Perceptions of garment proportions by female observers

One hundred seventy-two undergraduate women responded to twelve sets of stimuli consisting of a constant jacket silhouette varying proportionally in components of lapel, yoke, and pocket details. Using a 9-point scale in Likert format, the subjects were asked to respond to questions comparing the jacket stimuli of each set in terms of same/different, unattractive/attractive, unwearable/wearable, unfashionable/fashionable, not acceptable/acceptable, and dislike/like. This jacket was varied in its component parts to correspond to proportions currently available in Petite and Misses size apparel. Analysis indicated that subjects detected differences in proportions of garment details within the context of a petite jacket silhouette and preferred proportions adjusted to the smaller size.