Female consumers' perceptions of garment fit, personal values and emotions considering their body shapes

When female consumers encounter garment fit problems as a result of their body shape, an emotional experience may result due to the failure to attain the personal values they are aiming to achieve. Very little research has been conducted in South Africa focusing on the emotional impact on female consumers or the role personal values play in their shopping experience of ready-to-wear garment fit. This study was conducted to determine the female consumers' personal values attributed to garment fit and to identify the emotions resulting from the perceptions of garment fit in relation to their perceived body shape. This study used the Means-ends chain theory approach through the application of the hard laddering technique. The findings from the data collected from a purposeful and convenient sample of 62 female consumers showed that the majority of the participants in this study failed to attain their personal values through the proper fitting of the garments which are currently available in the clothing retailer stores due to their varied body shapes. This resulted in mainly negative emotions being expressed by the participants. It is, therefore, extremely important for South African clothing manufacturers and retailers to consider the various body shapes in their garment design and attempt to understand the specific needs of their target market if they want to be successful.