The Effect of Contexts, Clothing Type, and Clothing Color on Women′s Impression Formation

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of contexts, clothing type, and clothing color on women's impression formation. The experimental design was 2×2×6(context×clothing type×clothing color) factorial design with between-subjects design. Subjects were 367 college women in the metropolitan area of Seoul. Five factors were derived to account for the dimensions of impression formation. These were activity, elegance, attraction, potency, and friendship. Contexts gave a significant influence on perception of potency. Women on the park background were perceived higher in potency than on the school corridor. Dlothing types gave significant influences on 5 impression dimensions. Suits were evaluated higher in elegance and attraction factors than shirts/pants, and shirts/pants were higher in activity, potency, and friendship than suits. Clothing colors gave significant influences on elegance, attraction, and friendship factors. The navy blue upper and lower dresses were perceived lower in attraction and friendship factors, and the red/beige, beige/beige, and white/beige dresses were perceived higher in friendship. Elegance factor had an interaction effect by the clothing types and contexts. Suits were rated more elegant on the school context than on the park, while shirts/pants more elegant on the park than on the school. Elegance and attraction had interaction effects by the clothing types and clothing color. The upper red/beige were evaluated less attractive than the shirts/pants of the same color. The women waearing suits were shown older than those wearing shirt and pants, and those wearing navy blue upper and lower dresses were shown the oldest. The results of this study support that coloration of dresses and the social context such as a school and a park affects perception of stimulus persons wearing formal or casual apparel.