Factors that Influence Clothing Selection of Students: A Case Study of University of Ghana, Legon

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating University of Ghana (Legon) campus fashion and factors that influenced clothing selection of students. The proportionate random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. The hand-coded data was analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS).The results were descriptive and were presented using percentage distribution and pie charts. The respondents’ ages ranged from 18 to 50 years; about 42% were female and 58% male. The majority of respondents (87%) were Christians; 11% were Moslems and 2%, Agnostic. Devoted female Moslems could readily be identified by their way of dressing. The survey revealed that about 68% of the respondents made their own clothing choices; 23% were influenced by their parents and 9% were influenced by friends. Styles of clothing that were distinctive on campus included jeans trousers, hipsters, denim (jeans) skirts and jackets, tiered skirts, pleated skirts, ‘petticoat’, sleeveless blouses, halter neck (bare backs), spaghetti tops, buddha shorts( pushers), hot pants and skirts, and Shaba. A case study investigation conducted earlier revealed that majority of the respondents (69%) did not have knowledge about textiles and clothing. Hence, the trend on campus seemed to suggest that many of them did not know how to select clothing to suit their figure types and occasion.  This study therefore sought to find out factors that influenced the clothing selection of the respondents. Majority of the respondents (91%) considered both protection and modesty as important in clothing selection, although campus fashion seemed to suggest otherwise; 48% rated adornment as important. Factors that influenced the respondents’ clothing selection were grouped into physical, aesthetic, psycho-social, and economic factors. Colour, fashion, affordability, durability and religion were factors that influenced respondents’ clothing selection the most. The respondents suggested that the teaching of Textiles and Clothing be introduced in the schools’ curricula at the basic level of education to help inculcate in children the knowledge about the right choice of clothing to enable them to make informed clothing decisions in life.

Keywords: Clothing, Fashion, Protection, Adornment, Modesty.