Using Your Vocabulary

Write the following sentences on a sheet of notepaper. Fill each blank with a word from
the list. Do not use any word more than once.

accessories garment mix-and-match

coordinated inventory wardrobe

1. Philip wanted his ties and other _________to match the color of his suit.
2. During his _________, Frank discovered sweaters he hadn’t worn in years.
3. Sally looked at only those blouses that ___________ with her two suits.
4. Cal found travelling easier if he carried his suits in a ___________ bag flung over his
shoulder.
5. With winter just around the corner, now is the time to add a warm coat to your
___________.

Checking Your Understanding

1. What five features should an item in your wardrobe have?
2. How can you develop a suitable wardrobe?
3. Upon examining your wardrobe and finding an item no longer suitable, list on the
options that are open to you.
4. How can you increase the lives of items in your wardrobe?
5. How can advance planning assure you of greater satisfaction with clothing purchases?

Problem Solving and Decision Making

1. Your part in class play requires that you wear white clothing in a hospital scene. You
must furnish your own costume. Your family agrees to buy the required items only if you
will promise to wear them regularly afterward. Choose any three items for the costume as
you picture it. (For example, you could select a lab coat, a shirt or top, and a pair of
shoes.) Tell how you would change each item after the performance so that you would
enjoy wearing it as a regular part of your wardrobe. Avoid making the same change in all
three articles of clothing.
2. You have saved money for several months in order to buy a special outfit for a school
dance. While shopping for the important event, you notice a close-out sale on Western
wear. It is a genuine bargain — 50 percent off — and you know you will need Western
clothing for a trip your family is planning this summer. You do not have enough money
to buy clothes for a dance and take advantage of the bargain. What should you do? Tell
why.

Consumer Projects
1. When taking an inventory of your wardrobe, choose one item to be made over into
something different. Bring this article of clothing to school and share your plans for
altering it with your classmates. Together set a time limit for all class members to make
their alterations — perhaps two weeks. On that day, everyone should wear his or her
transformed garment to class.
 2. Volunteer to help a religious or civic group in a clothing drive. You can assist by
collecting, washing and ironing, or packing clothes. Report to the class on your
experience. (For example, you may find that donations include expensive, never-worn
clothes.)
3. Work with a group of students in writing and acting out a skit showing the right way and
the wrong way to inventory and update a wardrobe. Present the skit in class.

SECTION
2 Shopping for Clothes

Learning Objectives

When you have finished studying this section, you should be able to:
1. choose clothing that is right for you, based on your appearance, budget, and wardrobe
needs;
2. consider fabric characteristics when buying and caring for clothing;
3. use clothing labels as guide when shopping;
4. recognize quality workmanship in a garment;
5. understand why shoplifting is a crime that hurts consumers and store owners alike.

Vocabulary Preview

factory outlets Manufacturer owned and operated stores where over-runs and seconds are
sold at bargain prices.
off-price outlets Stores that offer quality merchandise at reduced prices.
natural fibers Fibers made from plants or obtained from animals.
synthetic fibers Fibers made from chemicals.
blends Fabrics made from combination of fibers.
Sanforizing Patented process that guarantees garment shrinkage will be limited to no more 1
percent.
permanent care label Label sewed into a garment to tell the purchaser what care will
lengthen its useful life.
hangtags Removable tags attached to a garment offered for sale.

Planning your clothing purchases as described in the previous section simplifies

shopping. If you have done an inventory and analyzed your wardrobe needs, you know
what to look for in terms of garment type, color, and price range. Wiser and more
satisfying choices are likely to result.

What to Look For

 Recall that there are five factors to keep in mind when considering a clothing purchase —
attractiveness, acceptability, utility, quality and price. Each of these will be examined in detail in
this section.
Attractiveness
Clothing should bring out your best features and play down your less attractive ones. The latest
fashion may be perfect for a classmate but a disaster for you. The acid test for any garments is
how it looks on you, not on a hanger or a fashion model.
Color. Each of us has a natural coloring that goes well with certain colors. Think for a moment
about the outfit you now own that has brought you the most compliments. Chances are it
contains colors that are becoming to you.
While certain shades of almost any color may be right for you, there are other factors to
consider. Dark colors, for example, make a person appear more slender, while light shades seem
to add weight. Tops and bottoms of contrasting colors make a person look heavier. Thus, if you
want to appear slimmer, consider wearing outfits of all one color. Small designs in muted colors
and soft fabrics can help, too. If you want to appear heavier, consider wearing large, multicolor
designs as well as rough, bulky fabrics.
Line. Unbroken vertical lines running from the shoulders to the bottom of a garment and height.
A row of buttons or trim down the front of a full-length garment, for example, can give this
effect. If you want to appear shorter, look for clothes with horizontal lines.
Fit. Clothing that does not fit properly cannot make you more attractive. Probably the most
important question you can ask about a possible purchase is “Will I be comfortable in it?”
To start, you should know approximately what size you wear. However, sizes are not
uniform. Only by trying on clothes can you know what your size in a particular style or make.

When trying on a garment, do not simply examine the fit in a mirror. Move. Move in all
the extreme and complex ways you move in your daily activities — walk, sit, reach up, crouch
down, bend over, fold your arms. Then ask yourself these questions.
1. Do I feel comfortable?
2. Does the garment fit securely where it should?
3. Does it move with me, or give when it should?
4. Does it bind?
5. Does it scratch?
6. Does it wrinkle (an indication of tightness)?
If you cannot answer yes to the first three questions and no to the last three, keep looking. You
have not found a good fit.

Acceptability
People like to make decisions without pressure from anyone. Group approval is important,
however.
Peer Standards. We usually select clothes that conform within reason to what our friends are
willing to accept. For example, you would not go to school dressed as if you were on your way
to a dance. Such behavior would show nether taste nor common sense. School clothing should be
sturdy, comfortable, well made, and suitable for all the day’s activities. It should be stain-
resistant and easy to care for as well. These are clearly not the kinds of standards by which
evening wear is judged.
Social occasions, on the other hand, call for clothing different from school attire. If you
were going to a party, you would most likely wear something dressier. Still, it is not what you
would wear to church or on the job in a business setting.
Fashion vs. Style. Fashion changes, but style remains. If you are going to invest in clothing,
emphasize style — simple and uncluttered items that will last. A blazer is a good example. It will
still be acceptable next year, after a full season’s wear this year. It can be combined with
different accessories and with shirts or blouses of different colors and designs. Then you and
others will not have the impression that you are wearing “the same old blazer.”
High fashion clothing and faddish costumes tend to be overly expensive. They have frills
and features that, while very popular today, are dated tomorrow. They may be fun for a short
time, but they are not a permanent addition to a wardrobe.

Utility
Wardrobe items have utility if they serve a useful purpose. Rainwear, for example, should repel
water. A winter coat should be warm; a pair of slacks, cool. Office wear should resist stains and
wrinkling. If clothing does not meet this basic standard, no matter how stylish or attractive it is, it
will not be worn.

Quality
Quality is important in clothing. This statement does not mean that everything you buy should be
the best available. An item that will not be worn often does not have to be extremely durable.
School clothes, on the other hand, should be well made and of sturdy material. The same thing is
true of heavy coats and other garments that are purchased to be worn for several seasons.
When examining clothing for quality, note the points listed below. Remember, however,
that the item can be of acceptable quality without having all of these features.
1. The garment is cut full, not skimpily.
2. Stitches are small and evenly spaced.
3. Plaids and other designs are matched at seams.
4. Hems are deep enough to permit alterations. They do not pucker, bulge, or draw. Stitches
do not show on the top side.
 5. Buttons are sewn on securely. Buttonholes are neatly made and have bars (reinforcing
threads) at each end.
6. Lapels and collar points do not curl. They are matched in design, width and length.
7. Zippers work with ease. They are sewed firmly in place and lie hidden and flat.
8. Any pleats are of even width, and any padding is smooth.
9. Linings are smooth and have a pleat or other fullness.
10. Seams are reinforced at points of stress. Their edges are finished (bound, overcast, or
pinked) to prevent raveling.
11. Interfacing and interlinings are used, where necessary, to give body to parts of a
garment. Both elements consists of firm cloth sewed between inner and outer layers of
fabric. They are frequently found in shirt collars, coat fronts, and waistbands.

Price
Suppose you find a piece of sportswear that improves your appearance. It has the right colors and
lines and is durable and well made. The outfit is fashionable, warm and just right to wear when
matching winter sports. You need it and you want it. The price tag, however, brings you back to
earth. The cost is three times what you can pay.

Affordability. If you follow the step-by-step plan suggested earlier, you know ahead of time
what you need and how much you can afford to spend. Upon entering a store, go to the rack or
department that features garments in your price range. Ignore displays of high-cost merchandise.
They will tend to make you less satisfied with choices you can afford. This policy may take some
of the advantage and excitement out of shopping. In the long run, though it is the easier course to
follow.

Choice of Store. Knowing what you need and how much you want to spend also allows you to
choose the right store. Smart consumers do not limit their shopping to department stores and
specialty shops. They consider other alternatives.
1. Factory outlets. Factory outlets are stores where factory overruns and seconds are sold
at bargain prices. Overruns come about when manufacturers misjudge the market. They
produce more goods than they can sell at regular prices. Seconds are items that do not
measure up to a manufacturer’s quality standards. Many, however, have only minor,
hidden flaws.
2. Discount stores. Today’s discount stores have changed in response to consumer demands.
Many have upgraded their clothing departments and now offer stylish, fashion-oriented
items like designer (or designer look) jeans.
3. Off-price outlets. Off-price outlets cater to upper-income bargain hunters. They offer
quality merchandise at reduced prices.
A careful shopper can also sometimes find bargains at sidewalk and garage sales and in thrift (or
second hand) shops.
Bear in mind, however, there is such a thing as taking comparison shopping too far. It is
easy to choose from among three or four suits or dresses. Deciding on the best of ten is a much
more difficult task. First, it takes longer to find so many items. Second, once you have found
them, it takes you longer to choose. Remember, your time is valuable. As a smart shopper, you
should limit your purchase possibilities.

Cost of Care. A factor that consumes often fail to consider when making a clothing purchase is
the cost of caring a garment. If it must be dry-cleaned frequently, for example, a dress or suit
could be affordable to buy but beyond your means to keep.

Fibers, Fabrics, and Finishes

Some basic knowledge of fabrics will help you in shopping. Fabrics are made up of fibers, some
natural and some synthetic. Natural Fibers are made from plants or obtained from animals.
Synthetic Fibers are manufactured from chemicals. Both kinds of fibers are used to make
clothing. (Note: The following information is based on material provided by the U.S Department
of Commerce.)

Natural Fibers
Until advances in chemistry made possible the development of manufactured fibers, almost all
clothing was made from natural materials. Cotton, wool, linen, and silk were the most common.
1. Cotton. Cotton is the fabric of choice for use in warmer climates. It is absorbent,
inexpensive, and durable. On the negative side, however, it shrinks, soils and wrinkles
easily. These disadvantages are often overcome by preshrinking and by blending cotton
with synthetic fibers.
2. Wool. This fiber is as absorbent as cotton but more wrinkle resistant. It can be made into
fabrics of different weights. Both heavy winter coats and lightweight dresses and suits
can be made from wool.
3. Linen. Usually imported and therefore more expensive than either wool or cotton, linen is
made from the flax plant. The fabric is absorbent and durable. It wrinkles very easily,
however, unless specially treated.
4. Silk. Silk is absorbent, lightweight, and soil-resistant. Although the fabric is durable, it
can be weakened by perspiration and sunlight. The best silk comes from cocoons formed
by cultivated, not wild, silkworms.

Synthetic Fibers
Synthetic fibers are usually made from chemicals. Some of the best known manufactured fibers
are nylon, acetate, polyester, and rayon. They add great variety and versatility to fabrics and
garments.
1. Nylon. The strongest of all manufactured fibers in common use, nylon was the first truly
synthetic fiber to be developed. Its outstanding characteristic is its versatility. Nylon can
be made strong enough for tire cords, fine enough for hosiery, and light enough for
parachutes. It is used alone and in combination with other fibers. In combination, its chief
contributions are its strength and resistance to abrasion. Nylon washes easily, dries
quickly, and needs little pressing. It holds its shape well because it neither shrinks nor
stretches.
2. Rayon. Rayon was the first of the manufactured fibers. It is made from cellulose, a
natural material, which is converted chemically and then regenerated info fibers. Rayon is
one of the least expensive of the synthetics. It combines well with practically all other
fibers and, for that reason, is used extensively in blends. It offers advantages of comfort,
efficiency, and luster.
3. Acetate. Acetate is closely related to rayon. (The two fabrics are made using a similar
cellulose conversion process.) Acetate combines well with a large number of other fibers.
It contributes luster, silkiness, body and good draping qualities to such fashion fabrics as
taffeta, satin, crepe, brocade and tricot. When acetate has color added to it while still in
its liquid stage (before it is spun), it is called solution-dyed (or spun-dyed) acetate. This
material has excellent colorfastness when exposed repeatedly to light, perspiration,
atmospheric contaminants, and washing.
4. Polyester. This fiber has made the centuries-old dream of wash-and-wear and easy-care
clothing a reality. Polyester does not shrink or stretch during normal use. Heat-set pleats
and creases stand up extremely well under every day wear. Water-borne stains may be
quickly and simply removed. Because of these qualities, polyester is used extensively in
blends with other fibers — mainly cotton, rayon and wool. The blend retains the major
characteristics of the base fiber but it’s stronger, more wrinkle-resistant, and hold creases
better. In fact, a major use of polyester is in the manufacture of permanent press fabrics,
usually blends of polyester and cotton.

Blends
Fibers are often combined into blends to take advantage of the strong points of each. For
example, many wash-and-wear shirts are 35 percent cotton and 65 percent polyester. Cotton
makes the garments absorbent and keeps down their cost. The wash-and-wear finish, however,
weakens cotton. Polyester fibers are therefore added to make the item more durable.
Nylon is another fiber frequently used in blends. It may be added to make clothing easier
to dye. Spandex is still another frequent addition. A manufactured fiber of great elasticity,
Spandex in very small amounts gives a garment stretch. Other manufactured fibers added in
similarly small amounts improve appearance and add luster.
Finishes
When an article has a wash-and-wear finish, it washes easily, dries quickly, and sheds wrinkles.
After laundering, it can usually be worn with only touch-up ironing. These qualities persist even
after the garment has been worn and laundered many times.
Permanent-press fabrics go one step beyond wash and wear. They hold creases and pleats
but cannot be altered easily. Original seams and hems are set by heat and pressure during the
finishing process. Home ironing will not remove these features or set new seams as hems firmly.
Outerwear is often specially treated so that it will resist or repel water. In many cases,
however, the finish must be reapplied after cleaning or laundering.

Preshrinking
Loosely woven fabrics have a greater tendency to shrink than to do those that are closely woven.
Check the label for the statement concerning shrinkage to be expected. Sanforizing is a patented
preshrinking process that guarantees shrinkage of no more than 1 percent after manufacture.

Labels
By reading labels, today’s consumers can be well informed about the clothing they buy. A
number of years ago, however, the situation was very different. Labels often gave inaccurate or
incomplete information.

Content Labels
For example, before 1939, consumers could easily be misled about wool products. Labels did not
make clear how much wool a fabric contained. Neither did they reveal whether the wool had
been used before. Then the Wool Products Labeling Act was passed. It require that all wool
products be labeled with the following information.
1. Total fiber weight of wool.
2. Whether the wool is new, reprocessed, or reused
3. Content of any other fiber present (if it amounts to 5 percent or more)
Similar acts were passed to cover abuses in the labelling of fur products and in the
identification of natural and manufactured textile fibers. As a result, today’s consumer is in a
much better position to buy and care for clothes properly.

Care Labels
Permanent care labels are sewed into most garments. The labels tell how to care for an article
of clothing in order to get maximum use and enjoyment from it. Specifically, they instruct the
purchaser in how to wash, dry, iron, bleach, dry-clean, or otherwise care for and maintain a
garment. They also warn against treatment that could be harmful to either the garment itself or
other articles of clothing being treated with it. Examples of such warnings include “No bleach”
or “Wash bright colors separately.”
Permanent care labels have been required by law for more than a decade. Clothing
manufacturers have tried to arrive at a standard terminology so that consumer will have no
doubts about the meaning of care instructions.
Permanent care labels should not be cut off garments. In this respect, they are different
from the removable hangtags attached to clothing on display. Hangtags, however, may also give
information about fabric content and care. In such cases, the hangtags should be read carefully,
identified with a brief description of the garment, and kept.

Shopping Problems
Consumers often do not get full value for their clothing dollars. They do not plan their purchases.
They do not look for signs of quality workmanship. They do not read labels. In other words, they
do not make a conscious effort to develop shopping skills, and these omissions cost them money.
At times, however, consumers are not at fault. They are misled by questionable
advertising and shoddy goods disguised as quality merchandise.

Misleading Advertising
Advertisements must be read carefully and critically. Often they are worded so that they appear
to say much more than they actually do. For example, “Compare at $30” and similar phrases are
meaningless. They merely invite you to compare a firm’s merchandise with that which sells
elsewhere for $30. They say nothing about the price from which the merchandise was reduced
(if, indeed, it was reduced at all).