Abstract
The objective of this study is to investigate the fit preference tendency for ready-to-wears(jackets, skirts, and slacks) of adult women and to find out the respective differences by the age range and the obesity level. The study method was the questionnaire survey with the subjects of 699 women of 20 up to 59 years of age. The questionnaire is composed of fit preference tendency, physical measurements, age, and occupation. For the data analysis, SPSS 90. program was used, and descriptive statistics, Crosstabs, ANOVA, Duncan's test, and t-test were conducted. The findings are as follows. 1. Regarding the fit preferred for each part of jackets, skirts, and slacks, among ready-to-wears, the 'thing with some extra width' in every part was most favored, followed by the 'thing fitting perfectly'. 2. The differences were found in the fit preference tendency by the age of adult women. The fit preference tendency was higher among those in their 20's than among those of the other age range, and those in their 30's and 40's preferred the clothes with less extra width in comparison with those in their 50's. 3. The differences were also found in the fit preference tendency by the obesity level of adult women. The fit preference tendency was high in the order of the emaciation, normalcy, and obesity types. 4. The fit preference tendency was found to be more affected by the obesity level than by the age. The fit preference tendency by the obesity level of each age range showed the differences in all of the age range. However, the normal type did not show the preference difference among the age ranges, in the fit preference tendency by the age range of each obesity level. Clothing manufacturing firms should understand the characteristics of consumers, such as their age, body type, extra width preferred, to provide the consumers of target market with suitable leeway, and they should design the clothing products which meet up these needs in style and silhouette.
