Factors considered in selection of cloths for self & family : DESIGN, DURABILITY & APPEARANCE

NAME - SHAHEEN FATIMA

CLASS - B.SC H.SC 4TH SEM.

ROLL NO.- 20HMB414

ENROLLMENT NO.- GK5974

FACTORS CONSIDERED IN SELECTION OF CLOTHS FOR SELF & FAMILY : 

Introduction :

Clothing protects the human body from extreme weather and other features of the environment, like weather, insects, toxic chemicals, weapons and other hazards. And clothes are the first thing that gives an impression of our personality. 

While buying clothes the first thing which comes to our mind is the purpose for which the cloth is being purchased. Does it serve the purpose and fulfill the specific requirement? Can this dress be used for other occasions also? It is important that clothes are pur­chased for the specific purpose.

Sometimes some problems do crop up while buying these clothes. Sometimes, due to ignorance, such clothes are purchased which do not suit the occasion and become useless after few usages.

Satin and silk clothes cannot be used in daily wear as clothes of daily wear require daily washing. Similarly sheer mate­rials for the clothes of children in the playful age are not desirable. Material for a trousers or skirt would be thicker than that for a blouse.

Daily wear clothes, e.g., hard woven clothes should be durable and easily wash­able. Soft and good quality clothes can be selected for specific occasions.

Factors Considered in selection of clothing for Self and family :

1- DESIGN : 

Design is an arrangement of elements of design & principles of art like, line, shape, colors, form, fabric, texture, balance, proportion, rhythm and emphasis that create a visual image. 

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Designs can be classified into many types, but for simplicity, we will restrict to Plain, Printed, Embroidered and Art designs as types.

Plain designs 

Fabrics with colour dyeing or fabric weaved from dyed yarns are commonly referred to as plain fabrics in the textile trade. Many customers prefer plane/Ordinary designs , and they are a go-to choice for pants and one piece. 

Printed designs 

Fabrics with prints on their surface done via hand, block, screen, roller machine, digital machine or any other process are PRINTED FABRICS. Printed cloth materials have different motifs and are more individual choices than trends. For example, hand block design are in much demand for making exclusive garments that are not common. On the other hand, prints dress patterns are manufactured at a large scale on an industrial level which are used more in the bulk garment.

Embroidered design 

Cloths whose surface is decorated using threads and embellishments are Embroidered designs. Such fabrics are the mainstay of the fashion industry and use widely pan-India for heavy dresses and occasional dresses like wedding gowns.  

 Art designs 

Art designs refer to textiles whose weaving, dyeing, printing or embellishing techniques are widely recognised and accepted as art. PATOLA, IKAT, AJRAKH, BAGRU, DABU, BANDHANI, Shibori, BATIK, KALAMKARI, and KANTHA fabrics are a few famous examples of art fabric. (Art fabric carries its unique charm and adds depth to the garment. However, due to its limited production, Art fabrics are in huge demand in India and abroad. Therefore, it's never a wrong decision to hoard an Art Fabric.) 

The different design patterns of clothes can boost a specific mood and make us feel better or worse about our image. A dress with an elaborate pattern of flowers might make a woman feel confident about her beauty and perhaps also help her feel younger.

If a man is not confident about his weight, perhaps horizontal lines wouldn't be a smart choice. This striped pattern usually makes people look wider and shorter, so he might end up feeling fatter and less self-assured about his figure.

 

2- DURABILITY :

Durability is defined as the ability of a material to remain serviceable in the surrounding environment during the useful life without damage or unexpected maintenance.

Simply Durability is the ability to endure. The ability to withstand use and cleaning and stay in good condition is critical whether. Using sustainably sourced materials will eliminate the need for new materials to be made.

  

From the perspective of the consumer, durability has two meanings – physical and emotional. Physical durability means strong and well-made products, how long they will last . A garment with emotional durability will continue to be worn by the consumer because it has a strong and positive association. Therefore, poorly made clothes that are designed in a way that will make them go out of fashion very quickly can be considered nondurable.      

The durability of garments depends on fabric properties and conditions garments encounter during wear. Therefore, durability is determined by the fiber type, fabric, and garment construction (Hunter, 2009).

Venkatraman (2015) highlighted durability properties evaluation tests for fabrics; which include abrasion resistance, fabric pilling, fabric handle, and fabric stiffness. 

When fabric is made into garments, durability comes from the type of seams used, the number of stitches per inch, and the quality of the trims (elastics, buttons, zippers, etc.) If the stitch count is too low, then seams will have a tendency to fray or pull apart, especially after several washings. 

3- APPEARANCE : 

While purchasing cloth we pay attention to appearance, colour, and texture. To judge the quality of cloth our senses like touch, smell, and vision should be active. Clothes should be nice and attractive. The blending of colours should also be proper only then it would appeal to the eyes.

The same fabric appears different with different colour combinations. Fiber, yarn weave, and finishes effect the appearance of the cloth, by touching the fabric, we can feel the softness of silk, warmth of wool and coolness of linen. If the cloth appeals to the buyer, he will pur­chase it irrespective of the purpose and qual­ity of the cloth. Hence, the appearance of the cloth is an important factor in its selection

4- Texture & feel :

It is a consumer's instinct to use the sense of touch when choosing a garment; to describe and assess the fabric quality and its suitability for a specific end use. 

Some people first pay attention to the texture of cloth because they always want a soft and smooth cloth that keeps them comfortable. So the texture is also one of the factors to consider.  

For e.g. The more highly textured a garment is, the larger it will make you appear (chunky textures = chunkier body).

The touch and feel of the cloths are the most important. While common materials like cotton, silk and chiffon have a similar touch and feel, some of the fabrics may have a unique touch and may take time to get familiar with. For example, while cotton gives a cool and breathable feel, silk fabric is famous for its silky feel, and warm fabrics like wool are known for their warm feeling.

Therefore, before buying cloths, you should consider the touch and feel you desire. This decision also depends on the weather. While cotton is preferred the most for casual dresses in India, silk and polyester are selected more in northern states.  

5- Comfort :

Comfort is of two types:

(i) Psychological comfort : A person feels more at ease and confident when he is dressed gyi according to his likes, fashion and its latest trends.

(ii) Physical comfort :

• Fabric should be soft and smooth for the skin.

• Fabric should let the air passes through it to make the person cool and comfort­able.

• Fabric should absorb perspiration.

• Fabric should be according to the season, e.g., cotton clothes are good in summers.

• Light weight fabrics are more comfort­able.

• Fabric should not cause any allergic re­action to the skin.

6- Prize : 

Money is the deciding factor in the purchas­ing of clothes. While purchasing, priority should be on the requirement and the in­come.

There are several factors which influ­ence the cost of clothes such as type of fabric, the finishes given, type of weave, exclusive designing, handwork, etc. A comparative study should be made at various shops before pur­chasing clothes. Whether the price of the cloth is according to the printed price or not, is also important.

Purposeless shopping leads to wastage of time and energy. Shopping in haste may lead to overspending and without serving the required purpose because in these situations, such clothes are purchased which you have already possessed or may use occasionally.

Mostly people have the feeling that ex­pensive clothes are the best. This may be true to some extent, because expensive clothes are durable, retain their grace for a pretty long time. But judicious purchase of less expensive clothes may serve the same purpose. Stitching charges may go waste in case of very cheap clothes. Therefore, we can say that money is an important factor in the selection of clothes.

+Income affects the selection of clothing. High income group spend more percentage of money on clothing as compared to low income group. They spend more money on fashionable garments rather than on durable clothes. People belonging to low income group prefer durable clothes rather than delicate ones. So, the preferences of the clothing changes according to the income of the family.+

6- Labels and colorfastness 

Label of the finishes must be checked before the purchasing of the clothes. Some finishes are selected according to the use like crease and crush resistant, waterproof, water-repel­lent, fire-proof, mercerized, etc. Fastness of colour should also be considered.

 

If the cloth has not fast colour, it will fade away very soon and no one would like to wear it despite of its durability.

You must pay attention to the construction label of the cloth because if there is any point which you can’t follow so you have the option to skip this one and take the better option. 

7- Season : 

Main purpose of clothes is to protect the body from heat and cold and to maintain body temperature in adverse circumstances. There­fore, clothes should be according to the season. In summers, cotton clothes should be used because they absorb sweat.

White and light colour clothes give relief in summers because they do not absorb heat from the sun. Khadi clothes are the most comfortable in summers because these are cool and good sweat absorbers. In severe summers, very fine clothes like muslin cloth should not be used for the fear of heat stroke because they do not absorb sweat properly.

Woolen clothes should be purchased in winter to keep body warm because these are bad conductors of heat and prevent the loss of body heat. Only warm and dark colours like red, yellow, orange, black, etc. should be used in winters. Warm colours readily absorb heat from the sun. Silken clothes like woolen are also bad conductor of heat and hence used in winter.

In rainy season, only synthetic clothes should be used. These clothes absorb less water and hence dry easily.

 9- Easy Maintenance :

Clothes tend to get spoiled because of its repetitive use. Of­ten, clothes are stained and chemicals are used for their removal. Hence, such clothes are to be purchased which are easily wash­able and not affected by chemicals and wash­ing. Clothes which retain their look even af­ter washing are more in demand.

Cotton clothes are comparatively easy to wash. Heat and friction do not have any ad­verse effect on them.

Special precautions are to be taken in the washing of clothes with brocade work, silken, and woolen clothes. Heat, alkalis and friction have adverse effect on these clothes. Hence, expensive clothes should be dry cleaned only. This type of washing is costly. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that how it will be washed and ironed.

10- Reliable Shops : 

From Where to Shop? 

For shopping, there are dif­ferent shops and stores. Various services are offered by shopkeepers. Shop that is conve­nient, caters your purpose, and under your budget should be selected. It is desirable to make a market survey according to your list of purchases and then decide how and from where to buy. Don’t shop in haste and with­out any planning.

Buy clothes from those stores only which offer satisfying services, preferably buy from only reputed and reliable shops. Government outlets are also reliable.

Discount stores are also very popular for the purchase of clothes. At the end of the season, discount is offered or clothes are bought in bulk from factories and sold at factory rates in such stores. Sometimes, con­sumers become victim of misleading adver­tisements and information and select unde­sirable clothes in the lure of schemes.

In such advertisements, quasi-truth and prevalent qualities are exaggerated. Cheap quality clothes are sold in attractive pickings. In this way, the shopkeeper tries to lure the cus­tomer in all possible ways. Only wise and experienced consumers can escape these de­ceits.

Sometimes there is a great variety of clothes available in department stores. Such stores have tasteful interiors. Hence, a num­ber of facilities are provided like air-condi­tioning, toilets, lifts, marble and granite floor­ing, etc. In some stores, clothes from different mills are available.

Time and energy is saved in such stores, where so much variety is avail­able under one roof. But goods are expensive on account of these facilities. Therefore, shop­ping should be made from such stores accord­ing to the priorities.

REFERENCES :

1- https://www.techgape.com/2018/12/factors-to-consider-when-purchasing-clothes.html

2- 

https://textilelearner.net/factors-affecting-for-clothing-selection/

3-https://www.slideshare.net/SyrinCabatuan/design-and-clothing-selection

4-https://www.preservearticles.com/education/things-to-look-for-when-buying-a-clothes/13171