Discussion and Conclusion

As already mentioned, intrinsic criteria refer to inherent product, are created during manufacturing and cannot be changed or manipulated without also changing the characteristic of the garment itself (Eckman et al., 1990:14; Abraham-Murali & Littrell, 1995:66). Certain intrinsic attributes of clothing products, such as the fabric, the style and design, the construction and size could influence how the clothing product will be evaluated in terms of its functionality and aesthetic aspects (De Klerk & Tselepis, 2007:416). Thus the intrinsic attributes of clothing products can include two subcategories of aesthetic and functional product characteristics (Newcomb, 2009:50).

3.6.1.1 Aesthetic evaluative criteria

O’Neal (1998) cited in De Klerk and Lubbe (2008:38) defined aesthetic as “the study of human reaction to the non-instrumental qualities of an object or occurrence”. Consumers’ aesthetic appeal of a clothing product is related to the pleasing look or beauty of garment, evaluated in terms of style, colour, appearance, fashionability or attractiveness (Lamb & Kallal, 1992:43). De Klerk and Lubbe (2008:36) further point out that the aesthetic of a product is a valuable element because many consumers not only purchase but also value the emotional experience offered by the product such as what clothing offers. Given that consumers search for outstanding attributes, in that they must be different and special in comparison with the alternatives or similar products (De Klerk & Lubbe 2008:47), it is evident that aesthetic appeal has the ability to increase the desirability of a product (Rahman, 2009:358) and, therefore, it should not be underestimated.

Past studies, such as Eckman et al. (1990), investigated the criteria used by consumers to evaluate clothing items during the actual purchase decisions. The researchers found that aesthetic attributes were primarily used in evaluation during an actual point of purchase situation.

Similarly, Fiore and Damhorst (1992) in exploring predictors of perceived quality of women’s pants, concluded that aesthetic attributes, primarily surface aspects and some layout aspects of

39 | P a g e a pants design, are important estimators of perceived quality. In a similar vein, Chattaraman and Rudd (2006:47), posit that appropriate aesthetic attributes incorporated in the design of a garment, can enhance and adorn the body, while also minimizes actual or perceived body shape flaws. This opinion is also supported by Rahman’s (2009) study that explored the desirability of a fashion product such as a denim jean. The researcher established that young consumers may use specific styles such as low-rise skinny jeans to construct their image, to impress and attract others, to camouflage perceived figure faults and bring their bodies closer to the “ideal” norm. In addition, in 2008, a study conducted by De Klerk and Lubbe went further to explain that if a garment is not aesthetically pleasing, consumers may not evaluate it further to discover any functional qualities. The researchers proposed that this finding may be due to the consumer’s difficulty in accurately anticipating functional performance, whereas aesthetic characteristics are more immediately recognizable (De Klerk & Lubbe, 2008:44). These studies seem to suggest that aesthetic characteristic of a clothing product may play an important role in the assessment of clothing during the purchasing decision. For this reason, it is important that clothing manufacturers and retailers must try to differentiate their product by using important aesthetic attributes considered important by female consumers.

3.6.1.2 Functional evaluative criteria

Functional evaluative criteria are used to assess utility or performance of the garment and preferences of these are dependent on user needs or demands (Sproles, 1979) cited in Newcomb (2009:53). Functional criteria for clothing evaluation include sizing and fit, comfort, fibre content, durability, safety, care, construction or workmanship (Hugo & Van Aardt, 2012:416; Eckman et al. 1990:14) among others. Although previous studies such as Eckman et al. (1990); De Klerk and Lubbe (2008); and Rahman (2009), established that aesthetic attributes are considered more prominent in attracting clothing consumers to certain items of clothing than functional attributes, Newcomb (2009:55) points out that functional attributes play a critical role in clothing products that are themselves functional in nature, such as sportswear, intimate wear, or military wear among others. However, in general clothing purchasing, functional attributes should not be underestimated (Newcomb, 2009:55). In fact, in some instances, Rahman (2009:359) explains that it has been proven that many consumers do seek functional attributes of a clothing product before they search for aesthetic appeal. For example, if a blouse gapes (improper fit) when trying it on, may not be considered further no matter how attractive the appearance is. Many consumers will not consider to purchase such a blouse, unless the important functional attributes have been met. However, the functional needs of a clothing product are considered low-level motivators

40 | P a g e because many consumers have difficulty in distinguishing between the functional attributes among similar types of clothing items (Rahman, 2009:359). Moreover, Lamb and Kallal (1992:43) asserted that in some situations, functional needs will dominate over aesthetic concerns, while in others, aesthetics appeal will prevail over functional concerns. This is supported by a study conducted by Zhang, Li, Gong and Wu (2002), who investigated the importance of product attributes of casual wear for Chinese consumers. In a total of fifteen attributes that were identified through a questionnaire survey, the researchers discovered that fit and comfort were regarded as the most important attributes for Chinese consumers. Moreover, a study related to South African female consumers was conducted by Hugo and Van Aardt (2012) who investigated intrinsic criteria applied at the point of purchase to assess the quality of casual wear clothing. Using a representative sample from the academic staff from tertiary institutions in the Vaal Region, which is located 60 km south of Johannesburg, in South Africa, the results showed that three functional aspects namely durability, comfort and fit were regarded most important in judging quality, more so than aesthetic attributes such as colour. The researchers pointed out that durability was important probably to assure that garments retained their original form, appearance and attractiveness. Attractiveness and appearance are attributes which relate to aesthetic image.

This may indicate that there is a relationship between the aesthetic and functional dimensions of the clothing product. De Klerk and Tselepis (2007:416) also made a connection between the style or design (aesthetic attribute) and fit (functional attribute) of the garment. The researchers mentioned that the choice of specific garment styles that are more suitable for a specific body shape is advisable to ensure a well-fitting garment.

It is worthwhile to note that occasionally, the aesthetic and functional intrinsic clothing characteristics overlaps. For example, fit can be an aesthetic feature (i.e. attractive fit versus unattractive fit) or it might also be a functional feature (i.e. comfortable fit versus uncomfortable fit). Moreover in terms of fabric or material, according to Dedhia (2015), the right fabric is required for the garment to meet both aesthetic and functional expectations. The overlapping characteristics may be considered important in both instances as they either work independently or simultaneously influencing each other. Therefore, an understanding of important intrinsic attributes that can support both functional and aesthetic characteristics of a clothing product is essential for the development of a successful strategy towards the female clothing consumer market in South Africa. The evaluative criteria that were examined in the current study are discussed next.

41 | P a g e 3.7 EVALUATIVE CRITERIA FOR CURRENT STUDY

As previously mentioned, respondents focused more on intrinsic attributes than on extrinsic attributes when determining the most important criteria when purchasing clothing product. Table 3.1 provides some of the studies in which intrinsic attributes were regarded most important by consumers in their clothing purchasing decisions. Thus the focus on intrinsic clothing attributes in the current study is supported.

Table 3.1 Evaluative criteria considered by consumers when purchasing clothing

Researchers Type of study Evaluative criteria

considered by respondents garments in store considering their body shapes

Fit, style and design

Hugo and van Aardt (2012)

Investigated the criteria used by South African female fashion consumers when purchasing casual day wear

Durability, comfort, and fit

Saricam, Kalaoglu, Ozduygu and Orun (2012)

Determined the product quality evaluation and quality perception of Turkish consumers

Durability and performance, style and fit.

Rahman (2011) Explored the relative salient of intrinsic and extrinsic attributes as determinants

Rahman (2009) Examined the functional, psychological and experiential aspects of desirable denim jeans.

Fit (silhouette/cut), style (design features), and fabric

42 | P a g e Forney, Park and

Brandon (2005)

Investigated dimensions of evaluative criteria used when purchasing extended casual apparel and home furnishings

Image, quality, colour/style and design

Hsu and Burns (2002) Determined the most important clothing evaluative criteria used by Taiwanese and United States college women for criteria, for in-store purchase decision process consumers evaluate clothing purchases in their decision process. According to Newcomb (2009:49), researchers agree that clothing evaluation involves the consideration of a clothing item’s ability to satisfy basic functions of dress, including adornment of the body, symbolic affiliation or differentiation, self-enhancement, utility, modesty, sexual attraction as well as modernism. Based on the previous research, fit/size, style/design, colour, workmanship, quality, fabric, appearance, durability, performance and image were determined as the most evaluative criteria used by consumers in a clothing purchasing decision. However the intrinsic attributes most frequently examined by researchers according to Abraham-Murali and Littrell (1995:66), include style, fit, design, fibre content, colour, care, and appearance.

Considering the fact that the current study involves South African women in general, meaning they could belong to different ethnicity, who could have different body shapes and personal values (discussed in the following chapters), who belong to different age groups as well as having varied social economic status, the following seven intrinsic attributes fit/sizing, style/design, colour/pattern, appearance, appropriateness/acceptable, comfort and fibre content/material,

43 | P a g e shown in Table 3.2, are appropriate because they include the relevant attributes that may be considered by the diverse female consumers. These attributes were, therefore, selected for examination of the evaluative criteria that play a role in the purchasing decision of female clothing consumers.

Table 3.2 Evaluative criteria for the current study

Aesthetic intrinsic attributes

Functional intrinsic attributes

Style/design Fit/size

Colour/pattern Comfort

Appearance Appropriateness Fibre content/material

Researchers Fiore and Damhorst (1992:170) and Newcomb (2009:76) have reported that consumers may use different evaluative criteria depending on the purchasing situation.

Evaluation of various clothing attributes can vary depending on the specific type of clothing product being considered for purchase (Newcomb, 2009:76). In this study the clothing products that will be investigated are casual blouse/top, trouser/skirt and dress. The following discussion provides an overview of how the various intrinsic attributes (Table 3.2) may be used in the clothing purchasing decision.