One of a series of papers from the S-208 Regional Research Committee. Abstract Eight nonwoven fabrics were made into experimental protective pants and worn into two types of low crop fields. Barrier properties (water penetration resistance, oil repellency, and air permeability) were measured for control fabrics and fabrics taken from pants worn in the field Results indicate that while loss of breaking strenth due to abrasion was minimal, effects of field wear on barrier properties were significant. Water penetration resistance and oil repellency were reduced and air permeability was increased for most specimens after wear in at least one of the fields. Fluorochemical finishes used on three of the fabrics were less effective after wear. The study suggests that performance of protective clothing may not be adequately assessed by testing fabrics prior to wear.

In-home shopping has become an integral element in today's retailing structure. The purpose of this study was to provide a theoretically based investigation of in-home shopping behaviour by focusing on the differences between urban and rural consumers regarding in-home clothing purchases and identifying the patronage-related factors. With separate samples of rural and urban consumers, a questionnaire assessed three general types of factors thought to affect in-home shopping (personal characteristics. perceptions of shopping options and situational constraints). Descriptive profiles first identified the diflerences between urban vs rural respondents on their catalogue usage and cable shopping frequency. A multivariate test (discriminant analysis) assessed whether differences exirt between the rural and urban subsamples on the basic factors affecting in-home shopping. Findings demonstrated that these two groups differ not only in theirfrequency of in-home shopping, but also in each of the three basic factors influencing this form of patronage. Implications for retailers and further research are provided. 157