Consumers. use many cues in forming perceptions ofprice and quality of apparel. The environment in which a cue is presented has been shown to be influential in its interpretation. The concept of the minimum information environment (MIE) is introduced and investigated. The MIE for apparel includes legally required labeling information, vendor name, and brand name. Subjects (40 female junior and senior Retail and Textiles and Clothing majors, enrolled in an apparel course at a midwestern university) evaluated quality and estimated the price for four identical sweaters on which the MIE had been manipulated. A direct, positive relationship between price and quality (p < .0001) was found with store type/prestige (p < .0280) and fiber content (p <.0001) appearing to influence predicted price primarily through effects on the perception of quality. No effects due to country of origin and care requirements could be detected on either predicted price or perception of quality.
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