A Shortened Version of the Fashion Clothing Involvement Scale

Involvement refers to what the consumer views as the focal object that is a central part of his or her life, i.e., objects which are meaningful and engaging (O\u27Cass, 2000). Furthermore, involvement is conceptualized as enduring (e.g., Bloch, 1981). Fashion involvement refers to the extent of interest in and time, money, and attention spent on fashion product categories such as apparel (Park, Kim, & Forney, 2006). Consistently, fashion involvement has been identified as a significant construct in the context of fashion consumption. For example, [fashion] involvement has been identified as the heart of person-object relationships and relational variables most predictive of purchase behaviors (O\u27Cass, 2000). Several studies have noted negative consequences of excessive fashion involvement, such as compulsive buying behavior (Yurchisin & Johnson, 2004), hoarding behavior (Byun & Sternquist, 2011), and negative mood and dissatisfaction (Tiggemann, Polivy, & Hargreaves, 2009). O\u27Cass (2000) developed the widely used fashion clothing involvement (FCI) scale. According to O\u27Cass (2000), fashion clothing involvement consists of four sub-dimensions\u27 product involvement, purchase decision involvement, advertising involvement, and consumption involvement. However, the scale is lengthy, consisting of 44 items. Longer scales may lead to boredom, frustration, and fatigue among research participants. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to develop a shorter version of the fashion clothing involvement scale. Statistical analyses were performed on the FCI scale to shorten it and, at the same time, not compromise reliability. Shorter versions of scales can be as valid as their longer, in-depth versions because they tend to eliminate item redundancy (Bergkvist & Rossiter, 2007)

The Art and Bohemian Character of Ethel Wallace

Ethel Wallace was a painter and textile artist who gained great prominence in the early part of the 20th century. Wallace’s work was exhibited in Paris, London, New York, and Philadelphia. Her textiles were featured by Macy’s department store and published in Vogue. Ms. Wallace’s social circle included Paul Poiret, Gertrude Whitney and opera singer Eva Gauthier. Yet, by her death, Wallace and her work had fallen from the public eye. Despite her artistic achievements and innovation of technique, her story has been written out of the history books

Exploring College Students’ Clothing Fit Perception and Overall Fit Satisfaction in General

Consumers regard clothing fit as the most crucial factor in determining overall satisfaction with garments (Pisut & Connell, 2007). However, individual body variations coupled with the lack of standardization of sizing systems in the apparel industry complicate our understanding of consumer perspectives on fit. Studies over the past 30 years in fashion design and product development have focused primarily on finding ways to improve physical fit by relying on experts’ opinions (Ashdown, Loker, Schoenfelder & Lyman-Clarke, 2004; Ashdown & O’Connell, 2006; Frost, 1988; Loker, Ashdown & Schoenfelder, 2005)

Older Women\u27s Experience with Online Apparel Shopping

The purpose of this study was to explore older women\u27s experiences with online apparel shopping and to increase understanding of how older women shop for apparel online. Research questions were: (1) How do older women experience online apparel shopping? (2) What are the factors that encourage older women to do online apparel shopping? (3) What are the concerns and difficulties that older women have when they shop for apparel products online? (4) How do older women decide whether they will buy apparel products online? And (5) How can online fashion retailers better serve older women

Getting Ready for a New Life: Saudi Bride-To-Be Shopping Experiences

In Saudi Arabia, a wedding is a significant occasion requiring extension preparation. Researchers have not yet explored how bride-to-be\u27s consumption patterns might be shaped in a tradition-oriented culture like Saudi Arabia. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the Saudi woman\u27s bridal shopping experience during her transition into marriage and the meanings reflected in the purchases made. Qualitative data were collected via in-depth interviews with 14 Saudi women who were engaged to be married. Data were analyzed using constant comparison processes. Analysis revealed three themes, including: (a) Facilitating the liminal transition to new life, (b) Resisting complete change, and (c) Complication and ambiguity of the bride-to-be\u27s transition experience. Saudi brides-to-be engaged in complex identity construction processes to construct an appropriate new identity and appearance to embrace and project the symbolic difference between single and married life

The relationship among weight controllability, weight-based stereotypes and attitudes, and weight loss behaviors

Beliefs about personal control over body weight and attitudes about persons who are overweight may be related to one’s own body esteem (Schwartz, Vartanian, Nosek, & Brownell, 2006). In addition, body esteem has been found to be related to adoption of weight loss behaviors in a variety of studies (e.g., Stice & Shaw, 1994). We explored multidimensional relationships among perception of weight controllability, negative stereotypes about obese persons, body esteem, and weight loss behaviors to examine connections among all variables. Five hypotheses were derived from previous research and informed by Bandura’s discussion of self-efficacy connecting perceptions of control to behavior (1982): H1: Beliefs about weight control are positively related to body esteem; H2: Beliefs about weight control are positively related to obesity stereotypes; H3: Anti-fat attitude is positively related to obesity stereotypes; H4: Body esteem is positively related to weight loss behaviors; And H5: Obesity stereotypes are positively related to weight loss behaviors