Clothing: Consumer Behaviour

Paper Code: 
HCT 144 I
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

The course aims to elaborate role of fashion and clothing in communication of cultural practices which enables to understand the functions of a garment and to explore meaning of fashion and clothing for designer, wearer or onlooker.

 

12.00
Unit I: 
Fashion, Clothing, Communication and Culture
  • Definitions of fashion, style, clothing and dress
  • Fashion art and design
  • Fashion, clothing and communication
  •    Fashion, clothing and culture

 Dress and Aesthetics:                                               

  • Dress as Non-verbal communication- Meaning of communication; structure of dress  communication system; elements of dress signs; identity, post modernity and the global marketplace

 

12.00
Unit II: 
Fashion Theory
  • Functions of fashion and clothing
  • Material functions (Protection, modesty and concealment, immodesty and attraction)
  • Cultural functions (Communication, individualistic expression, social worth or status,             definition of social role, economic worth or status, political symbol, religious and social             ritual, recreation etc.)
  •       Recent investigations of fashion process

 

 

12.00
Unit III: 
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

 

12.00
Unit IV: 
Current Developments, Issues and Trends in Fashion and Clothing Behavior Researches
  • Dress influencing impression of others
  • Effect of dress on others’ behavior
  • Dress affecting our self- perception, self-esteem and behavior
  • Appearance and social stratification
  • Factors affecting consumer purchase behaviour

 

12.00
Unit V: 
Virtual Dressing
  • Dress and body through virtual view and virtual fit.
  • Dress and perception of virtual 3D self images: comfort with body scanning
  • Imaginary self in virtual world
  • Creating and using virtual dresses

 

Essential Readings: 
  • Barnard, M. (2008) (re-printed) Fashion as Communication, Routledge publication, Francis & Tayler group, ISBN978-0-415-26017-6.
  • Kaiser, S. (1996) The Social Psychology of Dress: Symbolic Appearances in Context, Fairchild books, New York.
  • Workman, J., and Freeburg, B. (2009) Dress and Society, Fairchild books, New York.

 

 

Academic Year: 
2020-2021
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