Toward a Definition of Freedom in Dress

Lowe, Elizabeth; Anspach, Karlyne A.

doi:10.1177/1077727x7300100402

Cited by 9 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…They hypothesized: (1) the feeling of freedom in dress is a state of mind which each person defines for him or herself, (2) there are three phases involved with feeling freedom in dress that include planning, execution of the plan, and enjoyment of the results, and (3) people will feel they are dressed freely when they are rewarded with praise and acceptance (Lowe and Anspach 1973). Lowe and Anspach further explored the freedom in dress concept by examining measureable factors of what leads people to feeling and experiencing freedom in dress (1978).…”

Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping by crossdressing: an exploration of exercise clothing for obese heterosexual women

2016

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IntroductionParticipation in physical activity has dramatically decreased over the past decade, especially among American adult women over the age of 18 (Physical Activity Council Report 2015). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 69.1 % of the population in the United States is considered overweight and within this group, 35.1 % is classified as obese (2015). Consumer reports (Cox 2012) show that over 65 % of women in the US wear plus-size clothing, which is defined as apparel over a US size 14 (Alexander et al. 2012). Prior research supports that weight bias is a barrier to physical activity (Ball et al. 2000;Vartanian and Shaprow 2008). Having desired clothing for exercise can promote physical activity and help obese women overcome weight bias (Lou Watkins et al. 2014). However, there is a lack of research on exercise clothing, especially with regards to the plus-size market. AbstractOver the past decade participation in physical activity for adult women has decreased while body size has increased. Overweight and obese individuals are considered the majority demographic in the United States; however, plus-sized clothing sales are minimal in comparison to other segments. Furthermore, there is little known about the clothing practices of obese women who engage in physical activity. The current study addresses this research gap by exploring obese heterosexual women's clothing practices for exercise, with an emphasis on what women wear, their perceived choices, alternatives, and satisfaction. Lowe and Anspach's (Home Econ Res J 7(2):121-127, 1978) notion of freedom of dress was the guiding conceptual framework for in-depth interviews with (n = 56) obese women. A majority of the women perceived having limited freedom in dress, and reported crossdressing in men's clothing to engage in physical activity, which resulted in a perceived lack of gender expression. Crossdressing is wearing clothing of the opposite sex and gender expression is a way in which a person acts to communicate gender within a given culture. Women in this study indicated and the authors discuss that as clothing size increases, perceived freedom in dress decreases. In order to increase freedom in dress, our participants tended to believe it is their personal responsibility to lose weight. Christel et al. Fash Text (2016) et al. Fash Text (2016) 3:11 According to the International ASTM standard table of body measurement, clothing designed for women with a 35.5″ waist circumference correlates to a plus-size 18 (ASTM D6960-04 2004). Plus-size apparel often costs more and is offered in fewer styles, colors, and varieties than apparel in standard sizes (Greenleaf and Kauffung 2015). In turn, plus-size consumers have a difficult time finding outfits that fit well, and many of these women feel excluded and frustrated during shopping experiences (Otieno et al. 2005;Scaraboto and Fischer 2013). Not having appropriate clothing for exercise can lead to further body issue concerns, and the desire to not participate in physical a...

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Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping by crossdressing: an exploration of exercise clothing for obese heterosexual women

2016

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“…The elaborated code for women's business dress is inherently complex. Greater variety in choices facilitates greater freedom in dress (Lowe and Anspach 1973); however, greater choice may engender concomitant uncertainty about what is appropriate. If women are adopting greater variety in their business dress, then we should expect that meanings of that dress are becoming more vague and uncertain.…”

Section: Appearance and Work Role Dressmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Grounded Theory Model of the Ideal Business Image for Women

Kimle

Damhorst

1997

Symbolic Interaction

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Recent changes in women's business identities present an opportunity to explore the social meanings conveyed by dress in a specific and changing context. Using a grounded theory approach, interview data from twenty‐four business women were analyzed for recurrent themes. These women felt they could choose from a variety of dress images in order to express appropriate or socially acceptable meanings, including credibility and competence in business. A dynamic, multi‐dimensional model of the meanings comprising an “ideal” image for business women is proposed. These meanings include conservatism, fashion, masculinity, femininity/sexuality, creativity, and conformity. The meanings are conceptualized as approximately opposing forces causing tensions, thus requiring conscious balancing by business women. Each meaning has an extreme which can endanger the credibility of the wearer. The balance of meanings is mediated by several contextual factors.

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“…Exploration of style in the context of sustainable consumption suggests that style consistency provides freedom from fashion dictate (Bly et al, ; Fletcher & Grose, ). Similarly, Lowe and Anspach () describe a state of mind called “freedom in dress.” Free consumers believe they have control over what they wear, are capable of choosing among available alternatives, and are satisfied with their choices. Not entirely the opposite of conformity, it is considered a separate dimension of appearance management and characterized by three dimensions: as an individually or subjectively defined state of mind, as various phases involved in the process of “dressing freely” (purposeful planning, execution, and pleasure in the results), and on the basis of restrictions and satisfactions related to clothing—economic (budget), social (peer group), or perceptual (aesthetics; Lowe & Anspach, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, Lowe and Anspach () describe a state of mind called “freedom in dress.” Free consumers believe they have control over what they wear, are capable of choosing among available alternatives, and are satisfied with their choices. Not entirely the opposite of conformity, it is considered a separate dimension of appearance management and characterized by three dimensions: as an individually or subjectively defined state of mind, as various phases involved in the process of “dressing freely” (purposeful planning, execution, and pleasure in the results), and on the basis of restrictions and satisfactions related to clothing—economic (budget), social (peer group), or perceptual (aesthetics; Lowe & Anspach, ). This construct has primarily been implicated in studies related to purchase decision making (Lowe & Anspach, , ), though it nonetheless contributes to the conception of CSC as a state of mind that takes exception to the fashion system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clothing style confidence: The development and validation of a multidimensional scale to explore product longevity

Armstrong

Kang

Lang

2018

J of Consumer Behaviour

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Personal style has been more frequently cited in the sustainable consumption discourse in recent years. The purpose of this research project is to conceptualize and operationalize clothing style confidence (CSC), defined as confidence about the individual way people express themselves with clothing and accessories. This study aims to advance a systematic understanding of the role of CSC in product longevity by developing a measurement scale through qualitative interviews, expert review, a survey to purify the scale, and a survey to validate a scale. The project began with 23 interviews among men and women who self‐identified as style confident, which aided in the development of 108 initial items. These items were reviewed by seven experts, resulting in the retention of 77 items. An online survey via a mass e‐mail facilitated through a large southwestern university's communication office yielded 141 responses for the purpose of scale purification, resulting in 26 items for the validation phase. An online survey was then conducted with a consumer panel purchased via Research Reward, yielding 451 usable surveys for scale validation. A measure of CSC that is both reliable and valid resulted, including 22 scale items across five distinct dimensions: style longevity, aesthetic perceptual ability, creativity, appearance importance, and authenticity. Analyses reveal a significant relationship between CSC and wardrobe engagement as well as wardrobe preservation, indicating that CSC is related to a more attentive and aware approach to clothing use that supports product longevity.

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Toward a Definition of Freedom in Dress

Cited by 9 publications

References 4 publications

Coping by crossdressing: an exploration of exercise clothing for obese heterosexual women

Coping by crossdressing: an exploration of exercise clothing for obese heterosexual women

A Grounded Theory Model of the Ideal Business Image for Women

Clothing style confidence: The development and validation of a multidimensional scale to explore product longevity

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