Mainstreaming the Novel Form of Zero-Waste Apparel Designs: An Aesthetic, Semantic, and Symbolic Analysis of Consumer Responses
Team: Boowon Kim (PhD Student), Dr. Missy Elizabeth Bye (Professor)
Program: Apparel Studies
The purpose of this study is to describe consumers’ cognitive (i.e., aesthetic impression, semantic interpretation, symbolic association), affective, and behavioral responses to novel forms of zero-waste (ZW) apparel designs. The study used 2 (product category) x 3 (stimulus level) mixed factorial experimental design. Between-subject factor was an apparel product category (dress vs. jacket), and the within-subject factor was a stimulus level (high acceptability/low creativity vs. medium acceptability/medium creativity vs. low acceptability/high creativity). After obtaining IRB approval, an online survey was distributed to female consumers aged 25 to 40 who are United States residents. The participants received financial compensation in gratitude for their time. One hundred responses (jacket: n = 51, dress: n = 49) were eligible for final sample. Findings indicate ZWPCDs that are more acceptable and less creative elicit higher aesthetic, semantic, and behavioral responses. ZWPCDs with silhouettes that are closer to mainstream designs will support market acceptance. Yet, this relationship does not emerge for symbolic and affective responses. Additionally, there were no significant differences in response to jackets and dresses, except in the case of aesthetic impressions, where the effect of apparel product category approached significance, with aesthetic impressions of ZWPCD jackets emerging higher than that of dresses.
Keywords: Apparel Studies
Funders: College of Design at the University of Minnesota
Other Collaborators: Dr. Veena Chattaraman, Dr. Dawn Michaelson (Auburn University)
