Casual apparel and symbolism

Abstract

The growth in casual apparel segment has seen stark rise due to change in consumer needs. These needs have been driven by growth in financial independence, need for uniqueness and aspirations to stand out in crowd while seeking variety to portray a socially acceptable image in different settings. The present study is an attempt to understand the motivations behind the purchase of casual apparel amongst the students of one of the premier institutes of India, IIM Bangalore. The methodology followed has been exploratory in nature which involves in-depth interviews of respondents through semi-structured questionnaire. The responses had been recorded and analyzed for each individual using the technique of Laddering which helps in identifying the attributes of the clothing preferred before the purchase, the benefits that the respondents seek to derive from these attributes and eventually the subconscious values that serve as driving force help in decision making process for casual apparels. The individual ladders are finally consolidated to identify the dominant terminal values which are defined as the end-states sought by the respondents. A similar analysis has been carried out for identifying the attributes, consequences and values from three brands namely, Nike, adidas & Puma. The results show that the dominant terminal values in case of casuals are found to be the Sense of belongingness, Inner Harmony & Self-esteem. These are derived from the apparent benefits of being able to socialize, associate to group and conform to social norms while interacting in a social setting. In addition, individual desires of being unique and standing out in crowd also boosts their confidence and helps them to express themselves giving them inner harmony. The dominant attributes of the clothing that play crucial role in fulfilling these requirements are variety in collections, brands, designs, patterns of t-shirts such as character, themes and quotes which help individuals to reflect their beliefs, be unique and give them access to express themselves by giving freedom of choice. The results from the analysis of brands show that the dominant personal terminal values that trigger the purchase of these brands are Sense of Accomplishment & Social Recognition. The benefits sought from these brands in comfort and success to portray personality of being into sports and stand out in the crowd. The attributes that strikes a chord with these consumers are quality & variety in designs. However, following limitations have been identified for the study. The sample size considered is very small( 26 respondents) and from the same university. In addition, only 5 respondents have been considered for drawing inferences about the Sporty casual which can lead to biased results. The university chosen is premier institute where majority of the students are found to be economically stable and have thus varied differences.