan
State University by the Sociology and the Textiles, Clothing and Related
Arts Departments.

Although clothing research has grown in the last twentyefive years
with women forming the largest group studied,l no studies concerned
specifically with clothing in relation to women over sixty'years of age
could be found. However, there have been studies from'which the
findings could be applied to this age group.

In the 1953 June issue of the Journal of Home Economics, the Uni-
versity of Georgia published the results of a study conducted there on
the "Changes in Appearance of Wbmen 45 to 65 Years of Age Which Affect
the Use of Ready—toIWear Garments and Commercial Patterns."2 The find-
ings included these changes in appearance: added weight, thickened
waistline, double chin, heavier upper arms, sagging bustline, rounding
shoulders, dowager°s hump and less shapely legs. The researchers felt
that the letters they received after a New York radio interview and news-
paper artiCles describing the study, and the high per cent of responses
to the questionnaire sent out were a good indication women are not only
very interested but also feel in need of help in solving their clothing
problems. This study was to be a part of a continuing study dealing

with clothing in relation to the mature woman and what consideration

 

lAnapaChs We, p0 768

2Margaret Harris Blair, "Changes in Appearance of WOmen 45 to 65
‘Years of Age Which Affect Use of Readyeto4wear Garments and Commercial
Patterns," H E“ ' , XL, No. 4 (April, 1953), pp. 248-
250.

manufacturers of commercial patterns and readyeto-wear give to their
needs. Results from further research on this subject have not been
published.1

The School of Home Economics at Oregon State College and the Oregon
State Extension Station in 1951 conducted a study on the design and con—
struction of functional house dresses for the mature figure. One hundred
and twenty—seven women with mature figures, from under thirty to over
sixty years of age, checked a questionnaire so that their preferences of
fabric, style details and desired use of a house dress could be determined.
From the infOrmation gained, a house dress was designed and tested for
wearability. Out of this study came a design for a sleeve which eliminated
the strain and retarded the signs of wear usually found in the sleeve area

befOre other parts of the garment showwear.2

 

1Note: An example of what can be accomplished to help groups of
people with special needs to receive greater satisfaction from their
clothing is the project initiated by the Institute of Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation, New YOrk University Bellevue Medical Center to design
functional clothing for the handicapped.- In the Neu;Ygrk_§tate_£gurnal
2W2. LDC. No. 9 (May 1. 1959) pp. 1859-18619 is an article
describing the project. The major result of this three-year research
project is a nonprofit organization developed to manufacture and distri-
bute new attractive garments especially designed to fit the needs of
handicapped individuals. 7

In the October. 1959 issue of the W. II.
No. 8, pp. 709-713, work on a similar project was reported. The Clothing
and Housing Research Division of the United States Department of Agri-
culture is Completing a study of the clothing problems and requirements
of physically handicapped homemakers. From their findings, principles
'will be drawn up and used as guides in developing clothing designs with
features that either eliminate or lessen common problems.

2Clara Edaburn, "Functional House Dresses," Journal_gfgflgme;Ecgngmigs,
XLIII, No. 6 (June, 1951), pp. 423-425.

Dr. Beegle, professor of sociology and anthrOpology at Michigan
State University, lecturing on "POpulation Trends and Clothing" in the
seminar described previously, stated:

Perhaps, the most significant trend is that of the
aging of the pOpulation........ This trend suggests that

clothing experts might well give extensive study and
thought to the clothing needs and desires of aged persons.
1

1

From the results of the clothing studies reviewed here, it can be seen
that clothing research can aid people in receiving more satisfaction
from their clothing. Perchance, clothing could be designed for older

women from which they would receive more gratification from their dress

as other age and Special groups have through clothing research.

Purpose of Study

The general purpose of this study is an attempt to disclose the
significance of clothing in the lives of women sixty years of age and
over. Specific goals are: (l) to determine whether or not they them-
selves feel that their clothing needs and preferences are being met,

(2) to ascertain the extent of their interest in clothing, (3) whether
or not there is a relationship between their clothing and such factors
as age, social participation, and income, and (4) to attempt to deter-
mine some of the important factors upon which their clothing choices are

based.

 

lSeminar, Michigan State University, gp._git., Lecture I,
Dr. A. Beegle, "Population Trends and Clothing" (mimeographed).

It is hoped that the findings from this study will indicate cues
for the direction of further clothing research in relation to this age
group. Since clothing does affect the psychological, sociological and
economic aspects of women°s lives, peOple in the clothing field can be
of assistance, as well as doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, and
other professional people, in helping to find ways to fulfill the needs

and desires of this group.

CHAPTER II

PROCEDURE

Data for this study were obtained from the compilation of responses
to a questionnaire administered to one hundred and eighty women Sixty
years of age and over. A purposive quota sample technique was used; in
other words, the women asked to fill in the questionnaire were chosen on
the basis of their age and residential area.

Questions were asked to obtain the degree of clothing interest,
relationship between social participation and clothing, attitudes toward
effect of clothing in interpersonal relationships, opinions of the
availability of clothes in desired style and Size, and the influence of
income on clothing expenditures. The following points were also used

1 used in this study:

as criteria for the formulation of the questionnaire
1. The questionnaire must not contain too many questions, as the
author in the administration of a clothing preference survey previous to
this study fOund that elderly women become confused and tired and have a
tendency nOt to complete a questionnaire if it is too long.
2. Since the questions were to be answered in a group situation,

they'must be easily understood and elicit an immediate response which

could be expressed by checking a descriptive phrase.

 

1See Appendix for a c0py of the questionnaire.

11

The questionnaire was voluntarily and anonymously done in an
attempt to obtain reasonably accurate information.

To pretest the questionnaire, it was given to several women, sixty
years of age and over, who were asked to evaluate the questions as to
clearness of information sought and conciseness. On the basis of their
evaluation, some of the questions were reworded for clarity. Question
number fourteen was changed so that the alternatives given could be
ranked.

During the months of January, February and March, 1960, small groups
of women sixty years of age and over were asked to fill in the revised
questionnaire designed for this research. These women were attending
Senior Citizen's Dropoln Centers, church meetings and Home Economics
Agricultural Ektension meetings.

The urban portion of the sample was comprised of one hundred women
living in Lansing, Michigan. The rural group consisted of eighty women
living in rural and small town areas of Eaton and Clinton Counties in
Michigan. Comparisons were made between the urban and rural group
responses.

In order to obtain the degree of clothing interest, answers to
questions involving thinking and reading about clothes, shopping for
clothes, and spending time and money on clothes were arbitrarily weighted.
The groups were divided into three categories--high, medium and low. A
score of thirty-nine and above was considered high; twentyeeight to
thirtyeeight inclusive, medium; and ten to twenty-seven indicative of

low interest in clothing.

12

For the purpose of further analysis of these data, the effect of
age in relation to the answers given was augmented by dividing the women
into two groups. WOmen Sixty to seventy—four years of age were considrred
the younger segment of the sample and women seventyefive years of age and
over the older portion of the sample.

The groups were also divided into high, medium and low economic
categories. Individuals with an annual income of less than one thousand
dollars were placed in the low category, one thousand to two thousand
dollars in the medium, and those whose income was two thousand dollars or
more in the high category.

Individuals were also placed in high or low categories depending on
the number of organizations to which they belonged. Those attending one
or two organizations were designated as low. The high category consisted
of those who were members of three or more organizations.

As indicative of specific clOthing preferences for women of this
age bracket (sixty years of age and over} responses from seventy women
concerning their likes and dislikes for dresses, shoes, Sportswear and

accessories will also be included.1

Statistical Techniques

The chi square test was used to aid in discovering degrees of
association between the various factors relating to attitude and interest

in clothing. Age, income, urban-rural residence and participation in

 

1This particular study was conducted in May of 1959, in Lansing,
Michigan.

l3

organizations were the main factors considered in this study.

The formula for the chi square test is as followsgl

, 2
X2 = Z 4FO F- Fe)

e

Chi square equals the sum of squares of the differences between the
observed frequencies divided by the expected frequencies. This answer

2 corresponding to the number of degrees of freedom,

read from a table
n, equals its probability of exceeding the given value of chi square, or
the probability of the number of times in a hundred that the distribution
tested would be due to chance. The number of degrees of freedom is found

by multiplying the (columns - l) by the (rows _ l) or the cell frequencies

given subject to the restrictions set by the marginal totals.

 

1Margaret J. Hagood and Daniel 0; Price, Statistigs figz-Sggiglggists,
(New YOrk: Henry Holt and Company, 1947), p. 400.

2mg. , p. 901».

CHAPTER III

URBAN AND RURAL GROUP COMPARISON

A comparison of the sum total of the responses made by the urban
and rural women in this study to each question discloSed the following
general similarities and variances between the two groups.

Both groups revealed a similar interest in style changes. Approxi~
mately twenty-five per cent of each group were very interested, one-
third were somewhat interested, and about one—third were seldom interested.
Fifty per cent of the rural.women often looked at fashion magazines which ‘
was twice as many as the urban women who often did. A majority of both
liked to attend fashion shows.

A greater percentage of both groups liked to Spend time ShOpping
for clothes to some extent than those who never liked to shop for clothes.
The largest proportion of these women liked to Spend time buying clothes.
Fifty per cent of the rural women often window ShOpped. Nearly half of
the urban women did. About the same per cent of both groups seldom or
never window shopped. .When asked if they ever bought an article of
clothing to "cheer them up," over fifty per cent of all the wOmen replied

they often or sometimes did.1 ‘More urban women replied that they often

 

1It is interesting to note that in another survey conducted by the
'writer when the same question was asked of seventy'women sixty years of
age and over, the proportion of the sample answering "yes" was the same.

15

bought clothing to:"cheer them up" than did rural women. A larger per
cent of rural women never bought clothing for this reason. "Sometimes"
was checked by more of each group than seldom or never.

For most of the women the design and fit of a dress was the most
important factor in deciding what dress to buy. It was the decisive
factor for fifty per cent of the rural women and for almost half of
the urban women. Price and how easy it would be to care for the dress
were similar in importance to less than one-fourth of each group. Over
half of all these women often or sometimes found it easy to find a dress
in their size as Opposed to those who seldom or never were able to find
their Size in a dress. The greatest percentage of all the women wiShed
stores carried a wider style selection from which they could choose a
dress.

The majority of women in both groups wished they had more money to
~spend on clothes. The ratio between the women in the rural group who
did and those who did not was larger than in the urban group; three times
as many rural women wished they had more money to spend on clothes than
those who did not. In the urban group this ratio was less than two.

Fourteen per cent more of the rural women in this sample sewed than
the urban women. 'More Women in both groups had difficulty in finding a
pattern which would fit than those who did not have this trouble. Rural
women were equally divided as to whether pattern companies offer enough
choices in selection of style. Twice as many urban.women felt pattern
companies did not provide enough styles from which to choose than those

who thought they did.

16

In their interpersonal relationships, the following importance was
placed on the type of clothing worn. The largest majority of both groups
wanted to know what other people thought about their clothes. In the
rural group only eight per cent were Seldom interested and none were
never interested. In the urban group only Six per cent were seldom
interested and only seven per cent never cared to know other peoples'
reactions towards their clothing.

Approximately one-third of each group felt that other people often
paid attention to the kind of clothes they'wore. Nearly fifty per cent
felt they sometimes did. In both groups less than eighteen per cent
were of the opinion that other people seldom or never noticed their
clothing.' In answering how often they themselves thought about the
clothing they wore, the same per cent of rural women often thought about
the clothes they wore as those who felt others often paid attention to
their dress (thirtyeseven and a half per cent). In the urban group,
thirty-two per cent also frequently thought about the clothes they wore.

'When asked, "Do you think women who dress well are better liked
than those who do not dress as well?" a greater percentage of rural
women answered "no" than did the urban women; Nearly three-fourths of
the rural women replied "no." In the urban group, the difference was
less than double; Slightly over twentyefive per cent thought well-
dressed women are better liked; oVer fifty per cent believed this was
not true.

Seventy to seventy-five per cent of both groups seldom or never
refused invitations to go out because they felt they did not have appro-

priate clothes tO'wear; Five per cent or less replied this was often

17

the case. Less than one-fourth of each group sometimes refused invi-
tations because of inappropriate clothing. However, seventyefive per
cent of the rural women said that the clothes they wore to a social
gathering often or sometimes had an effect on whether they felt at ease
or not. Sixty—four per cent of the urban women answered the same. Less
than ten per cent of each group said clothes never had an effect on their

feeling at ease at a social function.

CHAPTER IV

SIGNIFICANT BACKGROUND FACTORS

The chi square test was used to find factors which could be con-
sidered influential in the answers given. The probability of any dis-
tribution being due to chance in those considered Significant was at the
.05 level or less; relationships at the .10 level were also described as
tending toward significance.

There was a significant relationship between place of residence and
frequency of looking at fashion magazines. Rural women looked at fashion
magazines more often than the urban women did.(TABLE I). Only nine out
of eighty rural women seldom looked at fashion magazines and only one
out of eighty never looked at them. Out of ninety-seven urban women,
twenty-five often looked at fashion magazines and twenty-one women sel-
dom or never looked at them. There was also a significant association
between place of residence and sewing. IWithin the rural group three
times as many women sewed as those who did not. Slightly more than half
of the urban women sewed.(See TABLE II.)

The number of organizations a woman belonged to was significantly
related to whether or not the clothes worn to a social gathering affected

her feeling at ease and whether invitations were ever refused because of

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF LOOKING AT
FASHION MAGAZINES BY RURAL-URBAN RESIDENCE

Do you look
at fashion

.magazlnesl
Often
Sometimes
Seldom
Never

Total

x2 = 17.24

TABLE I

Rural

43
26

77

p < .001

Urban
25
51
15

97

d.f.

Total

77

22

174

19

TABLE II

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF SEWING
HABITS BY RURAL-URBAN RESIDENCE

W8 .- 13‘ Urban Rural
N N

Sews 43 58

Does not sew _3_z_ _l_9_
80 77

x2 = 8.02 p < .01 d.f. =

Total

101

157

20

21

the lack of the right clothes to wear. The majority of women in the low
organizational category responded that the clothes they wore often or
sometimes had an effect on their feeling at ease at a social gathering.
Out of ninety—eight women in the high organizational category, fiftyetwo
responded that the clothes they wore to a social gathering affected their
feeling of ease, whereas fewer women responded that this was seldom or
never true. (See TABLE III.) This finding is significant at the .01
level.

More women in the high organizational category responded that they
never refused invitations to go out because they felt they did not have
the right clothes to wear than those who often, sometimes or seldom re-
fused for this reason. More women in the low organizational group refused
invitations often, sometimes and seldom than those who never refused
invitations because of the lack of appropriate clothes for the occasion.
TABLE IV shows this relationship to be significant at the .01 level.
These results seem to reveal that women belonging to more organizations
have more clothes to meet their social needs.

Income was a significant factor in relation to whether or not more
money was desired for clothes; income as a factor tended toward signi-
ficance when related to whether it was difficult to find a pattern which
fit and whether an article of clothing was ever purchased as a means to
"cheer up." In the high income group, slightly over half of the women
wished they had more money to spend on clothes; in the middle and low
income groups over three times as many women wished they had more money

for clothes than those who did not. (See TABLE v.)

TABLE III

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF EFFECT OF CLOTHES
ON EASE BY ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Clothes you wear
affect your ease
at a social

gathgnj pg?
Often
Sometimes
Seldom

Never

Total

X2 = 15.86

High
Organizational
Group
N
22

30
16
_3Q_
98

p <1.01

low
Organizational
Group
N

23
28
11

u,

66

d.f._= 3

22

Total
N

1+5

58

27
ii.
164

23

TABLE IV

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF REFUSING INVITATIONS FOR
LACK OF APPROPRIATE CLOTHING BY ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIP

 

 

Ever refuse High Low

invitations because Organizational Organizational

WW Groun Grout» Total
N N N

Often l 7 8

Sometimes . 19 ll 30

Seldom 24 21 45

Never _j&_ 23 22

Total 98 62 160

2

X = 11.79 p < .01 d.f. = 3

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF DESIRE FOR

TABLE V

MORE MONEY FOR CLOTHES BY INCOME

Desire more
money for
clothes?

Yes
No

Total

X : 7073

High Middle
Income Income

____LGI‘OU Q1913).
N N
22 32
_L9_ _.L
41 #1

p (.05

Low
Income

2211919.

35

45

d.f.

24

89

127

25

More women in the low income group had difficulty in finding a
pattern which fit than those in the middle and high income group.
(TABLE VI) 'W. H. Whyte, Jr., in his book, "The Organization Man,"
also observed that the wives in the higher income groups were slimmer

1 Of

than the wives of the men holding positions paying a lower salary.
course, largeness in physical size is not the sole reason why it is dif-
ficult to buy a pattern to fit. Figure irregularities and posture also
often require that patterns be altered before use. However, increase in
size due to added weight was found to be one of the major figure changes
of the maturing woman in the study done at the University of Georgia on
the changes of appearance in women from 45-65 years of age.2 It is
possible that the women in the low income category in this sample weighed
more and had figure irregularities resulting from work and nutritional

habits which would differ from the work performed and eating habits of

women living on a higher income.

 

1"These differences in average income may seem small, but they are
translated into palpable differences in what has come to be called
"life style." Even the degree of wives' slenderness: as incomes rise,
waistlines go down. In their Levittown survey, Allied Stores found
that in the area settled long enough for income to have risen to between
$5,000 and $7,000, 59 per cent of the women-wore the small "misses"
sizes; by contrast, in the newer, $3,000 to $4,000 area, the sizes were
larger--only 42 per cent wore the small sizes and 7 per cent wore the
large 38-44 sizes (versus only 3 per cent of the wives of the $5,000
to $7,000 area)."

William H- Whyte. Jr.,”The_Qrzanizaiicn;Man.(Garden City. New
York: Doubleday and Co., Inc., 1956), p. 350.

2See page 6 in the REVIEW OF LITERATURE

26

TABLE VI

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF
FINDING A PATTERN TO FIT BY INCOME

High Middle Low

Income Income Income

group... Enema. 02922. Total
Have trouble finding
a pattern to fit? N N N N
Often 7 2 ll 20
Sometimes, Seldom, Never 22 21 24 62
Total 29 23 35 87

x2 = 4.11 p <:.10 d.f. = 2

27

TABLE VII shows that buying something new often had a cheering
psychological effect on more women in the low income bracket than those
in the high income group. Although this finding only tended toward
significance, it is conSidered to be worth noting.

It should also be mentioned here that there was an association
between income groups and organizational groups in this study. ‘Women
in the higher income category often were in the higher organizational
category. The largest number of women in the low income group were in
the low organizational category. Perhaps being more active socially
would cause these women in the high income group to be more conscious
of their appearance, which could result in better posture, dieting and
the use of proper foundation garments. .As pointed out above, these
along with other factors qould influence the fit of a paper pattern.

Age was found to be an influential factor in whether or not the
women liked to attend fashion shows. In the older group, those women
seventyefive years and over, approximately half liked to attend fashion
shows.‘ In the younger group, women sixty to seventy-four years of age,
more than twice as many liked to attend fashion shows. This difference
with p C .10 has been considered one that tends towards significance.
This finding then suggests the fact that interest in fashion shows de-

clines with age. (See TABLE VIII.)

TABLE VII

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF BUYING
CLOTHING TO "CHEER YOU UP" BY INCOME

Frequency of buying
O

.5...
Sometimes
Seldom
Never

Total

X = 11.67

High
Income

0:21.19.
N
3
25
6
_.'Z_

41

p <1.10

Middle
Income

Group
N
L;

17
8

.13.
42

d.f. =

28

Low

Income

Group TQtal

N N

ll l8
16 58
ll 25

__2_ .29..
47 130

TABLE VIII

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF "DO YOU LIKE
TO ATTEND FASHION SHOWS?" BY AGE

Do you like to
attend fashion
shows?

Yes

No

Total

29

Ojdgr Grgflp Younger Group TQLQL
N N N
21 80 101
.113. .36. .i4_
39 116 155

p (.10

d.f. = 1

CHAPTER V

INTEREST IN CLOTHING

The degree of clothing interest for each woman in this study was
obtained by arbitrarily weighting questions number one to thirteen in-
clusive and questions number sixteen, eighteen and nineteen. The
following is the listing of the numerical weights given to the responses
to these questions--often or very much 4, sometimes or somewhat 3,
seldom or very little 2, never or not at all 1, yes 2, no 0. Questions
number 3, 12, 16, 18, and 19 required a "yes or no" answer; thus, the
highest number of points for these questions was two. For questions
number 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 13, the highest number of points
which could be received was four. If a respondent answered all of the
questions, the lowest score which she could receive would be ten. The
highest score would be equal to fifty points.

For the purpose of analysis of these scores, a score of thirty-
nine or above was placed in the high interest category, twenty—eight
to thirty-eight in the medium, and ten to twenty-seven in the low
category. The total number of scores falling into each of these three

categories were forty-two high, one hundred medium and thirtybeight low.

31
The scores ranged from twelve to forty-eight. Figure I shows the dis-
tribution of scores for the total group. Figure II shows urban and
rural distributions.

The arithmetic mean of the total one hundred and eighty scores was
Selected as the average score. This was calculated by dividing the sum
of all the scores by the total number of scores. The arithmetic mean was
found to be 33.3. Ninetyefour of the women had a score of thirtyefour
or better. The median score was 34.5.

The arithmetic mean of interest scores was determined for the
folloWing groups: high, medium and low income; rural and urban; younger
and older;high and low organizational. (See TABLE IX.)

The average (arithmetic means) of the three income groups varied
slightly; The difference between the high income group with the highest
average and the middle income group'with the lowest average was less than
two. The average interest score for the women in the low income group
differed only'by .4 from the mean of the high income group.

The rural women's average interest score (arithmetic mean) was 34.6.
This.was 2.4 higher than the urban group. The range for the urban group
was thirtyhsix points, whereas for the rural group it was twentyhfour
points. The highest and lowest scores belonged to urban women. The
highest rural score was fortyefour and the highest urban score was forty;
eight.

The arithmetic interest mean for the younger group of women.was 3.7
higher than the average interest score for the older group. The range

of the scores for the older group was thirty—four, which was wider than

FIGURE I

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF 180‘ INIEST IN CLOTHING SCORES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10_27 28-38 39-49
N=38 N=100 N=42

32

FIGURE II

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF INTEREST IN CLOTHING
SCORES FOR URBAN AND RURAL WOMEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10-27
N=27

 

 

28—38 29-49 10—27 28-38
N=49 N=24 N=11 N=51

Urban women Rural women

29-49
N-38

33

TABLE IX

AVERAGE SCORES AND RANGE OF

SCORES FOR SELECTED GROUPS IN
RELATION TO INTEREST IN CLOTHING

Group

High Income
Medium.Income
low Income

Younger'women
01der”Women

Rural'Women
Urban'Wbmen

High Organizational
Membership

Low Organizational
Membership

80
100

100

68

Arithmetic
'Mean

34.9
33.6
34.5

35.1
31.4

34.6
32.2

34.2

33.5

Range of
.§222ea.
22—48
23-43
14—44

23—44
14—48

20-44
12—48

14-44

14—48

34

35

that of the younger group. .A'woman'whose age was in the 74-79 age
bracket received the highest score in the sample. It was two points
less than the maximum points possible for the interest scale devised
for this study. The younger womens' score range was not as broad as
the older group. The lowest score was twentyethree and the highest was
fortyefour.

There was a difference of only .7 between the interest score means
of women in the high and low organizational categories. The average
interest score for women belonging to three or more organizations was
34.2 and for women attending only one or two organizations it was 33.5.
The score ranges of the two groups varied only by four points. Both
had a low of fourteen points. The highest score was forty-eight, which
belonged to a woman in the low organizational category.

The chi square test revealed that age and residential area were
statistically significant factors influencing interest in clothing.

Age was significant at the .001 level; place of residence was significant
at the .05 level.

The largest per cent of older women1 were in the medium interest
score category} This was also true for the younger women; however, a
higher per cent of the younger women had a higher interest score than
the older'women. There was a higher per cent of older women in the low

category than younger women. These results seem to indicate that interest

 

lwomen seventyefive and older were placed in the "older women" class.
Younger women were sixty to seventyefour years of age.

36

in clothing declines with increase in age.1 TABLE X shows age in rela-
tion to intereSt in clothing. In the urban group, forty-nine per cent
of the women's scores were in the medium category; sixty-four per cent
of the rural women's scores were in the medium category. The rest of
the urban women's scores were nearly equally divided between the high
and the low categories. A higher per cent of the rural women were in
the high interest category than in the low; twenty-four per cent had

a high‘interest score and twelve per cent had a low interest score.

The fact that eighty-eight per cent of the rural women were in the
medium and high interest categories as compared to seventy—three per
cent of the urban women seems to imply that rural women sixty years of
age and over are more interested in clothing than urban women in the
same age bracket. (See TABLE XI.). This is contrary to Ryan's findings
in her study on urban and rural high school girls' and boys' attitudes
towards clothes.2 She found that urban girls were more interested in
clothes than rural girls. Rosencranz also found in her study on women's
interests in clothing that an urban or rural background was significantly
related to clothing interest.3 However, the women in her study with the

highest interest scores were from an urban background.

 

w—

1This agrees with findings by Rosencranz that younger women were
more interested in clothing. See Mary L. Rosencranz, "A Study of Interest
in Clothing Among Selected Groups of Married and Unmarried YOung women,"
(unpublished Master's thesis, Michigan State University, 1948), p. 35.

2Mary 5. 'Ryan, ' t c oth' , Part II, "Compar-
ison of College Students with Urban Students, and Boys with Girls,"
(Cornell University Agricultural Station Bulletin 898, July, 1953).

3Mary L. Rosencranz, gn‘_git., p. 36.

37

TABLE X

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF INTEREST
IN CLOTHING BY AGE

Brenna. High Middle Low Total
N N N N

Older 6 21 14 41

Younger 3 3 _’Z3_ Jé. 11—8
Total 39 94 26 159

x2 = 13.52 p <;.001 d.f. = 2

38

TABLE XI

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF INTEREST
IN CLOTHING BY RURAIFURBAN RESIDENCE

WMWMM
N ' N N N
Rural 18 51 11 80
Uflnn 42L 18. 4Q; lfiL
Total 42 100 38 180

X2 = 5069 p < 005 def. = 2

39

Specific Dimension of Preference

The following information regarding clothing preferences of women
sixty years of age and over was gained from a questionnaire administered
to seventy women of this age level in the Spring of 1959.

Generalizing from theresults of this survey, it was found:

'women in this age bracket preferred a slip-on shoe with a medium
heightcnflrulheel and a rounded toe.’ Open cut shoes and sandals were
also worn at'times. They liked colored dress shoes as much as brown,
white and black shoes.

For dress they preferred medium weight stockings, though many also
liked sheer hose. The lighter shades with seams were the most popular.
A few women Wore colored hose; the majority did not.

A one-piece dress with a belt and matching jacket or sweater was
their favorite Costume. They liked a fitted bodice with a V neckline,
three-quarter length sleeves and a gored skirt. The most pOpular length
was calf length. About half liked an opening which buttoned down the
front and half a side zipper. In the summertime many liked dresses of
sheer fabrics, although.most preferred opaque materials. Fabrics of
subdued colors, basic colors and prints of small design were preferred
more than brightecholors and larger print designs.

Fifty per cent of the women'wore skirts and blouses. The majority
did not'wear skirts and sweaters.’ Most of the women did not wear slacks,

pedal pushers and Bermuda shorts. If any of these three were chosen,

40

slacks were preferred to pedal pushers. 0n the other hand, pedal
pushers were Selected in place of bermuda shorts.

Their preferred accessOries included hats, purses, gloves, scarves
and jewelry. Hats were worn by the majority. mAfimedium size handbag
with a small handle was usually chosen. ‘Wrist length gloves were pre-
ferred to longer lengths. Colored gloves were worn to harmonize with
their costume as well as gloves of neutral shades. Scarves were liked
better than artificial flowers.' Earrings, pins and necklaces were
their favorite jewelry.

One-third of the women felt that their wardrobe was inadequate.

CHARTER VI

SUMMARY

A questionnaire was designed and administered to one hundred and
eighty women Sixty years of age and over, in an attempt to learn the
opinions of women in this age group concerning factors which influence
the personal and social function of clothing. Groups of women living
in Lansing, Michigan, and rural or small town areas of Eaton and Clinton
Counties in Michigan answered the questionnaire. A specific comparison
was made of the rural and urban group responses, a scale was created to
measure intereSt in clothing, and the chi square test was used to deter-
mine significant factors influencing clothing attitude and behavior.

A general overview of the data revealed the sequent picture of this
age group in relation to their clothing:

The majority of women in this age level frequently looked at fashion
magazines."They”were interested in style changes and liked to attend
fashion shoWS.

Mbst of them window ShOpped and did not mind the time they spent
shopping for clothes. Bmying articles of clothing often had the psy—
chological effect of making them feel happier.V‘When deciding which
dress to purchase, the design and fit of a dress was more important to

-.

them than the price or how easy it would be to care for the dress.i‘x

42

-Most of them could easily find a dress in their size, but they wished
stores would carry a.wider selection from which to choose a dress._
Many of the women who sewed had trouble finding a pattern which fit and
wished pattern companies, too, would give them more choices of design.

The majority of women would like to have more money to spend on
clothes. They felt that people paid attention to the kind or clothes
they wore and they'liked to know what others thought about their
clothes. However,‘they“did not necessarily feel that women who dress
well are better liked than those who do not dress as well.” At asocial. \
' gathering the clothes they wore had an effect on whether they felt at '
ease or not. At times invitations were refused if they did not have
the right clothes to wear for the occasion.

The chi square test showed that place of residence, age, income ‘«
and social participation were related to interest and selection of
clothing for women Sixty years of age and over.

It was found that the rural women in this sample had a stronger
interest in clothing than those from urban areas. They also sewed and
read fashion magazines more often than the urban women.

There was a tendency for the desire to go to fashion shows to de-
crease after seventyhfive'years of age.“ Interest in clothing also a
seemed to decline with ago. More women sixty to seventyefour years of
age had a stronger interest in clothes than did women seventyefive years
of age and over.

There appeared to be a relationship between income and being able

to buy a pattern which fit. Mere women in the low income category had

43

difficulty in purchasing a pattern which fit than those in the highand

middle income groups. .Income was also related to the desire for more

ea..-

money to spend on clothes and to receiving a psychologieal "lift" fromf\\
buying something new. ~Although more women in each income category wished
they had more money to spend on clothes, this desire tended to increase
with a decrease in income.. The purchasing of articles of clothing as a
means to "cheer up" appeared to be stronger in the higher income group.

There were relationships between the amount of social participa-
tion and the lack of appropriate clothing to wear to a social gathering
and whether or not the clothing worn had an effect on feeling at ease
at a social function. ‘Homen who belonged to less than three organiza-
tions seemed to refuse more invitations for lack of appropriate clothing
than those women who attended three or more organizations. ‘women who
attended fewer organizations more often stated that their clothing
affected their feeling”at ease at a social gathering than those who
participated socially to a greater extent.

Another questionnaire ascertained some of the following clothing
preferences for'women"over‘sixty years of age. In general, the women
liked medium height‘heels; medium weight hosiery in light colors; one-
piece dresses with jackets; V necklines; three-quarter length sleeves;
gored skirts at calf‘length;“and fabrics with small designs in subdued
colors. Some were spert clothes and about half wore skirts and blouses.
They usually were hats and liked a medium sized handbag with a small
handle. They also liked colored gloves, scarves and jewelry. However,

one—third of the women believed that their wardrobes were inadequate.

CONCLUSIONS

The following conclusions seem valid in view of the findings of this
study:
_ l. NHomen sixty years old and over have an interest in dress that
extends beyond the functiOnal use of clothing.

"“”'2. Income, age, place of residence and social participation are
factors related to certain aspects of clothing behavior for older women.
3. There appear to be some differences between urban and rural
women°s interests in clothing; in this particular group of older women,

rural women hadihigher interest scores.
4. The willingness and the low percentage of "no responses" indi-

cate women in this age group have both the interest and ability to

participate in this type of clothing research.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY

There have been so few studies concerning clothing in relation to
women in the upper age brackets that any information which can be obtained
to help them increase the satisfaction they receive from their clothing
would be of value. The results of this study seem to indicate that
research on the following suggestions would be helpful.

1. 'Studies should be done in other geographical areas of the
country in order to obtain a more complete picture of the clothing needs

and desires of older women.

45

2. An examination of problems related to the purchasing of clothes
could be made. 'Wbmen in this study expressed the desire for a wider
selection of dresses from which to choose a garment. One could probably
determine whether or not older women feel the present selections are
usually restrictive as to design, fabric, size, color or price.

3. Other studies might be designed to ascertain what help is desired
in the planning and maintaining of their wardrobes. It is essential that
the social consciousness of older people does not deteriorate. Since
clothing affects their feelings of ease in a social gathering, it is
important that older women have clothing which contribute to their
effective social participation.

4. Since this study was of a general exploratory type, other
studies are needed that are narrower in SCOpe with more attention given
to the complex of background factors related to the sample. There is
need to know more about the relationship of background factors to each

other.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

47

Bibliography

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Retirement." Amariaan.Qariairies.§aaieia1£anrnals II. 1954. 796-806.

~ Anspach, Karlyne. "Clothing Research in Home Economics 1925-1958,"
Aon:nal.o£.floms.§aonomies. LI. No. 9 (November. l959).‘767-770.

“Blair, Margaret Harris. "Changes in Appearance of women 45 to 65 Years
of Age Which Affect Use of Readyetoéwear Garments and Commercial

PatternS." don:nal.sfi11£uma.§aononiaas XL. N0. 4 (April. 1953).
248—250.
Beagle. A. Wag lecture given in Seminar on

DevelOpment of Studies and Research in the Sociological Aspects of
Clothing, Michigan.State University, July 25 to August 12, 1949.

Burgess, Ernest'w. "The Growing Problem of Aging," Liying Through the
_ldez__eaz§ (Proceedings of the Charles A. Fisher Memorial Institute
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Donahue, Wilma and Tibbits, Clark, editors. .Elanning thg Older Years.
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‘Edaburn, Clara. "Functional House Dresses, " _gguzfiflhsflL_£mEL_Jaanangi9
11111, No. 6 (June, 1951; 423- 425.

Federal Council On Aging. -Aidina..lder.feanles May. 1958.

Federal Security Agency. "Population Changes and Economic Implications,“
Abnnand_flis__ears. Raleigh, North Carolina: Health Publications
Institute, Inc., 1951. (An account of the first national conference
on aging, sponsored by the Federal Security Agency), 15—44

Hagood,.Margaret J. and Daniel 0..Price..S t’ t’c - oc'ol ' t ,
(New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1947), 400.

Hartmann, George'W. "Clothing: Personal Problem and Social Issue,"
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Havighurst, Robert J. "Social and PSychological Needs of the Aging, "
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The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science,
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Hitt, Homer L. "The Demography of America's Aged: A Current Appraisal,"
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University of Florida InStitute of Gerontology, 1956, 12-41.

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“Hunt, G. Halsey, M.D. "Implications of Aging as Predicted by Population

Changes," G 'a ' , XIV, No. I, 1959, 1-7.
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John Day 00., 1951.

Lieb, Clarence William, M.A., M.D. 'tt’ Yo Y r .- New York:
Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1949.

Rosencranz, Mary Lou. "A Study of Interest in Clothing Among Selected
Groups of Marriedmand Unmarried Young women," Unpublished Master's
thesis, Department of Textiles, Clothing and Related Arts, Michigan
State College, 1948.

Rusk, Howard A., M.D. "Functional Fashions for the Physically Handicapped,"
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Ryan, Mary s. P E t c t ' . Part II. "Comparison of
College Students with Urban Students, and Boys with Girls," Cornell
University Agricultural Station Bulletin 898, July, 1953.

Scott, Clarice L. "Clothing Needs of Physically Handicapped Homemakers,"
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Smith, lynn T. "The Changing Number and Distribution of the Aged
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Whyte. William H., Jr. WEE—n Garden City. New York:
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,______. "White House Conference On Aging to Be Held In washington Next
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______. "Old Age: A Personal Crisis and U.S. Problem," L' , XLVII,
Numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, (July 13, 20, 27 and August 3, 1959).

APPENDIX

5O

'WOMEN'S CLOTHING
This questionnaire has been made in an attempt to find out how you

feel about clothing and what your clothing problems are. The information
gained will be used for a course of study at Michigan State University.

Direeiians=
1. Do not write your name on the questionnaire.

2. Please check only one answer for each question. Choose the
best answer for you. There are no right or wrong answers.

3. 'When you are through checking your answers, fold the question-
naire and seal it in the envelope which has been given you.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Maloa Ebeling

1. Do you look at fashion magazines?
cften____, sometimes , seldom , never____

 

2. Do you ever want to know what other people think of your clothes?
often , sometimes , seldom , never ‘

 

 

3. Do you like to attend fashion shows? yes ' , no

 

4. Do you think people pay any attention to the kind of clothes you wear?
often , sometimes , seldom , never

 

 

5. How much 80 you like to spend time ShOpping for clothes or material?
very much , somewhat , very little , not at all

 

 

6. How often do you think about the clothes you wear?

often , when dressing , when buying clothes , special occasions____.

 

7. Do you ever buy an article of clothing to cheer you up?
often , sometimes , seldom , never

 

 

8. Do you window Shop in clothing store windows?
often____, sometimes , seldom____, never____

 

9. How interested are you in style changes?

very much , somewhat , very little , not at all____

 

 

 

10. How many clubs or organizations do you attend?
none , 11., . 2 . 3 , 4 . more

 

11.

l3.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

.Do you wish you had more money to spend on clothes? yes

51

Do you ever refuse invitations to go out because you feel you do
not have the right clothes to wear?
often____, sometimes , seldom____, never

 

 

Do you think women who dress well are often better liked than
those who do not dress as well?
yes , no

 

 

Do the clothes you wear to a social gathering have an effect on
whether you feel at ease or not?
often , sometimes , seldom , never

 

 

After the following three reasons given for buying a dress, mark 1
for the most important, 2 for the second most important, and 3 for
the least important.

how easy it will be to care for

, the price , the design and fit

 

 

If you sew for yourselfndo you have trouble finding a pattern which
will fit? '
often , sometimes

, seldom , never , do not sew

 

 

 

Do you think pattern companies give you enough choices from'which to
choose a dress pattern?
yes 9 n0 '

 

 

‘When you go shopping is it easy for you to find a dress you like in
your size?

often , sometimes , seldom , never

 

 

Do you wish stores carried a wider style selection from which you could
choose a dress?
yes , no

 

 

, no

 

 

In which of these age groupings do you belong?
60-64 , 65-69 , 70-74 , 75-79 , 80-84____, 85 and over

 

 

 

 

In which of these brackets would you say your yearly income falls?
less than $999 $2000 to $2999 - $4000 to $4999

 

 

 

$1000 to $1999 $3000 to $3999____ ‘ $5000 and over_;;_

I

ROOM USE 03'1"”A

 

 

 

 

 

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