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This study identifies demographic and lifestyle characteristics as predictors of fashion opinion leadership for mature consumers. A fashion opinion leader is an individual who has influence on decisions of other people to accept or reject an innovation (Rogers, 1983). A sample of 711 out of 2003 mature consumers completed questionnaires for a 35 percent response rate. The underlying lifestyle characteristics and the dimensions of fashion opinion leadership in the mature consumer were determined with factor analysis. Multiple regression analysis revealed that lifestyle dimensions of Positive Thinker, Shopper, Socially Active and Credit Prone were predictors of fashion opinion leadership. No demographic characteristics (age, income, educational level, house size, occupation) were predictors of fashion opinion leadership.

Mature female consumers are an affluent market segment often ignored by retailers. This study examines the relationship between importance of selected store attributes (such as location and price) and lifestyle characteristics. The results indicate that certain lifestyle characteristics are related to the importance placed on store attributes.

The purpose of this study was to determine (1) if two racial groups differed on self‐ esteem, body satisfaction, and clothing variables, and (2) if relationships existed among the variables. Two groups of subjects, 164 White and 68 Black collegiate females, were administered the Rosenberg Self‐Image Questionnaire, the Body Characteristic De scriptive Scale, the Sexually Attractive Clothing Measure, and the Clothing Opinion naire. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and correlations. The two racial groups were significantly different on three variables (adequacy of money, use of sexu ally attractive clothing, and self‐esteem) and alike on the remaining three variables (body satisfaction, attitude toward unusual clothing, and flair in clothing). All the re lationships between variables were the same for both racial groups. Seven pairs of variables were significantly related. These findings illustrate the complexity of clothing research when different groups within a pluralistic society are compared.

The major objectives of this research were to explore two basic general questions: (1) does race, sex, or grade influence clothing and social and personal adjustment variables, and (2) what are the relationships among clothing attitudes and adjustment variables? The subjects were 213 fe males and males (age range 14–19), Blacks and Whites, ninth and tenth grade, in a city high school. Demographic facts of race, sex, and grade were transcribed from school records. A question naire was designed in three sections to collect data for clothing attitudes and social and personal adjustment variables. Differences in race, sex, and grade were tested by analysis of variance. Chi‐square statistics were computed to test that the coefficients of correlation were from the same population. Race, sex, and grade did not have an effect on the clothing attitude, dressing for self. Sex had an effect on feelings of clothing deprivation, with females experiencing more deprivation than males. The effect of sex on dressing for others indicated that females more than males were likely to dress for others. The white subjects regarded dressing for others as more important than the black subjects. Tenth grade subjects regarded dressing for others as more important than 9th grade sub jects. Self‐acceptance was affected by sex. Females had lower self‐acceptance than the males, with black 10th graders having the lowest self‐acceptance. Black subjects accepted Blacks socially, and Whites accepted Whites.