Corporate identity for the young fuller figured women

Abstract

A research was conducted in order to assist the Young Fuller Figured Women entering and already working in the corporate environment with clothing for the work environment. This research was conducted so that these women may notice a smaller number of incorrect fitting clothes when they shop for formal wear and also to give them guidance on suitable, elegant and stylish clothes for their body size and shape. Two theories namely: 'dress for success' by John Molloy and 'clothing is a code' by Fred Davis were the guidelines jn discovering, understanding and solving the dress problem for the young full figured women. In order to deal with the problem I had to interview some of these women to understand their challenges and frustration regarding dressing suitably for the corporate environment. The results of the interviews showed that the origin of the problem, are the basic block pattems. This was the solution for most of the garment fitting problems that the young fuller figured women experienced daily. A range was designed to serve as an example of how these women can dress for the corporate environment using various suitable fabrics and colours. This range appears formal and yet has a feminine twist to it, making it suitable for the woman who wants to be taken seriously and yet maintain her femininity and elegance. I hope that this research will be a useful tool for the retailers who currently cater for the fuller fIgured women to assist them with the current garment fitting problems and for the designers who plan to enter the fuller figured market: to enter it cautiously and taking the requirements of their potential customers into consideration If the information in this research is applied clothes that the fuller figured women buy will fit correctly the first time and they will not have to pay extra to alter new garments.