Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

A guide for an adequate wardrobe for specific occasions encountered by women students attending Oregon State University

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  • This thesis is a study of the types and numbers of items of apparel in a selected group of Oregon State University women's present college wardrobes and in a college wardrobe they consider to be adequate, the occasions for which each type of clothing is worn, the amount of time each type of clothing is worn, and the percentage of the clothing budget to be spent for each type of clothing. This study was selected because the present information concerning wardrobe needs available to students entering Oregon State University is very limited. Letters were sent to the Deans of Women at 39 colleges and universities in Oregon, Washington, and northern California to determine the amount and type of information concerning clothing that is available to women entering these institutions. The 35 replies received indicated that one college sends incoming women students a suggested list of minimum and average numbers of items of apparel for their college wardrobes; 13 colleges or universities have publications containing specific information on types of clothing for various occasions, (similar to the information found in Oregon State University's student handbook); 14 colleges or universities have a publication which mentions clothing, and eight colleges or universities have no information available concerning clothing. . Although little information is available to the college student, the literature reviewed stressed the importance of clothing to the present day university woman. A review of studies concerning the psychological and sociological significance of clothing show that if a woman student has a wardrobe that is adequate for the occasions which arise, she will feel more at ease, be less concerned about her appearance, and therefore, she will be better able to meet the demands of college life. According to one study reviewed, high school girls think that college women need more clothing than college women consider necessary. Since research found that women buy most of their clothing before they enter college, information concerning a college wardrobe seemed to be an evident need before they arrive on campus. Other studies pointed out that talking to college women was the best source of information on college wardrobe needs. Therefore, a selected group of women students on the Oregon State University campus was contacted through interviews and questionnaires for their advice regarding a college wardrobe. Twelve junior or senior women majoring in Clothing, Textiles, and Related Arts were interviewed to ascertain the current terminology used by women students to describe their clothing and the occasions for which each type of clothing was worn. This information was used in the preparation of a questionnaire. Questionnaires were given to 283 sophomore and junior women students who were registered in the School of Home Economics, had completed a course in clothing selection, and had been admitted to Oregon State University no later than fall term, 1966. Questionnaires were returned by 147 students, and 113 questionnaires met the established criteria. This was a 40 percent useable return of the total number of questionnaires distributed. The data from these questionnaires was compiled by computer and analyzed by the writer. The data revealed that the respondents owned a mean of 154.92 items of apparel, and they thought a mean of 148. 30 items of apparel would be adequate. The sorority women owned more of all types of clothing than did the non - sorority women, and the quantity the sorority women considered to be adequate for all seven types of clothing exceeded the quantity considered adequate by the non -sorority women. However, 81.98 percent of the respondents indicated their present wardrobes were adequate for the occasions they had encountered at Oregon State University. The total cost for an adequate wardrobe as indicated by the respondents was a mean of $1708.73. The percentage of the clothing budget to be spent for each type of clothing was allocated by the respondents as follows: 41.20 percent for campus apparel, 21.37 percent for church or dressy apparel, 9.63 percent for unclassified apparel (undergarments, hosiery, nightwear and loungewear), 9.16 percent for formal apparel, 8.88 percent for casual apparel, 5. 27 percent for semi - formal apparel, and 4.49 percent for grubby apparel. The respondents reported that they wore each type of clothing the following percentage of the time during a school year: campus apparel, 37. 09 percent; casual apparel, 26.96 percent; grubby apparel, 26.89 percent; church or dressy apparel, 7.86 percent; semi -formal apparel, .85 percent; and formal apparel, . 35 percent. The percentage of the clothing budget to be spent for each type of clothing (excluding unclassified apparel) was compared to the percentage of the time each type of clothing was worn, but the percentages were not the same for any of the six types of clothing. Campus clothing was worn the highest percentage of the time and was also designated the highest percentage of total cost; semi -formal apparel ranked fifth in both categories, but there was no correlation between the percentage of time the other types of clothing were worn and the percentage of total cost designated for each. A total of 67 women or 59.82 percent of the respondents said they brought some clothing to the campus they did not need, and 89 women or 79.46 percent of the respondents reported they needed some items of apparel they did not bring to the campus. Eleven of the 12 women interviewed indicated the wardrobe requirements would be the same for a woman entering Oregon State University as a freshman, sophomore or junior. Therefore, the writer recommended that the findings of this study, specifically a list of the items of apparel to be included in an adequate wardrobe, should be made available to women students entering Oregon State University.
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