TEXAS A8cM UNIVERSITY!CollegeStatiomTexas TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, R. E. Patterson, Director Summary Teenage attitudes, satisfactions and practices regarding clothing were studied by interviewing 471 girls from junior and senior high schools in Bryan, College Station, Dallas and Fort Worth. Similar interviews were given to their mothers to compare the two groups in certain instances. -, These girls considered being well dressed important. Most of‘ their reasons were social and related to social achievement rather than social contribution. Social achievement reasons were given more frequently by girls in low income groups. Although quantity of clothing was important, these girls showed more in- terest in clothing suitable to their activities and becoming to them individually. They wanted to dress similarly to their peers, but they also wanted their clothing to express their own individuality. Generally, mothers and daughters were in agreement about clothing. Mother- daughter planning contributed to agreement in suitability and amount of clothing. Nearly two-thirds of the girls indicated they had, on some occasions, felt ill-at-ease because they were inappropriately dressed. Their explanations re- lated more to unsuitable clothing rather than inadequate numbers. General appearance and becomingness each were named 55 percent of the time when respondents were asked what characteristic of clothing was their greatest concern. It was determined that “proper,” “snug” and “becoming” fit were terms used interchangeably by the girls. Color was also cited as an important factor. Nearly one-half of the sample interviewed indicated they would have fewer garments if they had less money to spend on clothing. Twenty-five percent would have more basic and thus more ‘Nfiilfflblf! designs, while the same percentage would not have as many ready-made garments. With liberal money to spend on cloth- ing, l5 percent would not alter their clothing expenditures. lVhen asked what kind of clothing information they would like, the older, employed girls indicated an interest in style and color, while younger, unem- ployed girls were concerned about what to wear and how to wear it. Twenty-five percent of the teenage respondents thought that clothing made a difference in the way they were treated by other people. Of these, one-third felt their clothing made a favorable impression. Most of the girls who perceived cloth- ing making an impression were older or employed. Borrowing clothing was not a common practice, although it was done under certain circumstances. More girls in the lower income groups were opposed to borrowing while more girls in higher income groups made a practice of it. Those who considered clothing important generally did not like to borrow. Usually, the qualities that the teenage sample noticed in others’ clothing were those which they noticed in their own. General appearance and fit were mentioned by 53 and 52 percent of the group, respectively. The average number of dresses acquired in the year preceding interviewing was 14. The average for girls acquiring 2O or fewer dresses was ll, while those who acquired more than 20 averaged 3O dresses. These teenagers participated in numerous activities Eighty percent were termed “high participants” and engaged in ll or more activities. All socio- economic variables and most clothing and buying practices were related signifi- cantly to the number of activities in which girls participated. Particularly signi- ficant to high participation were family income and education of mothers. Participation in vocational and subject-matter clubs surpassed participation in all other organizations. The latter were equally popular at all income levels, whereas girls from low income groups belonged to vocational clubs more often than did those from high income classes. v NOWN THAT INDIVIDUAL CLOTHING SUPPLIES according t0 socio-econo-mic factors such as me, education, residence, employment and i; rticipation. Relatively little is known, how- in t the attitudes which affect clothing prac- satisfactions. The general purpose of this »__s to investigate the attitudes of teenage “ich in part control their clothing practices. nage girls were selected for the study sample reasons (1) they traditionally have high cloth- and desires, (2) the proportion of teenagers lng adults in our population is high and ‘increasing number of young women are en- _- e labor force which results in changing needs. Oé/ecliuea use relatively little research has been done ng the attitudes governing clothing behavior ,fsatisfaction derived from specific clothing this research takes the form of an inquiry g“ an experiment with hypothesis to be Duly scattered and generally unrelated know- Y available in this are-a of study, making a ‘frame of reference incomplete at best. As is accumulated, it is hoped that a frame ‘lfce based on the social-psychological theory jinteractionisml can be formulated. y, and cultural activities were divided into 'ch required a minimum monetary expendi- clothing or the activity and those which {considerable expenditures for participation. _ 'mal expenditure activities were engaged by girls 0f all income groups. Participa- tivities requiring expenditures increased in portion to income. Nearly one-fourth of ‘ies represented had incomes of $4,000 or ough incomes of the entire sample were age. Low inporne girls had fewer dresses _. y, former assistant professor and former technician, “t of Home Economics, Texas Agricultural Experi- : n, reference see Arnold M. Rose “A Systematic Sum- ymbolic Interaction Theory” and Georgy P. Stone, e and Self” in Rose, Arnold M., Human Behavior l Processes, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1962. jjeenage lgir A’ Jdilifucled anal SaliA/acfiona wifA 6/0fAin9 $ra£e anal £08 All". g: and engaged in fewer activities than did girls from high income families. ‘ The specific objectives of the study were: 1. To determine teenage girls’ attitudes and satisfactions with their clothing. 2. To relate teenage girls’ clothing behavior and buying practice to their clothing attitudes and sat- isfactions. 3. To relate socio-economic factors to attitudes satisfaction and practices. leeaearc‘ meléocl anal Sump/e iDeacrF/alion This research is one of a series of studies seeking information concerning clothing behavior, practices and problems of selected Texas women and girls. No other studies providing this information have been done in Texas. Studies done elsewhere are not applicable because of regional differences. Data were collected during the fall of 1960 by the interview method. The survey consisted of 471 white girls of junior and senior high school age selected at random. For purposes of comparison, 448 of their mothers were asked similar questions. Information concerning their socio-economic status was also gathered. Much of this information was cross-tabulated with the clothing behavior and prac- tice responses. ‘ A breakdown of the source and number of sche- dules administered is given below: City Teenagers Mothers Bryan 313 293 College Station 81 79 Dallas 42 41 Fort Worth 35 3 5 TOTAL _ 471 448 To determine the significance of relationship among the socio-economic factors (independent vari- ables) and clothing practices and behavior (depen- dent variables), the chi-square test2 was used. A ’Hagood, Margaret Jarman and Daniel O. Price, Statistics for Sociologists, New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1952. Fisher, Ronald A. and Frank Yates, Statistical Tables for Biological Agricultural and Medical Research, Habner Pub- lishing Co., Inc., New York, 1957. probability of less than .05 is regarded as statistically significant, .10 as a strong trend and .20 as a broad trend. e Ailifuclea jowarJ 6/oiLin9 jm/oorfance 0/ gain? ibreuen! Teenage girls from both sample areas were asked t0 rate 0n a 5 point Hedonic scale how important they considered being well dressed. Nearly two- thirds of these girls gave reasons social in character. Of these, 39 percent gave reasons related to social achievement. They said that the impression made and consequent acceptance by others is affected by clothing and appearance. Social achievement reasons were given more often by girls in the lower income groups. Being well dressed gave one-fourth of the girls in the sample a feeling of confidence and security in social situations. Girls in the higher income groups gave these reasons most often. Reasons of personality and personal qualities were given by l5 percent. They said personality and character were reflected in clothing and appearance but were more important than clothing itself. An- other l5 percent gave reasons relating to “general appearance.” They believed it important to be neat, clean, dressed appropriately for the occasion or to conform to the way others dressed. The concept of importance of being well dressed was a dependent variable in the analysis of impor- tance girls attach to clothing. It was positively and statistically related to the age of the girl and the frequency of which she planned clothing acquisitions with her mother. The number of sources of informa- tion about clothing used by teenagers was highly significant and in direct proportion to their opinions of the importance of clothing. Suifaéi/ify anal Wuméer 0/ §armenf5 Suitability had two important aspects-becoming- ness to the girls’ physical and psychological charact- eristics and appropriateness for activities. When asked if teenage clothing was considered “mostly suitable” for their activities, 87' percent of the girls said yes. Some of the individual analyses indicated that teenagers believed clothing satisfaction could be attained through the number of garments owned. However, from the overall analysis, suitability for personal needs was the feature most of the girls desired. The sample was equally divided between those girls who thought they had enough clothing and "General appearance refers to neatness and cleanliness of person and clothing; to careful selection of accessories and congruity in design yielding harmony in costume and idea. 4 ._/4/9/9r0pr[al‘ene4a 0/ 670341019 /0r Occadion those who thought they needed more. When, of garments was related to suitability, it was that the girls generally did not distinquish 3" the ideas of suitable wardrobes and large w? In a study of minimum college ward i" Thompson and Edmonds (6) it was repo f freshman girls often had large and varied _‘ which resulted in items which were seldomi worn. A problem for many of these coll was selection of appropriate clothing, partic p social or other “dress-up” occasions. The hid sample from Texas showed that teenage girls" confronted with problems of suitability. A Mother-daughter planning contributed i faction related to both suitability and n; clothing. Teenagers reported less satisfacti the number of garments owned when sev ments were planned concurrently. They relate number of coordinated garments pl, suitability, but mothers said frequent plan‘ gether resulted in more suitable clothing. T were generally better satisfied with the suita amount of their clothing if there was agreem their mothers about it. There was a trend agers to more often feel unsuitably dress three or four garments were discussed wi‘ mothers. Much discussion before buying i related to disagreement between mother I61". ‘ Teenagers were about equally satisfied ability of their clothing if decisions were i their mothers, by themselves or jointly. T faction dropped abruptly if other people ma: ing decisions for them. In their study off girls’ practices and preferences in the sel blouses, skirts, dresses and sweaters, Dick, Ferguson (7) found girls better satisfied if t clothing decisions themselves. Most girls have had the unpleasant I of feeling ill-at-ease on some occasion vi their dress. Nearly two-thirds of the girls had felt inappropriately dressed, but only 2-’ of the mothers interviewed said their teenai ters had felt this way. In explaining how this experience been prevented, half the teenagers said “i! known what others were wearing,” and ovei said “if I had worn a different type of clo l: accessories,” they would not have felt ill-at-e _ statements indicate their quest for the k necessary for choosing clothing suitable \ activities and for peer approval. Moth, similar comments such as “they didn’t have clothes,” “if their clothing had been more ap p’ occasion (the season)” or “more becoming daughter.” Some simply said “she needs more , s” hen the girls who were employed part-time “compared to those who were not employed, A found that one-third more of the part-time yees had felt inappropriately dressed at some Many of the employed girls were distributive i' ion students. and in their work experiences Iput into new, unfamiliar situations and con- tly were not confident of being appropriately ‘f; It was not known if the employed girls were Flower income families and if they anticipated vocational, business or college training. Socio- ic factors other than their employment were ificantly associated with teenagers’ responses. _; with clothing that was considered suitable for ‘jfns, nearly two-thirds of all teenage girls studied d feeling incorrectly dressed. ‘in? jnciom 0/ W041.‘ Concern f0 iemlgerd iesponses to the question “what clothing factors i most concern,” could be assigned to four ’ngful categories. “General appearance” and iiingness“ were each named by about 55 ‘t of the girls. To these girls, becoming (as synonymous with “proper” or “snug” he location of hemline was important. Simi- ickins and Ferguson (7) found that fit, be- ness and color were rated the most important g features. neteen percent of the teenage girls responded cceptable” as the quality most desired. This selecting a suitable design for the occasion and “t fashion trend and dressing in a manner ac- le to peers. Although the teenage girls wanted similarly to their contemporaries, they still clothing which expressed their individuality. jng must “conform,” but at the same time it - “just right” for the individual girl. lor was named by 21 percent as the most de- “uality of clothing. Their answers emphasized eas of “harmonizing or matching,” “becom- ,d a “variety” of colors. Even though a parti- folor might be becoming, the sample still liked 7 a variety of colors. iemenf 0/ Varying Kidding Jdf/lzwancea gteenage girls were asked to consider how they fmanage if they had, more money or less money nd on clothing." Their responses appeared tful and were grouped into four or five pies. More than one answer could be given i question. ingness” refers t0 the fit of garments and to flattering q their personal characteristics. With less money, nearly one-half would simply have fewer clothes. Twenty-five percent would have dresses which were basic in style and could be adapted to many occasions. Nearly one-fourth would make their own clothing or have garments made rather than buying all ready-made items. Eleven percent would take better care of existing clothes, thus main- taining a good appearance and increasing longevity o-f garments. It is interesting to note that with liberal money to spend, 15 percent would not alter their clothing expenditures. Forty-one percent would buy more clothing and 39 percent a greater variety. More ex- pensive ready-made clothing and more expensive fabrics for home sewing would be purchased by 26 percent of the sample. Others mentioned choosing basic colors and designs, having more accessories and being less concerned about purchase price. ieairec! Kidding jn/ormniion The question was asked, “What would you like to learn about clothing if you had an opportunity to attend a modeling or charm school?” More than one answer could be given. Fifty-five percent said they wanted to learn more about styles and designs becoming to the individual. Responses concerning color selection were given by 20 percent. One-fourth wanted to learn about coordinating colors, articles of clothing and accessories, thus achieving interest and variety in small wardrobes. One-fourth wanted to learn what was appropriate apparel for different occasions. How to “wear” clothes was sought by 18 percent. Most girls were conscious that there is a “knack” to wearing clothes smartly. Other factors mentioned were personal grooming and posture, care of clothing and looking smart on a budget. All responses to this question were related signi- ficantly to both age and employment. Both older and employed girls were more interested in style and color while younger and unemployed girls were more interested in what to wear, how to wear clothes and in wardrobe coordination. CJ/olding J46 Ke/afeJ lo jeenage Qty/a’ Socia/ Jnleracliona 641th»; fie/alea/ f0 _S7oc[a/ Jae/fiance Teenagers were asked if they thought their cloth- ing affected the way they were treated by other people. One-fourth reported their clothing made a difference in this respect. Of these, one-third be- lieved their clothing made a favorable impression. The remainder felt that an unfavorable impression was made. The three most frequently mentioned factors contributing to this unfavorable impression were girls feeling that other people had nicer, more expensive clothes, their own general appearance was 5 Felt clothes made a difference IN‘ F?‘ Percent 100 '- 90 - so -— 75 i T v6 70 - 66 6o - 50 - 40 -- 30 —— Z5 24 Z0 _ 16 / / Daughter Mother Both Other Who Makes Final Decision Figure 1. not as good as the other person’s and not liking the specific dress they were wearing. Other factors also mentioned which made a difference were con- spicuous or unbecoming colors, clothing which was not as attractive as the other person’s and improper fit. Older and employed girls were more likely to feel that clothes made a difference in the way they were treated by others. Generally, these girls had a greater opportunity to be away from home and school, and, consequently, were judged more often by strangers on the basis of appearance. Similarly, girls whose mothers were employed re- ported a difference in manner of treatment more often than did daughters of unemployed mothers. It may be that these girls acquired this attitude from their mothers without having experienced it them- selves. Girls who thought their clothing suitable and adequate in number seldom thought their clothing made a difference in the way they were treated by others. It was hypothesized that there would be a posi- tive relationship between mothers making the final clothing decisions and daughters feeling that cloth- ing made a difference in the way they were treated by other people. In cross-tabulating, no distinction was found in the favorable or unfavorable effects of the daughters’ clothing. Since two-thirds of the girls felt that the effect was unfavorable, regardless 6 of the clothing decision-maker, the data ca; terpreted that teenagers felt their clothing m' difference in the treatment received froni when their mothers made the final decisioni 1. They may have had more confidence‘ mothers’ decisions than they were willing jlfifualea anal praclficea lgezfzfer! f0 guru: It was expected that the practice of vi clothing would be prevalent. Borrowing c f‘ means of adding to a wardrobe that a girl r sider inadequate in number or unsuitable - respect. It was believed borrowing would lated to feeling inappropriately dressed, to] class and total number of activities. - Over one-half of the teenagers said theyi like to borrow clothing or accessories. One- they did not mind borrowing under certai stances such as from other family members necessary.” Thirteen percent said they p, mind borrowing and made it a practice. A J had borrowed clothing. Dickins and Ferguson (7) reported ll of white urban girls shared dresses, blo ~' and sweaters with other girls, their mothers The authors reported that the pattern was-j certain garments but not all. Over one-half of the sample, regardless: satisfaction with the amount of clothi y.‘ did not like to borrow clothing. Whe s" clothes were suitable or unsuitable, they we 5, about equally for and against borrowing; feelings of being inappropriately dressed associated with their attitudes toward b0 s? “Don’t like to borrow” was positively _Y lower income groups while, “make a prac Y and “don’t mind borrowing if necessary" tively related to higher income groups. _ _ lower income families appeared reluctant t under most circumstances. One explanati: the girls from lower income groups parti fewer activities. They may have avoided for which they did not have proper clothif the higher income groups may not have v fronted with borrowing, whereas the low, groups had been and they did not like the i . may be related to pride of personal possessii fewer things a person owns, the more impo are. Teenagers from higher income fami more in favor of borrowing items to L‘ supplement outfits they already had. Be“ could afford the necessary and frequently ments or accessories, they apparently wer, luctant to borrow seldom-used garments sories, such as formal gowns. Their willi borrow clothing items may also be related v to replace damaged, borrowed items with of similar quality. When comparing attitudes W borrowing and participation in activities it und that 62 percent of those participating in i less activities did not like to borrow. Girls ipating in 11 or more activities were equally in their attitudes toward borrowing. g hose who considered clothing important did _ j'ke to borrow but, under limiting circumstances ~more likely to than were the girls who consi- clothing unimportant. The former group had tive attitude toward borrowing while the lat- ‘t up did not mind it and, consequently, were A likely to practice borrowing. The girls who 0t consider clothing was important may have ss responsibility for the care of others’ cloth- eenagers who had problems in buying clothing iced borrowing more than those with few prob- The latter were found to be better satisfied 1 their own clothing which probably decreased desire or need to borrow. reneaa 0/ Ol/zem i g/iafding ;A he factors the teenage sample noticed about ‘l’ clothing were often similar to those they _' most particular about regarding their own. ing. The general appearance of others’ clothing entioned by 53 percent of the teenage girls. 'on and combination of fabrics, and congruity igns and accessories were also noticed in oth- p’ lothing. forty-three percent named color aspects such as ingness to the wearer and coordination. These i aspects were similar to those the respondents i particular about in their own clothing. Forty- ercent noticed the fit of others’ clothing. ther factors the teenage girls noticed were nableness and design of garment (about 20 int) , skirt length (16 percent) and suitability to 'on (12 percent). Newness, number ofgar- and quality of fabrics and designs were the mic aspects of clothing 5 percent of the sample ey noticed about others’ clothing. Milli?!’ anal 606i l)! $786626 Jéliullféd - nerally, it is assumed that teenage girls require ‘ave many dresses. When asked how many were ' ed the previous year, the average number re- a was l4. The average was high because a few had acquired a large number; 78 girls or 16.6 nt had added over " 20 dresses. The number (‘red for each girl ranged from one to “about a red.” Thirty-two girls had purchased 8 or l0 s. The average number purchased by girls 'ring 20 or fewer dresses was ll, while for those lover 20 new acquisitions, the average was nearly times as many—30 dresses. Only occasionally did a girl report acquiring more than 40 dresses. An appreciable number (57.1 percent) of the ac- quired dresses were made at home rather than ready- made. The age of the girls’ mothers and the composi- tion of the household were related significantly to the number of dresses the teenager acquired only to the extent that a broad trend was identified. The fami- ly’s income was highly significantly related to the number of dresses purchased, while the price paid for these dresses was highly related to income, education of the mother and age of the teenage girl. How often a mother and daughter planned together for clothing and the number of sources of clothing information used were highly significant to an analysis of total number and cost of dresses ac- quired. The price of casual dresses was most impor- tant to the number of garments purchased, whereas the number of dresses purchased and number of activities in which the girls participated were signi- ficantly related to the purchase price. The im- portance the girl attached to being well dressed was only related slightly to the total number of dresses she acquired. More socio-economic factors were associated with the cost of dresses than with either the total number or the number purchased. As in other questions, the relationship of education to cost of dresses was simi- lar to that of income. The influence of size and com- position of household, which were moderately signi- ficant, could also be caused by income rather than these factors themselves. As expected, the older girls usually paid $10 or more for dresses. In other responses, teenagers sometimes seemed to ignore economic considerations. However, when considering number of dresses purchased and cost of dresses, their responses were extremely significant. Most girls in the two lowest income classes pur- chased only a minimum number of dresses. Most teenagers with parents in the $6,000 to $9,999 in- come level reported purchasing 6 to 12 dresses, considerably more than minimal. When mothers and girls considered being well dressed important, they agreed that the girls had more dresses in their wardrobes. Mothers, but not their daughters, said more dresses were purchased when clothing was con- sidered important. Frequent cooperative planning was statistically related to purchase price and the number “and kinds of information sources used were more likely as- sociated with number and cost of dresses than other buying factors. There was a trend for income to be as- sociated with mothers’ opinions of frequency of plan- ning. About three-fourths reported frequent plan- ning when income was $4,000 and over but only half at the under $4,000 income level. The total number of dresses acquired, but not the number purchased, was higher when many in- 7 formation sources were used. The number of sources used, as reported by teenage girls, was positively as- sociated to family income. When two to four infonnation sources were used, teenagers reported a substantial increase in the number of dresses costing $10 or more. The kinds of information used were associated with number and cost of purchased dresses but not to the total number acquired. €foféing Ke/afecl f0 jeenage girzi, parlici/aaiion in Jcfiuifiea jreguency 0/ parfictyaalfion The total sample of teenage girls listed frequent participation in extracurricular activities (Table l) . Almost all indicated participation in some kind of church or religious activity. Although 97 percent designated church attendance, this may not be a realistic figure. All participated in more than one of the social and cultural activities listed. Partici- pation in other activity groups varied with in- terest and income. The kinds of activities were similar to those cited in the Stone and Ryan studies <1» <8» Most girls (80 percent) were termed “high par- ticipants” and engaged in ll or more activities. Only one-fifth were “low participants” taking part in l0 or fewer activities. Age was positively related to high participation. Shae-economic jacfom a/afea/ i0 pariiczyaalfion All socio-economic variables and most clothing and buying practices were significantly related to TABLE l. ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION OF 471 GIRLS Percent Activity participating Church and Religious Organizations Church attendance 97 Sunday school 54 Youth organizations 77 Musical l8 Other Organizations Performing arts ' 28 Drill team, pep squad, etc. 15 Vocational clubs -— FHA, FTA, FN 28 Subject-matter clubs 23 Scouts 8 Student government 5 Other 2 Private Instruction in Performing Arts Music — instrument and voice l5 Dancing 5 Speech and dramatics ‘l Modeling 3 Other 3 the number of activities in which the girls p _ pated. Among these, mothers’ education, f {_ income, age of teenager and her employment ' extremely significant. More employed girls than unemployed en in ll or more activities. The total sample w” junior or senior high schoog yet 30 percent were employed part-time and four were empl full-time. These teenage girls probably pos unusual initiative and energy to work, attend v1 and participate in more activities than non 0.7,, As previously mentioned, some were distri education students who worked part-time in i, businesses, allowing them to receive school q while working for pay. ” Girls from large families engaged in l‘ activities than those from smaller families. Te girls fro-m families with children of varied .5 participated in fewer activities. Income ma” positively related to low participation in both of family structure. Large families were gen in the low income group and were more lik be heterogeneous in composition and age. teenage activities require money, and in large fa with limited incomes, participation was limited-i though there was greater participation when were employed, this did not appear to be r1 of increased income as there was not a signi association between these two factors. i income lee/aha, l0 0/ Jdclfiuifiea Girls in all income groups were equal ; participants. Although half as many of th income girls attended Sunday School as compa the three higher income groups, youth fell P0 I i Activity partly Social and Cultural Plays, concerts, lectures Movies Dances Dates Visit friends Have guest at home Dine out Parties and other Sports—Participate Camping, bicycling, horseback riding Water sports Bowling Tennis, badminton Ballgames Skating Golf and other Sports-—Attend Football Basketball, volleyball Baseball Rodeos, horse shows Other ded more often by the girls in the $10,000 P; group. Except for higher participation in usical activities by girls in the $4,000 t0 ‘up, there was little difference in participa- te er church youth activities and organiza- 'rls of varying incomes. 'i0nal clubs was listed second to church '0ns. Girls in the under $4,000 income ionged to vocational clubs more often than in the higher groups. Subject-matter clubs "lly popular at all income levels. Participa- iubject-matter and vocational clubs greatly l participation in other organizations. Girls f000 to $5,999 income group were most active service groups. 2' and cultural activities were divided into ‘fications; those which required a minimum Q re of money for the activity or necessary Wand those which required considerable ex- i Movies, visiting friends and having it home required minimum expenditures. ll income groups engaged in these activities Activities requiring considerable expendi- plays, concerts, lectures, dances, dating "g out. “High expenditure activities” were fted in more often by girls in the higher f} oups. l5 girls who received private instructions in rming arts, only eight were from families y es of $4,000 or less. Girls from the low i t-matter organizations at school. sample participated in and attended a ‘_ sport activities. Nearly two-thirds of the girls frequently engaged in water sports. ; ion in water sports increased with income. 'me girls were likely to participate in ball- ore often than were higher income girls. A‘ ion in all other sport activities was not i, income. " majority in each income group attended es. Basketball games were attended more 4 baseball games less often as income in- : Low income girls attended rodeos more n did girls in income groups of $4,000 or _ income girls were high participants in 7 but were financially limited in the kinds _'es in which they could participate. Gen- e activitiescould not require special cloth- as swimming or gymnasium costumes and dresses. Further=study is required to identify othing needs bf lower income girls. l‘ iwara/ (Vat/ring anal parficzfzafion clothing and buying practices were signifi- ated to the number of activities in which * participated. High participants believed Iamilies participated in musical, vocational f Percent 0 1O 2O 30 40 50 6O 7O 80 9O 100 Importance of beingwell dressed Important Not so important 81 Vl/l/ll/l/l/ll/l/l/ll/l/l/l/l/l/ll/l. 1O 82 67 Suitability of clothing Mostly suitable Unsuitable some ways Attitude toward borrowing Don't borrow 75 Don't mind if necessary y 87 Make practice of it 73 What like to learn Style or design Color How to wear Coordination What to wear ' Other Figure 2. clothing important and felt satisfaction with the suitability of their clothing, Figure 2. The girls did not indicate that the number of garments owned was related to their frequency of participation in activi- ties. Results in indirect questioning techniques such as open-end questions and story completion items showed that the amount of clothing was significantly related to participation in activities. However, be- cause attitudes are difficult to measure reliably by direct questions, these indirect techniques may be more accurate. The sample indicated their real concern was with clothing appropriate for their activities, becoming to them individually and accept- able to their contemporaries. It has been stated that 55 percent of the teen- age girls wanted to learn how to choose clothing suited to themselves. Frequency distribution of number of activities participated in and an interest in appropriate clothing further emphasized this de- sire. They were concerned with achieving a “finished” effect in a costume. They also related participation in activities to “mixing and matching” clothing, thus increasing gannent versatility. Low activity-partici- pants wanted help in learning what to wear for different occasions and how to wear clothes effectively. wolf/wr- Ebaugéier pzanning fie/afea/ i0 parficzyaa/fion The number of garments, frequency and harmony of mother-daughter" planning were directly related to the girls’ high participation in activities, Figure 3. Only small differences in participation were found when clothing decisions were made by teenagers, mothers or jointly. An understanding mother-daughter relationship seemed to be an advan- tage. High participants used a greater number of information sources about clothing. Number of in- formation sources used by the daughters was not related to the mothers’ education and family income. 9 PercentO l0 20 30 40 5O 60 70 80 90 lOO Illlllllll Number things plan and discuss l thing 2 things 3 things 4 or more Freguency of planning Frequently 85 Occasionally V/ e9 Frequency of agreement Usually agree Sometimes or usually disagree B4 12 Who makes final decision Daughter Mother Both Other Number sources of information euro»- SOUICBS SOUTCGS O!‘ PHOTO SOUICCS Figure 3. Wuméer anal 6051f 0/ ireazieé lee/aisle! f0 jrezyuency 0/ parlficipaiion Number of dresses was used as an indicator of the approximate number of garments owned. When girls owned a minimum number of dresses, they tended t0 participate in fewer activities. It was expected that cost of dresses would be positively related to high participation, since partici- pation was dependent upon income. Although there was a trend for number of dresses purchased to be related to participation, it was probably because a low percentage of all acquired dresses were home- SCWII. jm/a/icafiona The results of this survey reveal some important implications for educators and manufacturers of teenage girls’ clothing. l0 For educators: l. The greatest need indicated by all girls stud- ied was in the selection and use of clothing. This is particularly true for girls from low income (below $4,000) families who require assistance in selecting becoming clothing which allows them appropriate dress for participa- tion in a variety of social activities. . Training in teenage clothing needs is desir- able for mothers as well as daughters. Sur- vey results showed that daughters derived greater satisfaction from clothing when there was frequent agreement with their mothers. Teenagers had confidence in their my; opinions and decisions. Frequent m daughter planning contributed much t confidence and satisfaction. l 3. When mothers gave their daughters gui“ and responsibility at an early age (pr and early teens), teenage girls were f likely to feel satisfaction and confidenc their clothing. It is not illogical to s that if clothing training came early in, ~ the results would be similar. 5 For manufacturers of teenage girls’ clothif l. The greatest problems in buying cl especially dresses, for teenage girls rela“ fit, particularly of waistlines and u Dress designs could better lend the to the small waistlines common to ti girls and to easy alteration. Waistline” adjustable to long or short waist len {A needed. Hemlines nee-d to be easily . able for short or tall girls and rapid ; 2. Very small or large sizes in designs sui teenage girls were also problems. Smal are often too child-like and large siz mature in design to appeal to teenage- The “teenage look” in these two size would find a ready market. i” 3. There is demand for low cost, good r and attractive clothing adaptable to th variety of teenage activities. Teenagerf clothing which conforms to the way; group dresses but which also expresses‘ own individual personalities and is s to a variety of occasions. l " 4. Advertising and other merchandising 1' which provide suggestions and info n: about coordinating colors and articles Off‘ ing is highly acceptable to the teenage i‘ Teenagers want to achieve a well pl. coordinated look and are alert t0 a ' of sources of information that helps th complish this. leeflrencea Ryan, Mary L. Psychological Effects of Cl Part II. Bulletin 898, Cornell University, cultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 1953. “' Linton, R. The Study of Man. Newi: D. A. Appleton-Century Company, 1936. Morgan, N. Consumer ‘Economics. New- i Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1955. A Venner, Arthur M. and Charles R. Hoffer. lescent Orientations to Clothing. iTechni - Iiirletin 27. Michigan State University, Agricultural Experiment Station, East Lansing. March 1959. jAnspach, Karlyne. Clothing Selection and the Mobility Concept. journal of Home Economics, ;Vol. 53, No. 6, June 1961, p. 428. jThompson, Henrietta M. and Mary Neville Ed- ‘imonds. A Minimum College Wardrobe for a Freshman. Journal of Home Economics, Vol. 52, No. 8, October 1960, p. 662. Dickins, Dorothy and Virginia Ferguson. Prac- ‘ §, tices and Preferences of Teen-Age Girls in the ‘Selection of Blouses, Skirts, Dresses and Sweaters. “Bulletin 636, Mississippi Agricultural Experi- jment Station, State College, Mississippi. February ‘I962. m“ ‘#1; 8. Stone, Carol L. Teenagers’ Activities and Social Relations. Stations Circular 373, Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations, Washington State University, May 1960. jcénowflzJgmeni This report is the result of the efforts of many individuals. John G. McNeely, Department of Agri- cultural Economics and Sociology, and Bardin Nel- son, formerly of that department, now with the Ford Foundation, University of Aleppo, were consultants. The assistance of Merrie Ann Guillot, formerly technician, Department of Home Economics, is gratefully acknowledged. l1 nus-u n, i tum snnon O nu suesnnens I nn mm Luminous: A ooorslwnne STATIMII Location oi field research units oi the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and cooperating agencies OPERATION ORGANIZATION Research results are carried to Texas farmers, ranchmen and homemakers by county agents and specialists of the Texas Agricultural Ex- tension Service act, a it jomorrow z use, State-wide Researc The Texas Agricultural Experiment St A is the public agricultural research age oi the State oi Texas. and is one oi parts oi Texas AGM University. I IN THE MAIN STATION, with headquarters at College Station, are l3 matter departments, 3 service departments, 3 regulatory services a administrative staii. Located out in the major agricultural areas oi T 20 substations and 1O iield laboratories. In addition, there are 13 co stations owned by other agencies. Cooperating agencies include ~17 Forest Service, Game and Fish Commission oi Texas, Texas Prison U. S. Department oi Agriculture, University oi Texas, Texas Tec t- College, Texas College oi Arts and Industries and the King Ranch, experiments are conducted on iarms and ranches and in rural r3, THE TEXAS STATION is conducting about 4-50 active research projects, p‘ in 25 programs, which include all phases of agriculture in Texas. these are: i Conservation and improvement oi soil Conservation and use of water Grasses and legumes Grain crops Cotton and other fiber crops Vegetable crops Citrus and other subtropical iruits Fruits and nuts Oil seed crops Ornamental plants Brush and weeds Insects Beei cattle Dairy cattle Sheep and goats Swine Chickens and turkeys _ Animal diseases and par 5, Fish and game I Farm and ranch engin A Farm and ranch business Marketing agricultural p 1 Rural home economics f, Rural agricultural econo Plant diseases ‘ i‘ Two additional programs are maintenance and upkeep, and central j AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH seeks the WHATS. - ‘A WHYS. the WHENS. the WHERES and the HOWS , hundreds oi problems which confront operators oi -- - f and ranches. and the many industries depending - or serving agriculture. Workers of the Main St - ‘ and the iield units oi the Texas Agricultural "f ment Station seek diligently to find solutions to th Y problems.