9 Buying

Clothing
Attitude Inventory

Before you begin Section 1, take stock of your attitudes by completing the following
inventory. Read each statement and decide how you feel about it-agree, disagree, or undecided.
Record your feeling on a sheet of notepaper or use the form I the workbook.

1. Clothing bought at sales often represents a real bargain.

2. A good guide to follow in buying clothing is “Stick to the middle price range.”
3. Manufactured fibers are inferior to natural fibers.
4. Labels telling how to care for clothing are of little value.
5. Consumer should always buy the most durable clothes they can afford, avoiding
merchandise that will last only a short time.
6. “Making do” with what we have is a good policy in some budget categories but very poor
policy where clothing is concerned.
7. The well-dressed high school student is one who could go directly from school to dance
at a country club without changing clothes.
8. The price tag on a given clothing item is not the best indication of quality.
9. Shoplifting is a consumer problem, not just a problem for store owners.
10. “Never throw clothing out-it’s bound to comeback in style” is good advice.
11. It is legal to sell wool clothing that is not made from new wool.
12. Competition has not eliminated shoddy, poorly made clothing from the marketplace.
13. When buying a suit, the wise consumer compares at least a dozen suits before making a
final selection
14. There are no bargains in clothing. (Shopping in the bargain basement is a mistake for the
wise consumer.)
15. Blending manufactured and natural fibers always results in a weaker fabric.
SECTION 1 : Planning a Wardrobe
Learning Objectives
When you have finished studying the section, you should be able to:
1. recognize the desirable features of wardrobe items ;
2. take an inventory of your garments and accessories;
3. decide how to update older articles of clothing;
4. design a plan for making future additions to your wardrobe.

Vocabulary Preview

wardrobe All clothing and accessories owned by a person.

garments Articles of clothing like suits, dresses, and slacks.
accessories Articles like belts, shoes, and jewelry that complete an outfit.
inventory List of items on hand.
coordinated Describes things that look well together, like colors and/or patterns that
harmonize.
mix-and-match Describes articles of clothing that not only go together but can be
interchanged with other items in a wardrobe.

Your wardrobe is the total collection of clothing that you own. It includes not only garments
like dresses, pants, and jackets but the shoes, belts, and other accessories that are worn with
them.
Any consumer can put together a suitable wardrobe. It is simply a matter of learning from
those who know style and materials, observing peers toe see what has their stamp of approval,
and using common sense. A wardrobe should be made up of items selected with five basic points
of mind.

1. Attractiveness. Clothing should bring out the best features of the wearer.
2. Acceptability. Clothing should be appropriate for use, occasions, and season. It should not
be so extreme or faddish that it detracts from the appearance or makes a spectacle of the
wearer.
3. Utility. Clothing should serve a useful purpose. It should fulfill a genuine wardrobe need.
4. Quality. Clothing should be well made. It should last as long as the consumer enjoys
wearing it.
5. Price. Clothing should carry a reasonable price tag that is within the consumer’s budget.
Making an Inventory
A wardrobe that “just grows” usually looks like what it is-unplanned-and costs far more
than is necessary. There are few well-defined steps that can make wardrobe planning relatively
easy and effectively, however. The process begins with taking an inventory of what you already
own.

The best time to take an inventory is today. (Later inventories can be taken before
changes in seasons.) You will probably be surprised at all you have accumulated. As you
examine each garment, you will to make some hard decisions about what to keep and what to
discard. If you pay for your own clothes, you can carry out this part of the inventory by yourself.
If your family buys your clothes, you should consult with your parents before acting on your
decisions.

As you pick up each piece of apparel, ask yourself this questions.

1. Should it be dry-cleaned or laundered? Soiled clothes should not be kept with clean
clothes. The time to clean a garment is when it becomes dry, not just before it will be
worn again.

To do wardrobe inventory, start with clean clothes. Then realistically evaluate any garments that
have not been worn for some time.

2. Will I ever wear it again? You may find an article unsuitable for a number of reasons.
Perhaps you have outgrown it. Maybe it never did fit well. If you conclude it will be of
no further use to you in any shape or form, then you should give it to another member of
the family who will use it, exchange it with a friend, donate it to a charity, or discard it as
useless. In any case, remove unwanted items from the closet or drawer. Overcrowding
can keep other garments from hanging properly, cause them look rumpled, and even
shorten their useful lives.

Wardrobe Present Clan/ Exchange Donate/ Mend/ Buy Now Ending

item Inventory launder discard Rework Inventory
(hoped for
wardrobe
Coats/ Brown Tear in Brown
Jackets Jacket Raincoat Jacket
Raincoat Raincoat
Sweaters Cardigan Blue Blue Cardigan
Blue/Brn. Sweaters Cardigan Brn./Blue
Gray pull Green Pull over
over Pull over Grey/Green
Put away any items that are out-of-season. Repair those articles that can be worn now.

3. Should it be put away until the season change? Storing out-of-season items will provide
needed space in closets and drawers. No washable garments should be stored in garments
bag with moth proofing added if woolens are present. Washable clothes can be placed in
garments or plastic bags or folded neatly and packed in boxes or suitcases. Avoid storage
in places where temperatures are extreme.

4. Does it need repair? Making minor repairs to clothing can extend its life by many
months. Even if you wear a particular garment only rarely, mending it when necessary
gives you an extra changes of clothes. Then each new purchase adds to your wardrobe
instead of merely replacing something discarded.
Most people can complete a wardrobe inventory of the type described above by simply
sorting through their clothes. Others, however, may find it helpful to use a form like the
one on page 344.

Updating Your Wardrobe

You can bring your present wardrobe up to date by mending, donating, discarding, exchanging,
or reworking items. Of these, reworking is the most demanding-and rewarding. You can use your
imagination to turn a boring garment into clothing you will enjoy wearing. Often full scale
remaking is not necessary. Perhaps all you need to do is add or remove cuffs, sew on a new set of
buttons, add a colorful belt or scarf, lengthen or shorten a hemline, or iron on a decorative patch
or two.

Making New Purchase

The completion of your inventory and repairs leaves you with a thorough knowledge of
your wardrobe. With this picture of our cleaned, mended, and reworked clothes and their
accessories in mind, you should now decide which items must be purchased to round out your
wardrobe. List in order of priority. Note the colors desired and choice of fabrics. Set a realistic
price range for each item.

In making this decisions, emphasize one or two colors so that your new purchases and
clothes on hand can be coordinated, or harmonized. This technique helps you to build wardrobe
having a large number of mix-and-match possibilities. It is an excellent way to stretch your
clothing dollars. Remember also to consider clothing care costs. Selecting a material that can be
laundered, for example, will save on dry cleaning bills.
Section Summary
The first step in planning a wardrobe Is to do an inventory of what you already have.
Take a hard look at your garments and accessories. Decide whether they can be given new life by
updating and, if so, how.

The second step is to do the actual updating. Many of the garments you wear least can
probably be repaired or made over with additions like new buttons, decorative patches, and
similar touches. Taking care of what you already have is important if you want your wardrobe to
grow.

As you do your inventory and make your repairs, it will become clear which items should
be discarded, traded, or donated to charity. Once this items is gone, it will be possible to decide
what purchases you must make. This step is the final one in the planning process. Purchase
should be assigned priorities so that necessary items are bought first, colors are coordinate, and
mix-and-match possibilities are increased.

Using Your Consumer 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 garments mix-and-match

coordinated inventory wardrobe

1. Philip wanted his ties and other |||||||| to match the color if 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 traveling 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 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 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 a 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 from the costume
as you picture it. (For example, you could select a lab coat, a shirt on top, and a pair of
shoes.) Tell how you could 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 the 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 alternations-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 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.