Abstract
Thepurpose of this study was to compare thepreferences, perceived availability andfittingproblems ofselected ready-to-wear garments for elderly and non-elderly men living in northern Colorado. The participants were 50 males, 65 years of age and older, and a contrast group of 50 males, 30-50 years of age. A Clothing Preference Interview Schedule was developed, adapted from a Clothing Needs of Elderly Women Questionnaire by Hogge and Baer, to obtain data from the participants. The data from the Interview Schedules were coded and computer analyzed using the Statistical Packagefor the Social Sciences. Inferential statistics were computed to investigate relationships or differences that existed between responses of the elderly and non-elderly men. More men from the elderly than non-elderly group were able to find garments in their preferred sizes and colors in the local stores. Men in both groups expressed various preferences for fiber content of selected clothing items. However, the older men had a greater acceptance of man-made fibers. The common fitting problem of both groups with shirts and jackets was sleeve length. When purchasing clothing, the most important factor for both groups was fit. Design/ style was ranked as second by the non-elderly and eighth by the elderly men who ranked durability and price higher than the non-elderly men did.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.