Clothing Selection and Personal Appearance

Paper Code: 
HCT144F
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 
  • To understand the relationship to the entire form and its meaning.
  • To develop an expertise in various issues of personal clothing choice.

 

 

12.00
Unit I: 
Dress and Aesthetics
  • Body in cultural context- Frameworks for viewing the body, two viewing orientations- visual world, visual field.
  • Spatial priorities in viewing the apparel-body-construct:
  1. Closed or open
  2. Whole or part
  3. Figure ground integrated or figure ground separated
  4. Flat or rounded
  5. Determinate or indeterminate
    • Dress as Non-verbal communication- Meaning of communication; structure of dress communication system; elements of dress signs; identity, post modernity and the global marketplace
    • Perception: Interpretation of Form and meaning- the visual aspect of perceiving the apparel-body-construct; importance of the whole; perceiving order; viewing figure ground and relationships, the contexts

 

12.00
Unit II: 
Influences on Consumer Clothing Selection:
  • Socio-psychological influences- Clothing symbols, impression formation, the halo effect, stereotyping, assumptions, individuality, self-image, personality, trait, lifestyle, values, attitudes, interest
  • Cultural influences- clothing and adornment for protection, clothing and adornment to meet psychological and sociocultural needs (economic position, social status, sumptuary laws, ethnic identity, gender coding of garments, marital status, political beliefs, religious ideas
  • Physical influences- Body build and head proportions, body types, physical fitness, body analysis
  • Demographic influences- Income, age, race, education, occupation, geographic location, niche markets

 

12.00
Unit III: 
Clothing and Physical Appearance
  • Elements of Design- Space, form, shape, line, color and texture
  • Principles of Design- Balance, proportion, emphasis, rhythm and unity

 

12.00
Unit IV: 
Colour & Colour System:
  • Color System- Prang color system, Munsell color system
  • Dimensions of color- Hue, value, chroma or intensity
  • Color Harmonies- Monochromatic, Achromatic, Analogous, Complementary, split complementary, double split complimentary, triad
  • Influences on color Perception-Background, light source, distance, texture, personal reactions
  • Personal color identification- color theory, color analysis, color theory related to personal color analysis, specific personal color considerations, predominant color categories

 

12.00
Unit V: 
Conformity and Individuality:
  • Meaning of Conformity, non-conformity and individuality
  • Clothing   symbolism-        Symbolic   interaction   theory, clothing   cues            related to personality, sex, age and situation
  • Cyclical nature of fashion- conformity, pressure towards conformity
  • Deviation from the norm- Fashion innovation, Fashion leadership
  • Diffusion of Fashion- Fashion and trade publication, Apparel manufacturers, Fashion consultants, central buying offices, retail buyer

 

Essential Readings: 
  • DeLong, M. (1998). The way we look: Dress and aesthetics (2nd ed.). Fairchild Publications.
  • Horn, M. J. (n.d.). The second skin: An interdisciplinary study of clothing (3rd ed.). Houghton Mifflin Company.
  • Johnson, K. K. P., Lennon, S. J., & Rudd, N. A. (2001). The meaning of dress. Fairchild Publications.
  • Marshall, G., Jackson, H. O., Stanley, M. S., Kefgen, M., & Specht, P. T. (2000). Individuality in clothing selection and personal appearance (5th ed.). Prentice Hall.

 

Academic Year: 
2025-2026
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