Exploring the uses and importance of avatar dress in a multiplayer online game: A qualitative study of women gamers

The purpose of this study was to explore the uses of dress in the gaming activities of female MMO players. Women were chosen as the focus of this study in response to a call from scholars who noted the relative dearth of qualitative research about female gamers (Lewis & Griffiths, 2011). Three main research questions were developed: (1) Which gaming activities are most associated with dress for study participants?; (2) How is dress incorporated into these activities?; and (3) Is dress utilized to explore questions of identity or to develop and maintain social relationships

Student Perceptions of Industry Guest Speakers

Research inviting industry practitioners to speak in classrooms is frequently anecdotal. The purpose of this study was to explore student views on the value of guest speakers in the classroom. Students surveyed typically saw industry guests as useful, especially when a speaker’s personal experiences and career choices were relevant to a student’s own desired future. In addition, beyond hearing from a knowledgeable professional currently working in the industry, students hoped for a very personalized experience, with individualized career advice and time to ask questions. Students also appreciated speakers who were well-organized, persuasive, and included visuals

Methods for increasing student learning in an online undergraduate analysis of apparel and production course

Teaching strictly online presents new challenges for educators. Some challenges included: (a) the inability to assess student thinking and learning of material in a face-to-face environment and (b) the majority of undergraduate students enrolled in the online course were taking 16 – 18 credit hours and working 20 – 30 hours per week, creating challenges for paired and group assignments. The authors questioned whether teaching methods and assignments could be developed or adapted for an online analysis of apparel and furnishings course. Existing literature discussed the expansion of online courses including appropriate use of technology. Researchers considered methods for implementing in-depth thinking. The authors used taxonomies to guide the development of assignments. Other learning tools and techniques were reviewed. The findings revealed adaptions for the online environment and the development of new curricula. An adapted Plus Delta revealed the students found the assignments beneficial along with videos and visuals

Integrating distance students into a graduate student organization

Recognizing that distance PhD students would make up an increasingly large proportion of the AMD student body in the near future, the executive committee set out to gain a more nuanced understanding of the needs of their distance PhD colleagues. To this end, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with current distance student members. Questions focused on their perceptions of the benefits associated with being a member of AMDGSA and how it could better serve their needs as distance PhD students

The Stories that Come With the Shoe : A Qualitative Study of Male Sneaker Collector Motivations, Experiences, and Identities

There is a thriving community of individuals with a passion for wearing, collecting, and sometimes reselling sneakers. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivations and perspectives of male sneaker collectors. Twelve men participated in semi-structured interviews. Research questions included: (1) How do sneaker collectors perceive the experience of sneaker collecting? (2) What makes a shoe collectable? (3) Is sneaker collecting used to represent or explore identity? Most participants were active in sports, especially basketball, and they thought that collecting arose naturally from their sports interests. Respondents cited three primary reasons for collecting a shoe: They collected shoes associated with particular moments in basketball history, shoes with aesthetic qualities they particularly liked, and shoes that would resell for high prices. Sneaker collecting does appear to be a way for these men to voice their interests in fashion, dress, and personal expression

Comparing Perceptions of Effectiveness of On-Campus and Hybrid Apparel Ph.D. Programs

Currently, one distance textile and apparel-related Ph.D. program exists. It is offered in a hybrid format, which entails on-campus summer courses, and asynchronous and synchronous online courses. Formative assessment of this Ph.D. program option was undertaken to ensure not only student satisfaction, but also that the program\u27s academic competencies are met for the sake of student preparedness and maintenance of the program\u27s reputation. Hence, the purpose of the present study was to compare perceptions of the program\u27s effectiveness between samples of (a) on-campus and hybrid students and (b) students and faculty members who work within both formats of the Ph.D. program. Researchers administered a qualitative online survey to a purposively selected sample of faculty, hybrid graduate students, and on-campus graduate students in the textile and apparel Ph.D. program. Overall, respondents reported satisfaction with the program\u27s effectiveness and appreciated the uniqueness of the hybrid program

Inequalities around fashioned bodies, style, and beauty: A seminar examining social injustices related to the apparel industry, discipline, and/or personal aesthetics

The seminar was centered around scholarship related to or addressing social justice or social justice issues in the apparel industry, our discipline, or personal and/or community aesthetics and styles. We focused on work examining underrepresented populations such as: (a) people of color, (b) the LGBTQ+ community, (c) people of a variety of abilities, and/or (d) other groups that have a history of oppression, discrimination, or power and privilege inequalities. The seminar had a non-traditional “arrangement” in the room with “exhibits” of scholarly work and “mini talks” from each presenter. Our goal was to initiate and encourage these discussions to go beyond the seminar session and for the participants to engage in dialogue at their home institutions and programs while building a network of people in the seminar to dialogue about in the future

Visibility, transgression, and community: An exploratory study of plus-size fashion YouTubers

The purpose of this research was to investigate the lived experiences of plus-sized individuals who make fashion-related videos on YouTube. Women were the main, but not sole, focus of the study. There were two parts to this study. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 vloggers who make fat fashion videos on YouTube. A content analysis of 60 YouTube plus-size fashion videos was conducted for the second part of the research. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory method. Findings from the interviews were organized into eight major themes: (a) past and current attitudes of plus-sized YouTubers toward their bodies, (b) manifestation of interviewees’ interests in fashion, apparel, and style in their lives, (c) changes in the apparel industry, (d) being a fat fashion social media “guru,” (e) social media as a career, (f) visibility and representation, (g) agency, and (h) fashion as barrier and transformative tool. The last three themes emerged inductively from the data. The video content analysis added no new themes but did expand upon the ones that were generated from the interviews. Participatory media platforms are available for use by anyone who has a smart device and an internet connection; thus, some groups who may have previously been underrepresented in mass media are now more likely to find representation in participatory media. For the interviewees, finding others on social media who were similar to them in weight, size, and/or body shape was often extremely important. Many interview participants had long searched for role models in mass media without success, and they eventually found role models via social media. Typically, interviewees also desired to serve as role models for others who were like them, and they implicitly and explicitly testified to the importance of representation in media. Social media was not the only societal development that helped enable these plus-size fashion videos. The availability of plus-size apparel in the United States has increased dramatically since the 1980s, with ecommerce offerings cited by interviewees as adding greatly to the variety of styles and brands available to them. While not perfect, the current-day retail landscape was in marked contrast to the scarcity and lack of options interview participants recalled in years past, when their shopping trips with parents or friends were often deeply frustrating, unrewarding, and embarrassing endeavors. Concepts of agency were an especially important overarching theme in both the interviews and the content analysis. Plus-sized YouTubers discussed and were seen engaging in transgressive acts, such as deliberately breaking the unspoken rules about what plus-size women are “allowed” to wear. In addition, interviewees also discussed taking an active stance in relation to fashion – they spoke of “using” fashion for a variety of goals. This was, again, quite different from how they interacted with fashion and apparel in the past, when they felt excluded and powerless. Finally, fashion can be both a barrier and a tool for transformation. In mainstream Western society, fat people are marginalized because of their body size. When individuals have an extremely limited set of apparel choices that does not permit them the ability to wear similar apparel styles to their peers, their marginalization is only increased. In contrast, with today’s increased availability of plus-size brands, stores, and styles, interviewees have come to realize that fashion can serve as a tool for identity exploration, self-esteem building, and transformation

Visibility, transgression, and community: An exploratory study of plus-size fashion YouTubers

The purpose of this research was to investigate the lived experiences of plus-sized individuals who make fashion-related videos on YouTube. Women were the main, but not sole, focus of the study. There were two parts to this study. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 vloggers who make fat fashion videos on YouTube. A content analysis of 60 YouTube plus-size fashion videos was conducted for the second part of the research. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory method. Findings from the interviews were organized into eight major themes: (a) past and current attitudes of plus-sized YouTubers toward their bodies, (b) manifestation of interviewees’ interests in fashion, apparel, and style in their lives, (c) changes in the apparel industry, (d) being a fat fashion social media “guru,” (e) social media as a career, (f) visibility and representation, (g) agency, and (h) fashion as barrier and transformative tool. The last three themes emerged inductively from the data. The video content analysis added no new themes but did expand upon the ones that were generated from the interviews. Participatory media platforms are available for use by anyone who has a smart device and an internet connection; thus, some groups who may have previously been underrepresented in mass media are now more likely to find representation in participatory media. For the interviewees, finding others on social media who were similar to them in weight, size, and/or body shape was often extremely important. Many interview participants had long searched for role models in mass media without success, and they eventually found role models via social media. Typically, interviewees also desired to serve as role models for others who were like them, and they implicitly and explicitly testified to the importance of representation in media. Social media was not the only societal development that helped enable these plus-size fashion videos. The availability of plus-size apparel in the United States has increased dramatically since the 1980s, with ecommerce offerings cited by interviewees as adding greatly to the variety of styles and brands available to them. While not perfect, the current-day retail landscape was in marked contrast to the scarcity and lack of options interview participants recalled in years past, when their shopping trips with parents or friends were often deeply frustrating, unrewarding, and embarrassing endeavors. Concepts of agency were an especially important overarching theme in both the interviews and the content analysis. Plus-sized YouTubers discussed and were seen engaging in transgressive acts, such as deliberately breaking the unspoken rules about what plus-size women are “allowed” to wear. In addition, interviewees also discussed taking an active stance in relation to fashion – they spoke of “using” fashion for a variety of goals. This was, again, quite different from how they interacted with fashion and apparel in the past, when they felt excluded and powerless. Finally, fashion can be both a barrier and a tool for transformation. In mainstream Western society, fat people are marginalized because of their body size. When individuals have an extremely limited set of apparel choices that does not permit them the ability to wear similar apparel styles to their peers, their marginalization is only increased. In contrast, with today’s increased availability of plus-size brands, stores, and styles, interviewees have come to realize that fashion can serve as a tool for identity exploration, self-esteem building, and transformation.</p