Graduation

Research Project

ANALYSING FASHION FOR MEN: A STUDY FOR MENSWEAR
DEPARTMENT AT PANTALOONS ABFRL

Submitted
by

NIDHI BHATI




IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE POST GRADUATE DEGREE "MASTER OF
FASHION MANAGEMENT (MFM)"




Submitted
to

Department of Fashion Management Studies (FMS)
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
Plot No. 15, Sector 4
Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, PIN - 410210
Web: www.nift.ac.in
May, 2017


 Graduation Research Project

ANALYSING FASHION FOR MEN: A STUDY FOR MENSWEAR
DEPARTMENT AT PANTALOONS ABFRL

Submitted
by

Nidhi Bhati


Under the Supervision of
Ms. Lipi Chaudhary
CC, FMS Department

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE POST GRADUATE DEGREE "MASTER OF
FASHION MANAGEMENT (MFM)"




Submitted to

Department of Fashion Management Studies (FMS)
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
Plot no. 14, Sector 4
Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, PIN - 410210
Web: www.nift.ac.in




 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ms. Nidhi Bhati of National Institute of Fashion Technology
(NIFT), Mumbai has successfully completed his/her GRP work titled Analyzing
Fashion for Men: A Study for Menswear Department at Pantaloons ABFRL in
partial fulfillment of requirement for the completion of 2 Years Post Graduate
Programme "Master of Fashion Management (MFM)" as prescribed by the
Department of Fashion Management Studies (FMS), National Institute of Fashion
Technology.

This 'Graduation Research Project' report is the record of authentic work carried
out by her during the period from 9th January 2017 to 21st April 2017 under my
mentorship.

Ms. Lipi Chaudhary

CC, FMS


 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am highly grateful to “Pantaloons Fashion & Retail ltd.” for providing me the
opportunity to complete my Fashion Internship Training with them.
I express my whole hearted thanks to my mentor Mr Manoj Dubey (Category
Head, Menswear) for his engagement and support and constant guidance in
organizing my work and giving me valuable inputs in my learning.

I will be failing in my duty, If I do not mention the name of my mentor Ms. Lipi
Chaudhary (CC, FMS) for the help she has extended in my Graduation Research
Project.
Lastly, I am thankful to friends and families for providing me with great support
in my entire endeavor.

NIDHI BHATI
Masters of Fashion Management
Department of Fashion Management Studies


 DECLARATION


I Ms. Nidhi Bhati, hereby declare that the Graduation Research Project (GRP) entitled
“Analyzing Fashion for Men: A Study for Menswear Department at Pantaloons ABFRL” is the
result of my own research work carried out by me during the period from 9th January 2017 to
21st April 2017. This report has not been submitted to any other University or Institution for
award of any degree/diploma etc.

Name of the Student: Nidhi Bhati

10th May 2017

 NIFT: MUMBAI

Proceedings of the MFM GRP External Jury Examination of Ms. NIDHI BHATI
held at 10 am on 18th May 2017 in NIFT, Mumbai

The GRP Internal Jury Examination Ms. Nidhi Bhati on her MFM GRP report
entitled “Analyzing Fashion for Men: A Study for Menswear Department at
Pantaloons ABFRL” was conducted in the NIFT Mumbai Campus at 10am on
18th May 2017.

The following members of the External Jury were present:

1.
2.
3.
4.
























RECOMMENDATION

The Research scholar Ms. Nidhi Bhati presented the salient features of her GRP
work. This was followed by questions from the External Jury members. The
questions raised by the Jury Examiners were also put to the scholar. The scholar
answered the questions to the full satisfaction of the jury members.
Based on the scholar’s research work, her presentation and also the
clarifications and answers by the scholar to the questions, the board
recommends that Ms. Nidhi Bhati, be awarded the Master Degree in
"Master of Fashion Management (MFM)"

1.

2.

3.

4.




 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the first 15 days of my internship I did the preliminary research for my research project on
Analyzing Men’s Fashion for the Menswear Department. Trying to map out the time and action
plan and research methodology for my project. After that I went though various articles,
journals, research papers etc. as part of my literature review. Once I had my project proposal
approved by my industry mentor I started helping my team with every day on the job tasks.
Since I was working under Men’s wear buying team in which there I was asked to work on the
two brands Urban Eagle Denim and Bare denim though out the course of my internship while
helping the buyers from the other menswear brands every now & then.

I joined the team and started working for the Range Presentation for FE 17 season which took
place in first half of February. My task was to I to assist the buyer of the two brands allotted to
me. My work included making Contact sheets of the entire range to help the buyer discuss the
details of each sample styles, besides this I was asked to make the Visual merchandising sheet
which includes a detailed list of the best style that are supposed to go up on the store wall,
window displays etc. Since this was purely a buying profile, I was every now and then asked
about my opinion for a particular style and give constant feedback for the same. After analyzing
all aspects, the buyer would then decide accordingly whether to buy it or not (which includes
past year sales for that particular fabric, what is going on currently in the market, what style do
the customer like), the Designers also give their opinion on whether a particular print is looking
good or not on a certain fabric. This is how the buyers would then go on to selecting the product
range. Apart from this, the various Zonal Managers also attend the range presentation and give
their inputs as to which styles should be included in the next season range. This helps the buyers
to understand & identify the best zone for the selected styles as they also give advice to the
buyers and designers on how much to buy certain styles.

Besides the Zonal Heads, the company CEO and Head of the Departments also come and see
the range and make suggestions wherever needed. Pantaloons also sell their garments online
so representatives from certain e-commerce websites like Myntra, Jabong, Ajio, Amazon etc
were also part of the Range Presentation to decide the buying according to their requirements
and their analysis of Pantaloons online sales and data. For the presentation to the E-commerce
representatives the Buyers showcase only their selected product range according to their
requirements. After Range presentation and selection of the product range there is order
placement which included making the final order sheet, engaging in vendor management,
negotiations, and close closure with the designer and sourcing team.

Next I was asked to work on the Merchandise Category Code (MCC) which includes all the
description about the product classification. I had to collect the garment samples from
designers, add the product pictures in the sheet while attaching the correct swatches for the
same garments and if the sample is not ready one has to collect swatches for the same from
sourcing team or else from designers (CAD) and then take a picture and put it in the MCC.
This activity is to be done in order to know the product description of the selected range.

This was almost a month long procedure as it requires constant follow ups with the souring and
design team. While doing this activity I was also given a task from a fellow colleague to do a
research for their new range of undergarments for Men under the Ajile brand. I was also asked
to make a Questionnaire for getting initial feedback from people who had been part of the
product trial for the same.

Meanwhile side by side I was also working on my research project which included on designing
the questionnaire for my project and conducting informal direct interaction and calling
pantaloons customer to understand what is fashion & personal style in fashion for them. After
that I worked on the PC MRP review (COST review) which again took almost 15 days to finish.
After this I was only working on my project analysis and insights and project presentation that
I had to present to a panel at the end of my internship period.



 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 COMPANY PROFILE .................................................................................................... 1

1.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1
1.2. PANTALOONS FASHION AND RETAIL LTD. ....................................................................................... 6
1.3 DEPARTMENTS OF PANTALOONS FASHION RETAIL LTD: ............................................................... 19
1.4 BUYING PROCESS ............................................................................................................................ 23
CHAPTER 2 PROJECT: ANALYSING FASHION FOR MEN: A STUDY FOR MENSWEAR
DEPARTMENT AT PANTALOONS ABFRL ..................................................................................... 24
2.1 OBJECTIVE ...................................................................................................................................... 24
2.2 GOAL ............................................................................................................................................... 24
2.3 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 24
2.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 26
2.5 LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................................................... 28
Three Steps to Building Your Individual Style. .................................................................................. 28
Fashion Psychology: What clothes say about you ............................................................................ 32
Why clothes matter: what your wardrobe says about you .............................................................. 33
The Psychology of Fashion ............................................................................................................... 36
How to Use Color Psychology to Give Your Business An Edge .......................................................... 39
The Link Between Clothing Choices and Emotional States ............................................................... 42
How Clothing Choices Affect and Reflect Your Self-Image ............................................................... 48
2.6 ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................................ 50
2.7 INSIGHTS & CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 65
2.8 FASHION FOR PANTALOONS MEN ................................................................................................. 68
2.9 SUGGESTIONS ................................................................................................................................. 69
CHAPTER 3 ON THE JOB TASKS ................................................................................................... 72
3.1 RANGE PRESENTATION .................................................................................................................. 72
3.2 PC MRP REVIEW (COST REVIEW) .................................................................................................... 73
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................ 74
ANNEXURE .................................................................................................................................. 75
CHAPTER 1 COMPANY PROFILE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The India Retail Industry is the largest among all the industries, accounting for over 10 per cent
of the country’s GDP and around 8 per cent of the employment. The Retail Industry in India
has come forth as one of the most dynamic and fast paced industries with several players
entering the market. But all of them have not yet tasted success because of the heavy initial
investments that are required to break even with other companies and compete with them. The
India Retail Industry is gradually inching its way towards becoming the next boom industry.

THE ADITYA BIRLA GROUP: A PREMIUM GLOBAL CORPORATION
A US $41 billion (Rs. 2,50,000 crore) corporation, the Aditya Birla Group is in the League of
Fortune 500. Anchored by an extraordinary force of over 120,000 employees, belonging to 42
nationalities. Over 50 per cent of its revenues flow from its overseas operations spanning 36
countries.

The Aditya Birla Group has been ranked fourth in the world and first in Asia Pacific in the
‘Top Companies for Leaders’ study 2011, conducted by Aon Hewitt, Fortune Magazine and
RBL (a strategic HR and leadership Advisory firm). The Group has topped the Nielsen's
Corporate Image Monitor 2014-15 and emerged as the Number one corporate, the 'Best in
Class', for the third consecutive year.

50 per cent of the Aditya Birla Group's revenues flow from its overseas operations. The Group
operates in 36 countries – Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt,
France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Korea, Laos,
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA, and
Vietnam.

1
The Aditya Birla Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate named after Aditya Vikram
Birla, headquartered in the Aditya Birla Centre in Worli, Mumbai, India.

The Aditya Birla Group is the world's largest producer of Viscose Staple Fiber industry. It
operates from India, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and China. It owns the Birla Cellulose brand.
Apart from viscose staple fiber, the group also owns acrylic fiber businesses in Egypt and
Thailand, viscose filament yarn businesses and spinning mills in India and South East Asia.
The group has pulp and plantation interests in Canada and Laos. It's two companies i.e. Aditya
Birla Nuvo Ltd. and Grasim Bhiwani Textiles Ltd. which is a subsidiary of Grasim Industries
are in textile business.

Our Vision
To be a premium global conglomerate, with a clear focus on each of the businesses.

Our Mission
To deliver superior value to our customers, shareholders, employees and society at large.

Values

Integrity: We believe in growth of the organization with the growth of our people.
People are our investors, partners (Vendors), employees, customers and
stakeholders of the companies.
Commitment: Aditya Birla is a name known for higher value and good quality. We do
what we commit to our people.
Passion: Our excellence in every field of business and promise to provide the best
shows the passion of the organization.
Seamlessness: We work beyond limits; we go one step ahead of others to serve and to
benefit.
Speed: Growth is important but timely growth is the key to success. We believe
to act early.

2
 Hindalco

Grasim

Aditya Birla Nuvo

Ultratech

Idea

Novelis

Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd.

Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd. (ABNL) is a US$ 4 billion premium conglomerate. It is part of the
Aditya Birla Group, a US$ 40 billion Indian multinational operating in 36 countries in six
continents.

Vision
To be a premium conglomerate building leadership in businesses and creating value for all the
stakeholders.

Mission
Investing in promising sectors
Building leadership in businesses
A platform to drive synergy of resources
Delivering best value to all the stakeholders
To be a responsible corporate citizen

Over the years, Aditya Birla Nuvo has transformed itself from a manufacturing company to a
diversified conglomerate.
3
 The razor-sharp focus on each business has made it a leading player in most segments,
including viscose filament yarn, branded garments, agribusiness, textiles and insulators. Over
the past few years, Aditya Birla Nuvo, through its subsidiaries and joint ventures, has made
successful forays into life insurance, asset management and other financial services, telecom,
business process outsourcing (BPO) and IT services.

•Asset Management •Agri •Madura

•Life Insurance •Rayon •Pantaloons
•NBFC •Insulators •Textiles
•Private Equity, Broking,
Wealth Management,
General Insurance Advisory

Financial Fashion &

Manufacturing
Services Lifestyle

Telecome IT-ITeS

With an optimum mix of revenue and profit streams, the company is in a strong position to
maximize long-term shareholder gains.

Globally, the Aditya Birla Group is

• A metals powerhouse, among the world's most cost-efficient aluminium and copper
producers. Hindalco-Novelis is the largest aluminium rolling company. It is one of the three
biggest producers of primary aluminium in Asia, with the largest single location copper smelter
• No.1 in viscose staple fibre
• No.1 in carbon black
• The fourth-largest producer of insulators
• The fifth-largest producer of acrylic fibre
• Among the top 5 cement producers globally
• Among the best energy-efficient fertiliser plants
• The largest Indian MNC with manufacturing operations in the USA, wherein 95 per cent of the
workforce comprises of Americans
4
 Aditya Birla Group – The Indian Scenario
• A top fashion (branded apparel) and lifestyle player
• The second-largest player in viscose filament yarn
• The largest producer in the chlor-alkali sector
• Among the top three mobile telephony companies
• A leading player in life insurance and asset management
• Among the top two supermarket chains in the retail business

Aditya Birla Group – Beyond Business

• Reaches out annually to 7.5 million people through the Aditya Birla Centre for Community
Initiatives and Rural Development, spearheaded by Mrs. Rajashree Birla.
• Works in 5,000 villages globally.
• Focuses on: health-care, education, the girl child, sustainable livelihood, women empowerment
projects, infrastructure and espousing social reform.
• Runs 42 schools which provide quality education to 45,000 children. Of these 18,000 students
belong to the underprivileged segment. Merit Scholarships are given to 24,000 children from
the interiors.
• Its 18 hospitals tend to more than a million villagers.
• Ongoing education, healthcare and sustainable livelihood projects in Philippines, Thailand,
Indonesia, Egypt, Korea and Brazil, lift thousands of people out of poverty.
• Set up the Aditya Birla India Centre at the London Business School.
The Aditya Birla Group transcends conventional barriers of business because we care. We
believe it is our duty to facilitate inclusive growth as well.

5
1.2. PANTALOONS FASHION
AND RETAIL LTD.

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail
Ltd. (ABFRL) emerged after the
consolidation of the branded
apparel businesses of Aditya Birla Group comprising ABNL'S Madura Fashion division and
ABNL's subsidiaries Pantaloons Fashion and Retail (PFRL) and Madura Fashion & Lifestyle
(MFL) in May 2015. Post the consolidation, PFRL was renamed Aditya Birla Fashion and
Retail Ltd

ABFRL has been founded in the belief that the first sign of success of a modern nation lies in
the ability of its citizens to celebrate. India's young working population and robust economic
performance has led to rising incomes which, combined with increasing global exposure, are
empowering many latent wants to morph into demands. With retail expanding independently
through brick and mortar as well as e-commerce, the Indian fashion consumer now deserves
futuristic and comprehensive omni-channel options. The time for ABFRL to arrive was ripe.

ABFRL aims to catalyse the business of fashion through superior infrastructure and
experiences, towards a new future. ABFRL brings together the learnings and businesses of two
renowned Indian fashion icons, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle and Pantaloons Fashion and
Retail. This will create a synergistic core that will act as the nucleus of the future fashion
businesses of the Aditya Birla Group. ABFRL is India's No 1. Fashion Lifestyle entity with a
combined revenue of INR 6,060 crore for FY'16, growing at a rate in excess of 25 percent and
EBITDA of INR 409 crore for FY'16 that has been surging at an impressive rate of almost 30
percent over the last 5 years.

The ABFRL umbrella includes:

Madura Fashion & Lifestyle

The custodian of several icons, including the top four fashion brands of India - Louis Philippe
, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England — each of which clocked MRP sales in the
vicinity of INR 1,000 crore. It also includes India's first fast-fashion youth brand,People; India's
largest fully integrated fashion multi-brand outlet chain, Planet Fashion; India's largest

6
premium international brand retailer, The Collective and the British fashion icon, Hackett
London's mono-brand retail in India.

ABFRL has acquired exclusive online and offline rights to market the global brand – ‘Forever
21’ and its existing store network, in the fast-fashion segment in India.
To expand its international portfolio, ABFRL entered into exclusive partnerships with two of
UK’s most successful fashion brands, ‘Simon Carter’ and `Ted Baker’.
Pantaloons

India's largest big box fashion retailer, Pantaloons is one of the fastest growing lifestyle apparel
retail destinations in India. Constantly innovating designs, concepts and products by infusing
the latest trends in fashion and clothing styles, Pantaloons has a repertoire of lifestyle brands
to cater to every consumer's needs across multiple occasions.

ABFRL altogether hosts India's largest fashion network with over 7,000 points of sale across
over 375 cities and towns, which include more than 2,000 exclusive ABFRL brand outlets.
With ~16 million Loyalty Members as of Dec’16, ABFRL has a strong bouquet of loyalty
programmes in India. ABFRL boasts of creating more than 20,000 new designs every year.

The company offers an incredible and complete one-stop shopping experience to its buyers
through its vast collection of more than 100 prestigious brands for the discerning fashionista.
The 81 aesthetically designed stores spread across the country display a range of classy and
trendy merchandise that truly lives up to Pantaloons’ maxim of ‘fresh fashion’.

A typical Pantaloons store is spread across a sprawling retail space of about 28,000 sq. ft.,
comprising a brand portfolio that runs across a wide gamut of styles that spell class. The
collection includes ready-to-wear western and ethnic apparel for men, women and kids,
complemented by an exhaustive range of accessories. Pantaloons offer much more than just
apparel. Customers can shop from an assortment of watches from renowned international
brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Esprit, Kenneth Cole, Citizen, Timex, and Titan, among other
brands.

Trendy sunglasses from Polaroid, Guess, Police, Scott, I Dee and Allen Solly are also available.
The accessories and beauty segments display an attractive collection of lady’s handbags from

7
Lavie, Caprese, Fiorelli and Fastrack. Also available are products from colour cosmetic brands
such as Bourjois, Chambor, Deborah, Faces, Revlon, Maybelline, and Lakmé, as well as a wide
collection of exotic fragrances.

With its overwhelming repertoire of lifestyle apparel brands, Pantaloons is focused on growth
while continuing to create fresh fashion. Pantaloons is recognized by its warm personalized
service that completes the core proposition of this trendy chain.

The Aditya Birla Group ranks high in the League of Fortune 500 Corporations of the world
with a strong mix of talented and capable personnel comprising of 42 different nationalities,
who are credited with anchoring the organization and scripting one brilliant success story after
another.

Backed by the giant conglomerates, ABNL and Future Group, both the entities will work in
tandem to derive operational synergies for back-end, supply chain and other crucial value
drivers of the business.

With its overwhelming repertoire of lifestyle apparel brands, Pantaloons is focused on growth
while continuing to create fresh fashion. Pantaloons is recognized by its warm personalized
service that completes the core proposition of this trendy chain.

8
 9
 10
 11
 12
 13
 14
 15
 16
 17
 18
 1.3 DEPARTMENTS OF PANTALOONS FASHION RETAIL LTD:

There are following department in Pantaloons Fashion and Lifestyle

Design Buying Sourcing Planning

Department Department Department Department

Operation VM Marketing Finance

Department Department Department Department

Admin HR Garment SCM

Department Department Technology Department

All the above departments work closely with each other to complete their task and achieve their
individual goals. Each department is interdependent with each other. The objective of these
departments is to accomplish mission and vision of the company.

Design Department: This department is basically developing sample of merchandise and

developing range of merchandise for upcoming season and work closely with buying
department. Designer attains fashion events and shows to keep tap on current and upcoming
trends.

Buying Department: This department is selecting what merchandise will be stocked in store
based on discussion happened with planning team. They work closely with design department
to approve sample and range of merchandise, attain fashion events and forecast the trends.
They also interact with other departments like marketing, sourcing, planning and quality
control to get appropriate advice that will help them in achieving company’s ultimate target.
Apart from this, they frequently keep in touch with suppliers and vendors.

Sourcing Department: It is management of a supply market to ensure access to adequate

resources required for the long term needs of the firm: understand market characteristics,
identify relevant potential suppliers, define a strategy for the firm, and set the objectives for
19
any market shaping effort. Sourcing frames the agreement with the suppliers involved in the
strategy, without necessarily going into the details of the contract. Sourcing teams include
elements internal and external to the firm to reach their objectives, to include the eventual
optimization of specifications in coordination with engineering, marketing, and / or research.
Sourcing is the strategic management of external resources. They have to figure out different
vendors who can give them better value in terms of price, production, lead time, shipment mode
and other production aspect after the budget allocates for range by other departments,
coordinates with buying and design department.

Planning Department: This department is making OTB plan, Option plan, allocation, offers,
monitors day wise sells, end of season sell, stock in warehouse and store. They also recommend
buyer about which style is hitting the shopping floor, monitor sales, stock in warehouse and
shop floor, sell through, offer planning and do allocation of merchandise according to
requirement of particular merchandise in particular store. This is also known as Inventory
Management and Distribution Management. Planner are the backbone of any company if there
over stock or stock out its planner responsibility to control inventory and coordinate with other
team like buying and also do meeting with other senior people of company.

Operation Department: They work to make sure that employers' businesses run effectively,
smoothly and professionally. This includes all those who work in the organisation from the
management to assembly line workers up to the guys loading and offloading trucks in
manufacturing and retail distribution centers.

VM Department: This department coordinates with designer and buyer for the theme of season
and then they make visual of store accordingly. Their responsibility to change visual of all store
at the same time, this include display of merchandise and lighting. There are some elements
that are involved in visual merchandising are Window Displays, Interior Displays, Signs,
Cosmetic Productions and other Special Sales and Promotions. Team tries to combine these
element and covey their idea to customer.

Marketing Department: They basically communicate the value of product to the customers for
that this department is divided in three teams ATL (Above The Line), BTL (Below The Line)
and LOYALTY. In ATL they are covering large Geographical area by advertising from Radio,
TV and National news papers and in BTL they are covering particular targeted area by
20
organising fashion events and shows. In LOYALTY they are distributing Cards and coupons
to customer first to check loyal customer and then start analyze about loyal customer’s next
need and offer it to customer on discount. It is one of innovative department and generating
new idea.

Finance Department: Major roles of the finance department are to identify appropriate financial
information prior to communicating this information to managers and decision makers, in order
that they may make informed judgments and decisions. This department’s responsibility for
organising the financial and accounting affairs including the preparation and presentation of
appropriate accounts, and the provision of financial information for manager.

Admin Department: They are managing and distributing information within office like greeting
clients and employees, answering the calls, maintaining files, record of expenditure, stationary,
printing, housekeeping, Administrative assistants are responsible for communicating with
clients, outside vendors and staff members on behalf of their employer. They greet customers,
answer the phone, take messages and set up meetings. This department is interrelated to HR
department.

HR Department: Human resource management (HRM) in organizations designed to maximize

employee performance in service of their employer’s strategic objectives. In Pantaloons, HR
is primarily concerned with how people are managed within organizations, focusing on policies
and systems. HR department is responsible for a number of activities, including employee
recruitment, training and development, performance appraisal, and rewarding. Human
resources assistants may process and regularly update personnel, payroll and job applicant
records.

Garment Technology Department: It is divided in three teams one is Construction /Fit Team,
another is Testing team and last is Inspection team. Construction team basically checking the
size measurement and its grading, Testing team are doing chemical like crocking, bleeding,
color fastness to light etc and physical test like pilling, abrasion resistance etc and inspection
team is visiting manufacturing unit to see the directed production, there also checking for
complete garment which is done in last by Testing team.

21
Supply Chain Department: It is the management of the flow of goods. It includes the movement
and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of
origin (Manufacturing Unit) to point of consumption (Store).

Main function of supply chain management are as follows:

1)inventory management
2)distribution management
3)channel management
4)payment management
5)financial management
6)supplier management
7)transportation management
8)Customer service management.

Some of their work is already done by planning team only Inventory Management and
Distribution Management. They closely work with planning department and interchange
information regarding stock delivery from supplier to warehouse and warehouse to store or if
any stock is available for inter store transfer or vendor has to direct supply to store SCM team
take care of this things.

22
 1.4 BUYING PROCESS

Brand Brief Trend Forcasting Concept Presentation

Buy Plan Sampling Range Presentation

Oder Placement,
Pre-Production
Selection Vendor Management,
Process
Cost Closure

Quality Purchase Orders,

Finalisation,Article Production & Delivery
Shipment Sample
Creation, Status, Coordination
Text/Barcode creation. with Marketing team,

Dispatches (Vendor-
Sales Evaluation EOSS Implementation
Warehouse-Store)

23
 CHAPTER 2 PROJECT: ANALYSING FASHION FOR MEN: A STUDY FOR
MENSWEAR DEPARTMENT AT PANTALOONS ABFRL

A Study of the Fashion Psychology & Behavior of Men in India.
2.1 OBJECTIVE
To understand what is fashion for men in order to further understand what influences their
personal style.

2.2 GOAL
To use this information to help Menswear Category to better understand the customer and thus
help with overall business.

2.3 INTRODUCTION

The First part of my research included understanding Men & Identity. There are various
reasons behind why people dress the way they do. Social reasons could be the need to fit in
and follow fashion trends. Cultural reasons of dress could be the way people were raised and
taught. When it comes to psychological dressing it has to do with what the individual believes
which differ from person to person. Clothes are much more than simply pulling something off
the hanger in the. Rather, clothing is a reflection of an individual’s personality. It can show
your interests and ambitions, spending habits, and even can reflect how another person will
perceive you. There is a reason why we are constantly drawn to the same style of clothing. The
science behind the types of clothing we choose can portray a lot about us as individuals and
how it reflects specific interests and personalities. Understanding fashion for men is all about
understanding clothing and its perceived personality by a man. For this one needs to first
understand the three most important aspects of his mind i.e.:

• What Inspires him in life. What drives him in life to do certain actions.

• What are his Aspirations in life that motivates him to take decisions in life.

• And lastly, what is his self-image or how he wants to be perceived by those around him.

24
 INSPIRATION ASPIRATION SELF- IMAGE
FASHION
FOR MEN

Once we have understood what is fashion for men we move on to the next step i.e.
Understanding what influences their personal style. Now every man is unique, and every man
has his own individual style. According to Antonio Centeno, President
of www.ATailoredSuit.com many men are confused by fashion trends, and for good reason.
there seems to be no logic or set of ground rules as to how it operates. What’s fashionable today
may not be “in” next week, and what looks good on a tall tan athletic male model doesn’t seem
to compliment a common man.

He further goes on to state that, a man’s personal style should be influenced by three things:

1) his physical characteristics,

2) the environment in which he finds himself
3) his personal preferences.

To better understand what defines the personal style of Indian Men I decided to further divide
these three attributes in the following to understand fashion for men:

Physical Traits Environment Personality Type

Skin tone Professional Wants & Desires

Height Geographical

Built

The second part of my research included me analyzing the result of the first part about
understanding Fashion & Personal style for Men. After analyzing that I had to check & validate
to see whether the current fashion provided by Pantaloons Menswear Category is meeting the
requirements of what men in general want in fashion or not. If not, I had to further device ways
to help in which they could improve the overall business.
25
2.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The research methodology relied on extensive secondary data which was collected from
various online sources. I went through various research papers on Men’s Fashion, Fashion
Psychology, Men’s Buying Behavior/ Attitudes etc. Besides this I kept myself updates with
various blogs written by men on men/fashion/styling. Lastly I went though a lot other articles,
journals on Fashion Psychology, Color Psychology, Fashion Retail.

The Primary data for the first part of the research was collected in three ways:
• Observatory Method
• Direct Interaction
• Questionnaire

OBSERVATORY METHOD: Since observing how a man behaves in the different situations
and environments often gives us deep insights into his psyche, I decided to quietly observe all
the men around me during the entire duration of four months. This helped me understand them
better in analyzing & co-relating their choice of clothing with the environment/situation/people
I was observing them with. I would be observing the fashion of men in my office, in the metro,
in a café, in a mall, at the beach, in the traffic etc. More over I tried observing the clothing of
the men I personally know as well. This helped in noticing a repeated behavior pattern in men,
their outlook towards life and others with respect to how they choose to dress.

DIRECT INTERACTION: I also engaged in data collection through direct interaction with
friends, acquaintances, colleagues, people who I was approaching to fill the questionnaire &
some times even strangers regarding how they preferred to shop, what was their thought
process, mindset, priorities pre & post shopping for clothes and so on. What patterns, fabrics,
colors, fit they preferred and then co-relate them with their Physical Attributes, Environment
& Personality type. How often they would shop, or what would make them go to a mall or a
store and add new items to their wardrobe.

26
QUESTIONNAIRE: Lastly for the questionnaire the sample size for the survey was seventy
and the sample selection criteria was random sampling method. The questionnaire was a mix
of different types of questions for getting Qualitative information on their Personality type,
Aspirations & Inspirations. Where as the Quantitative information for the application of the
Likert scale was used to find out the following things:

• Attitude towards fashion

• Style Preferences
• Purchasing Influences
• Practicality

Besides this information regarding their physical traits, employment status, area of
employment, age was also asked in the questionnaire.

The primary data for the second half of the project was acquired by calling the Pantaloons
customer from the newly introduced Bosstomer Connect & Mission Happiness data which
provides us with all the information regarding a customer and the feedback he had for the
company with respect to his overall shopping experience at Pantaloons.

27
 2.5 LITERATURE REVIEW

Three Steps to Building Your Individual Style.

Every man is unique, and every man has his own individual style. I say this to every one of my
clients because it’s very important to understand this simple concept. We live in a world where
we are constantly bombarded with marketing messages trying to tell us who we should want
to be, how buying this will make us cool, how sporting this brand will improve our looks. My
goal here to give you a foundation from which to make your own personal style decisions. This
article seeks to create a hunger within you to discover your individual style.

The Whimsical Winds of Fashion

Many men are confused by fashion trends, and for good reason.Unlike baseball or engineering,
there seems to be no logic or set of ground rules as to how it operates.What’s fashionable today
may not be “in” next week, and what looks good on that tall tan athletic male model doesn’t
seem to compliment you or most the men you know.

My advice: do not chase the whimsical winds of fashion.Doing this is like trying to catch a
shadow; the faster you move, the faster it evades you.Instead seek to understand what styles,
colors, patterns, and fit best compliment you. Armed with this information, you will save
yourself time and money by immediately eliminating 90% of the clothing out there and
focusing on the 10% that highlights your strengths. You will ensure that the contents in your
wardrobe are timeless, and that your appearance is the best it can be.

A man’s personal style should be influenced by three things:1) his physical characteristics, 2)
the environment in which he finds himself, and 3) his personal preferences.I will address each
of these separately.

1. The Foundation of your Personal Style – Your Physical Characteristics

Men come in all shapes and colors; some are light skinned, short, and thin as a rail while others
are dark, tall, and heavy set.And just as every combination of physical attributes yields a unique
appearance, every physical combination has a set of style combinations that best enhances
it.Aesthetically speaking, there are certain colors, patterns, and clothing silhouette
combinations that best compliment each and every one of us.Let me give you an example.

28
Tom is 6’4” and weighs 200 pounds.Of Northern European decent, he has both light colored
skin and hair.Tom faces a number of challenges; he doesn’t want his clothing to make him look
lanky, and he would prefer that his clothing’s colors enhance his complexion rather than
overpower it.

Consequently, Tom wears clothing that downplays his height and gives him a bit more weight
– he loves cuffs on his trousers along with a ticket pocket on his jackets.On single breasted
jackets he has his lapel’s notch slightly lowered (to de-emphasize his height). Yet his favorite
jackets are his double breasted ones whose extra buttons and details give him a bit
more girth.As for the choice of fabric, Tom prefers heavier weaves that add weight to his
thin frame.He chooses patterns such as checks, whose horizontal lines cut him down to size,
and coordinates his colors so that there are no stark contrasts.Contrasts between dark and light
colors draw attention to themselves, and Tom smartly keeps these distractions to a minimum.

Mike is physically the opposite of Tom.At 5′ 4” and weighing 200 pounds, he is of North
African decent and has both dark colored skin and hair.Although Mike’s dressing obstacles
appear to be very different from Tom’s, his goal is the same; he wants to look proportional and
downplay certain physical features.

In order to minimize his girth, Mike chooses clothing that gives him the appearance of
increased height.His wardrobe is full of 2-button jackets that fit him comfortably and are
without vents.He doesn’t try to force a tapered waist, but instead allows an eloquent loose drape
to mask his heavy middle.Mike has rediscovered suspenders and wears his pants at his natural
waist (think right below the belly button); in addition to making him look taller by lengthening
the appearance of his legs, he also finds they are more comfortable.When it comes to fabric
selection, Mike seeks out contrast as it accentuates his dark complexion.He utilizes the
elongating effect of stripes, and owns two black suits because of that color’s ability to slim
down the wearer.

2.Your Environment – Further Refining your Personal Style


The second factor in determining your personal style is your environment. A banker in
Orlando, Florida is going to have very different needs than a teacher in
Chicago, Illinois.Both men want to look professional, but each has different environmental and
professional factors that affect their choices.Using our same gentlemen, let’s further illustrate

29
this point with two examples.

Tom teaches high school in a large midwestern city with mild summers and
freezing winters.His job doesn’t call for suits, but does require him to look professional.Paying
attention to his environment, he wears sports jackets paired with jeans, along with
check shirts.In the winter he layers up with heavy tweeds, sweaters, and a classic
wool overcoat.He occasionally wears a suit if he has a meeting but never dons a tie as he doesn’t
want to appear stuffy.

Mike, on the other hand, works at a bank in one of the hottest and most humid cities in
the US.His job requires a suit and tie everyday.In order to stay comfortable, most of Mike’s
clothing is made from cotton, whose properties allow it to pass heat and moisture away from
the body efficiently, and lightweight tropical wools.Even though the mood of the bank is
distinctly conservative, he does flash a bit of color in the stripes he chooses for his clothing and
in his choice of ties.

Each man has made choices based off of his environment.If they were to switch places, both
would have to alter their wardrobes.But in their respective locations, both Tom and Mike have
made solid clothing decisions.

3.Your Wants and Desires – Completing your Individual Style


Finally, the most important factors in determining your personal style are your wants and
desires. How do you want to appear to others? Creative, intelligent, a team player, authoritative
– all of these are possible. Although at this point we have narrowed down the range of clothing
at your disposal, we have by no means stifled your choices. No, there is still an endless array
of accessories, colors, patterns, and details that will take the menswear that best compliments
you and make it yours. Once again, let us use Tom and Mike as examples.

Tom considers himself an outgoing and creative person; although he teaches mathematics, he
isn’t in the least bit formulaic. To liven up his appearance and help it reflect who he his, Tom
always throws a pocket square into his jackets, uses knot cufflinks in his shirt cuffs, and wears
dressy but slightly offbeat shoes (think burgundy oxfords). Three small things, perhaps not
employed simultaneously, but whose effect on the overall ensemble is to make it unmistakably
unique.

30
Mike manages the staff at his bank and likes to subtly signal to patrons who’s running the
show. Wearing a conservatively patterned red tie with point collars to elongate his face, Mike
never takes off his jacket as its short cut, smooth appearance, and lack of horizontal detail
creates the illusion of height. As a retired Air Force man, he pays homage to his service by
wearing light blue shirts with dark blue stripes and has a pair of cufflinks with the Air Force
Seal. So despite wearing a suit daily, Mike never becomes one.

Final Thoughts

You can wear whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want; my intention here
is lay out a thought process so that you can dress yourself in a professional manner no matter
who you are and where you may find yourself.While not perfect, I have found it useful in
helping hundreds of men look and feel better about their appearance.

Please note: I will devote an entire article to what styles, fabrics, colors, patterns, and fit
compliment each body types and complexion.

Written by
Antonio Centeno
President, www.ATailoredSuit.com

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/11/11/your-individual-style/

31
 Fashion Psychology: What clothes say about you

You needn't be an avid fashionista, nor a London Fashion Week regular, to be aware of how
important our dress sense is to our reputations in the 21st Century. The clothes we wear send
powerful signals to our peers and strangers, projecting the self image of us that we want to
display.

Yet, how many of us truly understand the psychology of how people in the street or office
interpret our wardrobe choices, and how this impression might differ to the one that we believe
we're conveying to them? An array of psychological surveys have revealed the true impact of
clothing choices on the way in which we perceive and judge each other, with experiments
showing some surprising results. They even reveal how subtle varieties in dress sense can affect
our ability to attract a partner whilst we are dating.

Defying stereotypes

Against the gender stereotype of females being more fashion-aware and conscious of others'
clothes and makeup efforts than males, studies have also lifted the lid on men's insecurities
with regards to clothes.

Contrary to commonly held beliefs, men have been shown to be often more self-conscious than
females with regards to their personal dress sense and the way in which they are viewed in
public (Solomon and Schopler, 1982).

Therefore, we need to understand the significance of clothing choices regardless of our gender.
Whether you are male or female, your fashion choices can affect both your self image, the
impression that you convey to others and in turn, the way in which people behave towards you.
They can influence everything from the outcome of a sports match (Hill and Barton, 2005) to
an interviewer's impression of your ability to perform effectively in a job position (Forsythe,
2006).2

In this article, we look at the effect that our fashion choices today can have on our lives, and
how our unconscious clothing choices are interpreted by those around us.

32
 Why clothes matter: what your wardrobe says about you

Clothes have not always been as influential a 'tell' of our personalities as they are today. Only
as a result of technical advancements over centuries have fashion choices become significant.

Where in early civilizations, the key purpose of clothing was to keep us warm and relatively
dry, today, central heating warms our homes, reducing our dependence on clothes alone to help
us to survive. Clothes have developed from a practical asset to a social marker: they affect the
way we see ourselves. They help us to be seen in the light that we wish to be, and also exude
our personalities and social status.

In many societies, dress sense embodies personal wealth and taste. For example, Economist
George Taylor demonstrated this most vividly with the Hemline Index (Taylor, 1926).4 Taylor
noted that as a country enters recession and adopts austere spending habits, women often show
a preference towards longer dresses, whilst during times of prosperity, the opposite result can
be seen - hemlines often become shorter.

A second key influence on our dress sense is a result of millions of years of development as a
species. As with many animals, the concept of mate selection in evolutionary psychology
suggests that our behavior is determined by our efforts to find a mate and to reproduce.

Signalling in animals: 'honest signals' such as this male peacock displaying his colorful covert
feathers to attract a female partner.
According to signalling theory, a male peacock will display his vibrant fan of covert feathers
in a ritual to attract a female with whom to mate. Such rituals vary from species to species, but
in humans, our ability to create and wear clothes gives us a equivalent advantage in being able
to distinguish ourselves from a crowd and demonstrate our individuality in an effort to find a
mate. Conversely, too, we might use clothing to merge into a crowd and hide our
individuality by dressing in a uniform.

33
Dressing to Impress?

Aside from the adage of "dressing to impress" what do we know about the psychology of
clothing choices in relation to dating?

Firstly, let's consider the idea of how we seek to 'impress' potential partners. A study by Joseph
Benz at the University of Nebraska surveyed more than 90 men and women with regards to the
way in which they deceive potential partners whilst on dates. The researchers found that both
genders tend to use deception when dating but for different purposes.

Males were found to try to impress their dates by emphasizing the security that they could offer
the partner - for example, by exaggerating their financial position or by trying to demonstrate
a preparedness to commit. Women, however, were deceptive with regards to their body image,
exaggerating physical features in an effort to appear more attractive to their date (Benz et al,
2005).5

In both cases, clothing may play a part in this dating ritual of deception.

Another factor in our clothing choices is the way in which males and females perceive
and interpret different colors.

In one experiment, researchers photographed people in different colored clothes and then asked
participants to rate the attractiveness of people in the resulting photos. They found that the
color of clothing affects the way in which men rate both males' and females' attractiveness, and
how women rate men's attractiveness. Interestingly however, clothing color did not influence
women's judgement of other females (Roberts et al, 2000).

This brings us to the question: which colors are viewed as attractive?Roberts and his fellow
researchers found that red clothes would tend to lead participants to rate subjects more
favorably in terms of attractiveness compared to when they wore clothes of other colors.

This result might explain the findings of a study which found that, when waitresses wore
different colored t-shirts whilst serving in a restaurant, men would tend to leave higher tips for
those wearing red tops than those with t-shirts of other colors. However, shirt color had no
effect on the tips left by female customers (Guéguen and Jacob, 2010).

34
Learn more about the psychology of color here

Of course, the color of garments is far from the only factor used in judging a person based on
clothing.

Timothy Brown and his fellow researchers of the Department of Psychology at Old Dominion
University looked at the effect of clothing on college students' judgement of both people's
attractiveness and masculinity or femininity.

Brown found that in both genders, posture and the way in which people moved influenced
perceptions of their masculinity or femininity, which was intrinsically linked to their judgement
of their attractiveness.

Specifically in males, tight-fitting clothes as opposed helped lead to perceptions of increased

masculinity over those who wore baggy garments (Brown et al, 1986).

Naturally, many of the findings from research into the psychology of fashion and clothing
choices are subject to the cultural values of the society in which a person lives. Cultural
differences in the interpretation of color, for example, mean that red may be perceived to
have different qualities to those valued by participants in Guéguen and Jacob's waitress
experiment, depending on the country a restaurant is situated in.

We should also note that the superficiality of clothing choices are rarely the sole determinant
of how people are perceived: Brown's study into clothing and attractiveness demonstrated the
influence of body language in addition to clothing choices. And for those of us with limited
fashion sense, as the English writer William Hazlitt cautioned, "Those who make their dress a
principal part of themselves, will, in general, become of no more value than their dress".

https://www.psychologistworld.com/body-language/psychology-of-clothing-dating-dress

35
 The Psychology of Fashion

As the seasons change they bring with them hosts of new choices about what to wear.

How to manage to look chic and stay warm? And, as life gets busier, how not to over-heat
physically or emotionally.

The selection of something to put on is not just an aesthetic or practical decision. It's also
about what suits our mood.

On a minute-by-minute basis, we are assailed by a range of emotions. And every morning

we make a decision about what to wear. The two are closely connected. The selection of
something to put on is not just an aesthetic or practical decision. It's also about what feels
right and what suits our mood. And whether we are conscious of it or not, we all choose
clothes that reflect, manage or regulate our emotions. This is what I explore in my latest
book Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion.

Intuitively we all know that certain clothes can transform how we feel. The wrong outfit
can make us want to hide, the right one makes us feel like a million dollars. “If I'm well
turned out, I walk, talk and act more confidently" said one of my research participants. But
can we use this as a force for positive change? I believe we can. And my research is
beginning to show how clothing can have real therapeutic properties. A loss of interest in
the basics like clothes, personal care and food can herald the onset of a depressive illness.

In the 1980s, Johnson and colleagues spotlighted the relationship between depression and
unkempt clothing. Then research by Kwon in 1991 found mood was a significant
determiner of clothing choices, especially for women.

This risks creating a pattern of negativity whereby dressing down reinforces negative
mood.

I conducted a study in which 9 out of 10 women told me the clothes they wore affected
their mood. The women in the study were more likely to wear jeans when they felt low or
depressed. More than half of the women also said they would wear a baggy top when
depressed, yet hardly any of them said they'd put on a baggy top if they were feeling happy.
This risks creating a pattern of negativity whereby dressing down reinforces negative
mood.

36
 One research participant, Linda, described this cycle and the coping strategy she
uses, “When I feel low or depressed I take less time over my appearance and it gets to a
catch 22. To pick myself up sometimes I force myself to get dressed properly and get the
makeup on". Psychiatric disorders have been shown to manifest in odd clothing practices.
Sufferers of schizophrenia often wear too many or too few clothes, and wearing redundant
clothing has been shown to be a readily observable marker for schizophrenia in a
psychiatric emergency room. A 1988 American Journal of Psychiatry paper also noted that,
before being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, 41% of schizophrenic patients had
drastically altered their hairstyle.

More importantly, these changes were made before any other overt sign of psychiatric
breakdown manifested. A research team from the Netherlands also discovered that changes
in physical appearance accompanied very early indicators of mild psychosis in young
adults. This desire to alter one's outer appearance in advance of a psychotic episode shows
how clothing is used for mood management. Faced with psychiatric vulnerability
associated with the disintegration of the self, appearance manipulations can be an attempt
to manage an identity crisis or loss of reality in psychotic disorder.

This link between clothing and emotions - the psychology of fashion - is common to all.
People report buying clothes to cheer themselves up ('retail therapy') and many of the
women I have surveyed say how they dress can have a massive impact on their confidence.
This inevitably plays out in their behaviour, as this respondent described: “If I'm wearing
something that makes me less confident, I won't speak up, sometimes I just want to go
home!".

For many people a wardrobe crisis can be indicative of a life that's become too humdrum,
too narrow and lacking in vitality.

For many people a wardrobe crisis can be indicative of a life that's become too humdrum,
too narrow and lacking in vitality. This is particularly true of people who are suffering from
stress. My research found a strong relationship between feeling stressed, anxious or
depressed and restrictive wardrobe habits. In the study most people said they wore on
average between a quarter and half of their wardrobe regularly. However, for in women
who were unhappy or stressed, they neglected over 90% of their wardrobe, resorting to
wearing less than 10% of it. When a person is stressed their outlook becomes narrower, the

37
 range of things they enjoy shrinks and their interests become more limited. It's hardly
surprising then to discover that their wardrobe options also narrow down markedly.

My research has shown that helping people to introduce clothing variations and to wear
more of their clothes in new creative combinations, can significantly impact upon their
sense of wellbeing and reduce episodes of negative mood. This led me to create Wear
Something Different, an online programme that sends the person regular prompts to alter,
restyle or refresh what they wear. It also profiles their personality and their mood to monitor
before and after changes. Who knows, one day we may hear of a doctor or therapist
prescribing an outfit rather than a pill to combat feelings of depression.

https://welldoing.org/article/psychology-of-fashion

38
 How to Use Color Psychology to Give Your Business An Edge

Whether you’re wondering what color to paint the office, or you’re looking to redesign your
retail space, the colors you choose can increase your chance of reaching your goals. Color
greatly influences human emotion and behavior. If you’re hoping to make your workers more
productive, or you want to encourage shoppers to spend money, understanding the basics of
color psychology can help you design a space that will maximize your potential.

I interviewed Sally Augustin, Ph.D., to find out more about color psychology. Augustin is an
environmental psychologist and internationally recognized expert on person-centered design.
Augustin operates Design With Science, where she teaches individuals and businesses how to
use color to their advantage.

Change People’s Perception of Temperature

The color of a wall can actually change how a person perceives the temperature, according to
Augustin. Warm colors, such as orange, red and yellow can cause people to think the
temperature in the room is warmer than it actually is. Cool colors, such as blue, green and light
purple cause people to estimate the temperature is colder.

Business owners can use this to their advantage by saving on heating and cooling costs. For
example, if you live in a cold environment, painting an entryway a warm color may cause
people to think your establishment is a few degrees warmer than actually is. This may allow
you to keep the temperature at a slightly lower setting.
Evoke Emotional Responses

Augustin states that color evokes similar emotional responses in most people. However, there
aren’t always universal truths about color. People of different cultures may have different
thoughts and emotions about certain colors. Also, a person’s past experience can affect feelings
about a certain color. Augustin notes that she dislikes a particular shade of blue for example,
because it reminds her of an allergy medicine she had to take as a child. Despite the exceptions,
there are some basic generalities about how certain colors evoke specific emotional and
behavioral responses.

39
Green Sparks Creativity

Research has linked green with broader thinking and more creative thought. People generally
like green. “There seems to be a positive association between nature and regrowth,” notes
Augustin. So if you want your employees to be more productive, consider painting work areas
green.

Red Reduces Analytical Thinking

There’s a reason why red sports cars cost more to insure. When humans see the color red, their
reactions become faster and more forceful. However, that boost of energy is likely to be short-
lived and ultimately, red reduces analytical thinking. Augustin cites research conducted by
Andrew Elliot, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, that shows athletes are
more likely to lose when they compete against an opponent wearing red and students exposed
to red before a test are likely to perform worse.

Although the research indicates that red can be helpful if you’re trying to attract a mate, it isn’t
helpful if you need to stay on task. One possible reason why red makes it hard to concentrate,
may be tied to a cultural-specific issue, says Augustin. Those of us who got a lot of answers
wrong as children, may associate the color red with the red ink our teachers used to mark up
our papers.

Blue is Most Accepted

When asked what their favorite color is, the most common answer around the world is blue.
This may be because when our ancestors used to see blue – like a clear blue sky or a watering
hole – it was a good sign, according to Augustin. Painting a common area of an office building
blue is likely to satisfy the majority of people.

Yellow isn’t Usually a Hit

Avoid painting public spaces yellow because most people aren’t a fan of the color. However,
the people who do like yellow, seem to have a huge preference for it, whereas most people
only slightly favor one color over another. Overall, yellow remains the least likely favorite
color for most people, so pick a different color if you want to appeal to the masses.

40
Orange is Associated with Good Value
People associate the color orange with a good value. The orange color in the Home Depot HD
+0.14% logo for example, helps customers view them as a low cost provider of valuable goods.
Some high-end retailers have been able to overcome this association with orange and they’ve
successfully incorporated orange into their brand.
Pink Calms People Down

There’s a reason some sports teams paint the opposing team's locker room pink – it’s known
for draining people of their energy. Baker-Miller pink (the same color of Pepto-Bismol) calms
people down for about 30 minutes, according to Augustin. Once people have remained calm
for that time frame, they’re often able to remain in a calm state. This could be a great color for
lawyers who are conducting mediation or a board room where conversations may get heated.

White May Lead to Boredom

White has a modern appeal. Apple AAPL -0.41%, for example, has used white to brand their
clean, sleek look. However, too much of a monochromatic look can cause people to reflect on
their own thoughts, warns Augustin. A person shopping in a monochromatic store may become
distracted from the task at-hand when their mind begins to wander because of the lack of
stimulation.
Changing Colors

One of the best things about color is that you can change wall color often. Think carefully
before you paint your space about how you want people to feel and perform. Although the wall
color can’t perform miracles, it can certainly give you a boost in the right direction.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/02/04/how-to-use-color-psychology-to-give-
your-business-an-edge/#655bc9b9170a

41
 The Link Between Clothing Choices and Emotional States

Dressing up can take extra effort, but it also feels good, especially if you receive extra
compliments. A new study suggests what many women have experienced: dressing in nicer
clothes makes you feel better.

According to a recent news release, one study has shown that women who are depressed or
sad are more likely to wear baggy tops, jeans, and a sweatshirt or jumper. Women who are
happy or positive are more likely to wear a favorite dress, jewelry, and jeans. These clothing
choices seem to mean that women who are feeling down put less effort into what they’re
wearing, and women who are in a good mood tend to try and look nicer to match their
mood.
There were 100 women interviewed for the study, and their ages ranged from 21 to 64
years, according to the news release. The researchers also found that 73% of women in the
study “shopped for clothes at least every few months.” The majority of women, or 96%,
“believed that what they wear affects how confident they feel,” according to the news
release.

Researchers determined from the results that there is a possibility that wearing certain
clothes can affect emotional states. “The strong link between clothing and mood state
suggests we should put on clothes that we associate with happiness, even when feeling
low,” according to the news release. The author of the study, Karen Pine, who is the
coauthor of Flex: Do Something Different and a professor in the School of Psychology at
University of Hertfordshire, added in the news release that jeans are more associated with
a depressed mood state and that women should consider abandoning them for a different
clothing choice in order to feel better.
“Jeans don’t look great on everyone. They are often poorly cut and badly fitting,” Pine said
in the news release. “Jeans can signal that the wearer hasn’t bothered with their appearance.
People who are depressed often lose interest in how they look and don’t wish to stand out,
so the correlation between depression and wearing jeans is understandable. Most
importantly, this research suggests that we can dress for happiness, but that might mean
ditching the jeans.”

In the study, 51% of women would wear jeans when they felt sad or depressed, and only
33% of women would wear jeans when they felt happy or positive, according to the news

42
 release. So if people still wear jeans when they are happy, just to a lesser degree, why are
they such a bad choice? Why are baggy clothes associated with a sad or depressed
emotional state and dresses and jewelry associated with a happy or positive emotional
state? Pine addressed these issues in an email.

“All the findings apply, but because jeans are so ubiquitous (everyone seems to have a pair,
women on average have eight pairs each) we chose to ‘lead’ on this finding. It is interesting
that many women wear them a lot but there’s still a variation according to mood. I think
the finding that women will only wear their favourite dress when happy or will likely wear
a baggy top when depressed is just as compelling.”

She said that the research didn’t go into certain details, like the fact that some women are
more into a “jeans and T-shirt” type of fashion, and other women wear skirts and dresses
every day as part of their style. It’s also uncertain whether results would’ve changed if
researchers took into consideration the emphasis some women put on fashion and beauty
and if women who shopped less were interviewed. “Of course there will always be
individual differences, but nonetheless recent research into enclothed cognition …
confirms there is a strong association between what we wear and our psychological
processes,” Pine said.

Results would also possibly look different if men were included in the study. “A lot of my
research concerns women’s issues .. and I think the emotional link is probably stronger for
women than for men, although there is research that shows men’s clothes affect how they
behave (e.g. sports teams that wear all black act more aggressively),” Pine said.

Overall, Pine believes the research provides a look into how we can improve our moods.
“It shows that clothes impact strongly on how we feel and may also influence how we think
(as the above research also suggests), which we’ll be exploring further in our research,”
Pine said. “It suggests we should give more thought to what we wear and even dress for
happiness, irrespective of how we are feeling. If we knew more about which clothes could
lift a person’s mood perhaps there’d be less need for anti-depressant medication.”

Shauna Mackenzie Heathman, a certified image consultant and owner of Mackenzie Image
Consulting in South Carolina, said in an email that the results of the study are expected.
“When we are feeling depressed or unhappy, looking our best is not on our minds,” Pine
said. “In fact, it becomes a hassle and waste of time. Mental energy is turned inwards
towards emotional thoughts. Dressing simply becomes function versus adornment or fun.”
43
 She said that people shouldn’t necessarily make assumptions about the feelings and
emotions of another person based on their clothing though. “We have the power to wear
items that represent our personalities and feelings,” Heathman said. “With that being said,
who knows how other people will interpret it. We make [judgments]/assumptions based on
our own experiences. Bottom line: I would be careful to assume one’s feelings based on
what they wear. To a certain extent, you can read whether someone is feeling insecure
based on their clothing, but body language and nonverbal communication is much more
representative of one’s feelings.”

She thinks there could also be a separate study on men that explores their clothing choices
and emotional states. “I think it was okay for this study to be focused around women,”
Heathman said. “A separate study on men should be considered. However, first you would
need to discover the underlying differences between men and women and how they
interpret clothes. Men are much more focused on functionality in their wardrobe than
women, regardless of emotional state. So I do think there may be some general similarities,
but overall women’s results would probably be more dramatic.”

One of the main parts of the study Pine focused on was jeans and their association with a
depressed or sad mood state, and Heathman thinks this could be because jeans are an easy
choice that doesn’t require a lot of thought. “I don’t think it’s the fact of wearing jeans that
suggests sadness or depression as it is just wanting effortlessness and functionality,”
Heathman said. “As I mentioned before, when we are depressed or sad, we’re not focused
on how we look. We stop caring. We turn to what’s easy and comfortable. Prolonged long
enough, you then fall in ‘the rut.’ Often, altering one’s mood by enhancing wardrobe can
be done. However, it generally only has short-term results if working on one’s emotional
and mental state is not at play as well.”

“The study mentions that happy clothes include well-cut, figure-enhancing items made
from bright and beautiful fabrics,” Heathman said. “To this, I ponder, isn’t this obvious? If
something makes our figure look poor, we generally don’t like this and thus are unhappy
about it. When we don’t like what we wear, we focus on it throughout the day. It takes
away the focus from the daily tasks that are important—work, relationships, family. A
woman should walk out of the door and not have to think about what she’s wearing for the
rest of the day. You’d be amazed at how much mental energy is exhausted pondering about
how we look.”

44
 Overall she thinks the study could have gone more in-depth to provide more useful
information. “I think the study lacks depth. What is revealed seems fairly obvious,”
Heathman said. “I would be curious to hear why women choose to wear a hat more often
when they are happy. Is it because it’s fun? Is it because it draws attention towards them?
Also, the psychology of color comes into play much more than the study presents. I think
it’s informative more than it is useful.”

Donna Stellhorn, a Feng Shui expert and author of 2012 Year of the Water Dragon,
interprets the study from a unique perspective involving her experience with Feng Shui.
For those who are unfamiliar with Feng Shui, it is “the study of how the environment affects
those who dwell in it,” according to the American Feng Shui Institute website. The
“science” of Feng Shui suggests that there are “different energies” in our planet, and
learning how to balance these energies can help improve various aspects of life.
“In Feng Shui we understand how you dress is associated with the five elements. Each
element has an energy, and we’ll gravitate to the energy that’s in harmony with how we
feel at the moment,” Stellhorn said. “The study says when we’re feeling down we’re more
likely to reach for jeans and loose-fitting tops. These boxy shapes relate to the Earth
element, a desire for stillness and stability. There are five elements (Earth, Wood, Fire,
Water, and Metal), each with an energy, feeling, and a related style. Besides the shape of
clothes, also the color and material indicates the element. For instance, animal prints are
associated with the Fire element and a desire to be noticed and feel alive.”

She said for men, color would probably be more of an indicator of emotional states.
“Because men tend to stick to a limited wardrobe, emotional states can be read in the
choices of colors and the slight changes in what they normally wear,” Stellhorn said. “Men
who usually sport a T-Shirt and suddenly start wearing a button-down shirt in greens or
browns has moved from the Earth element to Wood, showing a desire to grow, to add to
their life financially and socially, they’ve become curious about the world.”

She agrees that jeans are less effort when people are already preoccupied with other areas
of life. “It’s not that jeans specifically suggest sadness, but that the desire to throw on a pair
of jeans can indicate that life’s been too chaotic, there are too many choices and we want
some quiet stillness to contemplate what’s ahead,” Stellhorn said. “When we reach for jeans
we want something familiar because things around us are stressful.”

45
 Accessories can also affect mood, like the study suggests. “Women’s hats bring attention
(from others and our own) to our heads and indicate a person with power,” Stellhorn said.
“A man in a ball cap might be covering thinning hair, but by wearing the hat he feels more
powerful and better able to interact in the world. Jewelry and handbags also bring an
energy, and therefore an emotion, to the person.”

Linda Froiland, an image consultant and personal shopper, said in an email that jeans don’t
need to always be associated with depression, although sometimes it can be difficult to find
the perfect fit. “Jeans are not just for tennis shoes. If you have a great fitting pair in a dark
wash they can be quite sexy with an elevated heel, high heel, or wedge shoes,” Froiland
said. “I wear mine out dancing, dinners at friends or restaurants, shopping, everywhere
really, but they fit like a glove and have attitude. I can honestly say I am not depressed
when wearing jeans, nor are my clients once they know how they should fit, what they
should look like, and what to pair them with.”

Rosa Mae Neel, a stylist for professionals and the founder of Prune, agrees with Froiland
that jeans don’t necessarily mean depression. “In a place like New York, where women
commonly spend up to $300 for a pair of jeans and wear them with heels and a sexy top to
go out at night, jeans do not necessarily equal depressive state,” Neel said. “Perhaps in
other parts of the country or for older generations, jeans that are not designer jeans and that
are more comfortable than flattering are a go-to for depressive states. Again, blousy tops
can be trendy and hip if expensive or worn with gusto, or they can be a medium through
which to hide extra pounds or negative feelings.”

Froiland said that clothing can be important in not only affecting mood but also in making
impressions on other people. “Whenever I talk to a group, large or small, I always start out
my presentation with telling everyone that ‘It’s in less than 3 minutes someone has already
decided who and what you are. First by your appearance (87%), second your body language
(8%), and then your verbal communication (5%). It takes another 20 times meeting that
person to change that original perception,’” Froiland said. “So the value in our clothing is
profound.”

Caroline Adams Miller, a professional coach, author of “Creating Your Best Life” and a
graduate of University of Pennsylvania’s Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology
program, said in an email that baggy clothes in general can indicate more of a lackluster
mood. “Baggy jeans that could be perceived as asexual probably don’t correlate with

46
 happiness unless paired with more individualistic shirts or accessories,” Miller said. “The
baggy tops reference doesn’t surprise me because they would ‘hide’ someone, and unhappy
people don’t want to interact with people—they want to ruminate and be alone, and these
clothing choices are perfect indicators of not feeling worthy of being ‘seen.’”

She believes that men could be affected by clothing choices as well, although they might
put more effort into choosing a car to express their personality and mood. “I do believe that
many men use clothing to express and change their moods, though, so I think a future study
would find similar results,” Miller said.

Overall she believes the study makes sense and that there is a real connection between
clothing and mood. “The science of happiness has found that we have ‘positive
interventions’ that can change our mood, and when we deliberately intervene on our
happiness by wearing things that evoke positive feelings, positive reactions from others, or
that remind you of positive experiences, you will be happier,” Miller said.

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/link-between-clothing-choices-and-emotional-states-0330124

47
 How Clothing Choices Affect and Reflect Your Self-Image

Your style and the clothes you choose reflect and affect your mood, health, and overall
confidence. Scientists call this phenomenon “enclothed cognition”, and Adam Hajo and Adam
D. Galinsky, both professors at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern
University, write in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, write that enclothed
cognition “involves the co-occurrence of two independent factors — the symbolic meaning of
the clothes and the physical experience of wearing them.” The researchers had subjects perform
tests while wearing a lab coat like medical doctors wear, a coat like painters wear, and while
not wearing either coat. They found that subjects’ sustained attention increased while wearing
the doctors’ coats in a way that their attention did not increase while wearing the painters’ coats
or no coats.

Similarly, Professor Karen J. Pine, of the University of Hertfordshire (U.K.) writes in her very
short book Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion “When we put on a piece of
clothing we cannot help but adopt some of the characteristics associated with it, even if we are
unaware of it.” In the studies Pine conducted, as related in her book, one participant admitted,
“If I’m in casual clothes I relax and am tomboyish, but if I dress up for a meeting or a special
occasion, it can alter the way I walk and hold myself.”

That is what Lisa Stariha, The Body Empowerment Coach, tries to instill her in clients. She
says it is so important to “Get up, get dressed, and never give up each day.” Stariha, who often
works from her home office, knows how comfortable it can be to work in yoga pants and a
cozy shirt. But, she says, “to feel more beautiful, confident, and strong, you must change out
of the yoga pants and put on clothes that give you power,” just as Wonder Woman went from
her Diana Prince uniform to her kick-butt Wonder Woman costume.

How important and empowering the right clothes, and even the right under garments, can be is
one of the things my co-authors, Jean Otte and Rosina L. Racioppi and I mentioned in our
book WOMEN Are Changing the Corporate Landscape: Rules for Cultivating Leadership
Excellence. And Business Insider says that clothes don’t just affect your confidence levels,
they can affect your success, as “clothing significantly influences how others perceive you and
how they respond to you.”

48
In 2014, car manufacturer Kia took a survey of what makes people feel confident, a few of the
things included in the top 10 list for women included: high heels, a little black dress, and
designer perfume. For men, the list included: a freshly shaved face, a new suit, and a nice
smelling aftershave.

Understanding the psychological dynamics of why the right-for-us clothing can contribute to
our confidence, raise our self esteem, and help propel us in the workplace has become big
business. Image, style, and branding consultants are hired by everyone from celebrities to the
average Joe, with, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics more than 56,000 people
claiming that as their occupation in 2014. Kim Peterson, of Uniquely Savvy, helps people
champion themselves through personal brand and style analysis, body and color analysis,
wardrobe analysis, personal shopping, and virtual style consulting for individuals, and more
progressive businesses bring Kim in to do workshops for their employees on these self-
empowerment topics.

So the next time you reach for those yoga pants or for that fiery red dress, ask yourself how
will that clothing item make you feel and what is it saying to the world around you today?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jill-l-ferguson/how-clothing-choices-affect-and-reflect-your-
self-image_b_9163992.html

49
 2.6 ANALYSIS

Majority i.e. 41.43% agree that they like to experiment with their look/styling.

BELOW 21: 35.71% Agree while 28% of the age group is neutral about experimenting with
their look/styling.
22-27-YEAR OLD: 26% Strongly Agree to the statement while 46% Agree, which is the
highest percentage of people in all age groups who said they agree with experimenting.
28-33-YEAR OLD: 45% Agree with the statement while 22% are Neutral.
34-39-YEAR OLD: 40% each of this group, Strongly Agree & are Neutral about liking
experimenting
40-44-YEAR OLD: 33% Disagree about liking experimenting with their look while 33% said
to have been Neutral about the matter.

50
Majority of the sample i.e. 38.57% said they were fashion conscious followed by 32.43% being
Neutral towards this.

Looking at the age group division of this statement, the most notable responses were as
following:

The men in the age group of 28-30- year old with the highest percentage of 50% agreed about
being fashion conscious where as at the other end it was the men in the age group of 40-44-
year old who Strongly disagreed (34%) about being fashion conscious.

51
From the graph it is clear that majority i.e. 37.14% of the sample admit to buy clothes that are
in trend & latest followed by 25.71% who said they were neutral about buying trending fashion.
This shows us that either the men are consciously seeeking out to buying clothes from brands
that is offering them the latest trend in the fashion world. People follow trends either to fit in
the crowd they are surrounded by or to be perceived as being young, and informed of their
fashion choices. But those who are neutral on this question are those who prefer buying fashion
that they are comfortable with and that which defines them more than buying it solely for the
fact that it is an ongoing trend. Whereas those who either disagree or strongly disagree
belonged to that category of people who when shopping will only buy fashion they trust i.e.
clothes they know they cant go wrong with, since trying out new trends makes them a slave of
fast fashion & the various fashion cycles available to them at one point of time which confuses
them as studies have showed that men cant handle too many options that they arent familiar
with.

On doing a crosstab of this with age it was revealed that majorly 21.42% of those who St.
Agree & Disagree with the statement were below 21 year olds. Where as 50% of those who
agreed with the statement belonged to the 22-27 year age group.
52
From the graph it is clear that majority both Strongly Agree (42.86%) & Agree (37.14%) with
the statement. This shows that their priority is not to blindly follow the current fashion instead
go with fashion that best defines them.

More over 50% of the sample below the age of 21 year old were those who St. Agreed with
this. This was so since the boys in that age are still trying to figure out their personal style and
their personalty and are always out on experimenting and defining their style.

Whereas in the men of the age group of 28-33, 50% St. Agree while 22.72% Disagree with the
statement. And 100% of those belonging to the age group of 40-46 year olds agree with the
above statement.

53
 Men have always been very particluar about fashion details of colours/pattern/style etc From
the graphs its clear as well. With 45.71% of the men Agreeing to it followed by 37.14%
Strongly Agreeing and a very smal portion of the same Disagreeing.

On doing a cross tab of this statement with the age groups the salient points to be noted are as
follow:

The age group of Below 21 with the highest percentage of 21.42% across all age groups
disagreed with the statement. While the age group of 22-27 had the highest percentage of 53%
men agreeing to it.

54
Men always want to be safe when it comes to how they look as they are very conscious about
their projection to the world. Even if they might not be consciously aware of it. This is proved
by the above graphs. With 32.86% of the men agreeing to dressing up safely and practically
rather than experimenting.

A cross tab of this with the age groups we also found out that majority of the men in all age
groups either Agreed or were Neutral about this statement. With 100% men in the segment of
40-46 year old agreeing to it. Followed by 34-39 year old with 40% each agreeing & strongly
agreeing to it. It was just the age group of Below 21 year olds with the least percentage of only
21% agreeing to it.

55
Majority (31.43%) Agree with the statement followed by 30% of the sample who St. agrees
with it. 50% of the sample belonging to the age group of 28-33 year old strongly Agree with
the statement followed by 26.9% from the age group of 22-27 year old. This is so because the
men of this age group are young and earning and most of them might not be investing a lot of
time on the shopping floor. Since they are old enough to know what looks good on them, what
fits them.

56
Men are often known to be impulsive while they shop and very selective about what they like.
Hence they do not mind spending a little more out of their pockets for it. Unlike fashion for
girls who follow fast fashion dedicatedly and are more open to experimenting, men prefer
buying few things for their wardrobe of which they are absolutely sure of. This point is proved
in the above graph, where 41.43% of the sample agree to the statement. Followed by 22.86%
each Strongly Agreeing & Neutral to it.

57
Men are all about their physique and wearing clothes that enhances their body and their other
physical traits. Which is when it comes to fashion, Men are slaves to fit. Which is proved in
the above graph when a whooping 42.86% of the sample size Agreeing to fit/comfort being
more important to them than appearance/styling.

Mostly all the men in the different age groups agreed to the statement. With highest being 60%
of the men in 34-39-year old group Strongly Agreeing to the statement. But at the same time
being also the age group with the highest percentage of men disagreeing to the statement with
20%.

58
We all know that fashion is an extension of you we are. The same goes for fashion and men.
That is why more than half of the sample Agreed (41.3%) & Strongly Agreed (40%) with the
above statement.

The cross tab of this with the age groups shows that majority of the men across all age groups
Strongly Agree with the above statement. With the highest percentage of men being in the age
group of 34-39-year old (60%), followed by 50% in below 21-year old, 42% in the 22-27-year
old group, 33% in the 40-46-year old group. The men in the age group of 28-33-year old had
the least percentage of men agreeing to this statement (27%).

59
 What are the things that inspire you the most in life? * Age Group

Age Group Total

Below 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
21
What are the things Combination 0 4 6 0 0 10
that inspire you the Art/ 5 5 4 1 0 14
most in life? Books/Poetry/Music
etc.
Everyday people 1 1 4 2 0 8
around me
Life & its struggle 3 9 2 0 0 14
Nature 3 3 3 1 2 12
Successful people 2 4 3 1 1 11
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

35% Art/ Books/ Poetry/

Music etc.

21% Life & its Struggle &

Nature

14% Successful people

7% Everyday people
around me

BELOW 21:
From the above chart we can conclude that majority of those below 21year age group are
inspired from Art/Books/ Poetry/Music in their life. Followed by 21% of them who said they
are inspired from Life & its struggle / Nature.

60
 34% Life & its Struggle

19% Art/ Books/ Poetry/ Music

etc.

15% All or mix of the options

11%Nature

3% Everyday people around me

22-27-YEAR-OLD: Since the men in this age group are struggling with trying to figure out
who they are and what they want and constantly juggling with this question the most in this
phase of their life, which is why majority i.e. 31% of them chose it as what inspires them.
Followed by 19% who are inspired by Art/ Books/ Poetry/ Music etc. which shows that they
go to art to find recluse from life & its questions.

27% Mix of all

18% Art/Books/Poetry/Music etc

18% Everyday people around me

13% Nature & Successful people

9% Life & its struggle

28-33-YEAR-OLD: Majority i.e. 27% went with a combination of all the given option. Men
of this age group are in that phase of their lives where they are beginning to experience what
being settled and starting a family of their own is. Which is all new to them and hence the
things that now inspire them are not limited to one or two things.
61
 40% Everyday people around
me

20% Art/Books/Poetry/Music
etc

20% Nature

20% Successful people

34-39-YEAR-OLD: 40% of the men in this age group said that everyday people around them
inspire them the most. Followed by the remaining 60% who said art or Nature or successful
people inpsire them the most in life.

66% Nature

34% Successful
people

40-40-YEAR OLD: Majority said that it’s the nature that inspires them while the remaining
34% said that successful people inspire them.

62
5-10 years down the line, what do you see yourself aspiring for in life? * Age Group

Age Group Total

Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
5-10 years down the Combination 0 4 5 0 0 9
line, what do you see Career Prospects 2 2 3 1 0 8
yourself aspiring for in Dreams & Passion 5 10 5 0 2 22
life? Family & Good 0 2 2 1 1 6
Health
Happiness 4 3 1 2 0 10
Recognition & Fame 1 2 4 1 0 8
Wealth & Prosperity 2 3 2 0 0 7
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

BELOW 21 YEAR: 35% of this age group chose dreams and passion as their aspiration down
the lane in few years. Followed by 28% going for happiness, while remaining 14% aspiring for
Career / Wealth and the last 7% for recognition & fame.

22-27-YEAR OLD: 38% of this age group aspires for their dreams & passion. Followed by 15
% who said a mix of all the options is what they aspire for. 11% each said that they aspire for
happiness / wealth. Lastly 7% wen for career/ recognition & fame/ family & good health each.

28-33-YEAR OLD: 22% each of this age group said they would aspire for their dreams &
passion / mix of few. Recognition & fame was aspired by almost 18% of the men in this age
group making it the second best popular option. Followed by 9% for family & good health/
wealth each and only a minor 4% going for happiness.

34-39YEAR OLD: Happiness was aspired by 40% of the men in this age group. Rest went
with Career/family & good health/recognition & fame at 20% each.

40-44-YEAR OLD: 74% of the men chose dreams & passion followed by the remaining 33%
going for family & good health.

63
Mostly you find yourself dressing as per your * Age Group

Age Group Total

Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
Mostly you find Mood 6 4 8 2 1 21
yourself dressing as People you find 0 2 2 1 0 5
per your fashionable
Personality 3 14 4 0 0 21
Work Environment 5 6 8 2 2 23
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

BELOW 21 YEAR: 42.8% said they dress everyday as per their mood. While 35.7% dressed
per their work environment and 21.4% as per their personality.

22-27-YEAR OLD: 58% of the men in this age group dressed as per their personality, while
23% as per their work environment, followed by 15.38% as per their mood and lastly 7.6% as
pee the people they find fashionable.

28-33-YEAR OLD: 40% of this age group goes with mood / work environment each. Followed
by 20% dressing as per their personality/people they find fashionable.

34-39YEAR OLD: 36.36% each of this group said that mood / work environment influences
their dressing everyday. While 1818% went with their personality as a deciding factor. While
the remaining 9% people dressed as per the people they found fashionable.

40-44-YEAR OLD: 66% of the men said that their work environment influences their daily
dressing. Followed by 34% who went with their mood of the day.

64
 2.7 INSIGHTS & CONCLUSION

• 50% of the men Strongly Agree about buying and dressing as per their Personality
type. Followed by 41% who Agree with the same.

• The research also shows that everyday dressing for men is influenced by Personality
type & Mood with Work Environment being an active part for those who work in a
more formal/corporate work environment that requires dressing formally as an
important part of their everyday at work.

• 20% of those who Agree on liking experimentation with their look/style also Strongly
Agree that Fit/Comfort is more important to them.

• When it comes to prioritizing “experimentation with look/style” and “dressing up safely

& practically” 18.75% of those who Strongly Agree abut experimenting, Strongly
Disagree & Strongly Agree both about dressing up safely.

• From the above two points we conclude that Men are slaves to their fit as it is the most
important thing for them when it comes to Fashion for men. Which is why a lot of men
prefer shopping from few selected brands where they are sure about the fit of the
garments hence they are then more open to experimentation in their looks/styling as at
the end of the day they have agreed to wanting to dress more safely/practically. So to
catch on this information the brand should focus and invest more time & resources on
getting their fits right for the various body types of Indian Men or the men that keep
shopping from their brand.

• In overall scenario men don’t spend much on their fashion requirements. But still 43%
of the men prefer buying few quality items over more of less quality items. This
percentage even includes 41% of those who disagree on spending a lot on their fashion
needs. From this we conclude that Quality which equals to feel of the fabric, garment
durability, color fastness, overall long lasting clothes is more important. This suggests
that the brand should focus & invest their resources and time towards product
development, good sourcing & vendor management. Instead of giving them a lot of
variety and thus in that process limit the allotted budget on the quality of the products.

65
 • 66% of those who Strongly Agree on being fashion conscious also Strongly Agree with
Fashion Details as being important to them.

FIT

PERSONALITY MOOD
FASHION
FOR
MEN

FASHION
QUALITY
DETAILS

• Since we have now established that men are impulsive shoppers who know what they
want i.e. fit, comfort, quality and thus will probably end up buying what is offered to
them provided they are sure about it looking good according to their body type & is
thus safe for them to then go on and experiment with the ongoing trends/styles in the
fashion world.

• Moving on to understand Men & Identity & their Mind, we now know that they are
mostly inspired by Art/Books/Poetry/Music or Life and its struggle. Which gives us an
insight on how their mind observes, thinks and works. And what are the things that
occupy their everyday thoughts & feelings that can be correlated with the stage of life
they are currently in (student/working/family etc.).

• According to my research men when thinking about their future are mostly aspiring for
their Dreams & Passions & Happiness across all the age groups. And we know that
understanding motivation is quite complex as it differs from person to person.

66
 • But motivation can be understood as the “the desire to do things”. Aspiration, in this
context, can then be seen as a “long term hope”, or “goal”. So to understand what
motivates men in their life we need to first know what they aspire for. Because our
aspirations can motivate us to work hard and get things done to achieve this goal,
whatever it is. And it is only when, we have a constant supply of inspiration and the
correct motivation to do that which will get us closer to that which we aspire, will we
ever be happy in life. Irrespective of whatever it is that gets us happiness in our lives.

67
 2.8 FASHION FOR PANTALOONS MEN

As per the phone conversation with the pantaloons customers of all the menswear
brands these were the major findings about what is fashion for them & what they look
out for when shopping for clothes.

• Fit is the most important aspect for them.

• The clothes he is buying should suit his personality the best.
• He mostly goes for styles that he considers safe for him (physical traits
like body type & complexion & height).
• He prefers Quality over Quantity in his wardrobe.
• Buys mostly on particular occasion or when there is absolute need for
him to replace his old clothes. While he does browse the store to see if
anything catches his eye that he absolutely wants.
• Doesn’t mind experimenting every once in a while (which could be
around festive season where everyone is looking for something
different, fresh and new that what they usually wear).
• He dresses mostly as per occasion/work environment/mood.

68
 2.9 SUGGESTIONS

1. Focus on styling

The selection of something to put on is not just an aesthetic or practical decision. It's also about
what suits our mood. On a minute-by-minute basis, we are assailed by a range of emotions.
And every morning we make a decision about what to wear. The two are closely connected.
And whether we are conscious of it or not, we all choose clothes that reflect, manage or regulate
our emotions. Which has already been validated by the data collected from this research.

Studies show that when a person is stressed their outlook becomes narrower, the range of things
they enjoy shrinks and their interests become more limited. It's hardly surprising then to
discover that their wardrobe options also narrow down markedly. This kind of low behavioral
mood swings can be traced in most of the men if we consider how most of them are inspired
from Life & its struggle & are does aspiring for happiness & chasing their dreams & passions.
In such cases research shows that helping people to introduce clothing variations and how to
wear more of their clothes in new creative combinations, can significantly impact upon their
sense of wellbeing and reduce episodes of negative mood and thus make them go for a wider
option in their fashion requirement.

So if we combine this with the knowledge about men wanting quality over quantity and their
openness towards experimenting if the VM team can work with showcasing a variety of
different styling, create various wardrobe capsules and ways on wearing the same garments.

2. Play with Color Psychology

It’s common knowledge that clothes have a strong influence over the way other people perceive
us; you may be talented and qualified, but ripped jeans at a job interview probably won’t
communicate your ambition to a potential boss.
But clothes don’t just shape the way other people see us. New research from a team of
psychological scientists from California State University, Northridge and Columbia University
finds out that the clothes we wear can also influence the way we think.

69
Color greatly influences human emotion and behavior. So since Pantaloons is looking out for
redesigning of their existing or upcoming retail spaces, the colors they choose for the store VM
can increase their chances of reaching their sale goals.

Evoke Emotional Responses

A study states that color evokes similar emotional responses in most people. 90% of snap
judgments made about products can be based on color alone, depending on the product. For
example:
Green Sparks Creativity: Research has linked green with broader thinking and more creative
thought. People generally like green. “There seems to be a positive association between nature
and regrowth,” notes Augustin. So if you want your employees to be more productive, consider
painting work areas green. Orange is associated with Good Value represent positivity,
creativity, happiness, and optimism.

Regarding the role that color plays in branding, results from another study show that the
relationship between brands and color hinges on the perceived appropriateness of the color
being used for the particular brand (i.e. does the color “fit” what is being sold?). Also the
purchasing intent is greatly affected by colors due to their effect on how a brand is perceived;
colors influence how customers view the “personality” of the brand in question. And as we
have already established that men dress and buy what suits their personality this theory makes
perfect sense. Also, when it comes to picking the “right” color, research has found that
predicting consumer reaction to color appropriateness is far more important than the individual
color itself. If Harley owners buy the product in order to feel rugged, colors that work best will
play to that emotion.

70
 3. Treat the Brand as a person

We dress the way we do to project a certain image. Usually when older men want to look
young they wear the latest trends seen on the youth and also keep up with hair. Most of the
time confident men are identified by the fashion risks they take such, as wearing bright
colors and prints. Fashion choices can affect both self-image and also influence the way
people behave towards each other. Clothes are an essential clue to people’s personalities.
No one wants to be judged, but unfortunately people will judge you how dressed.

People follow fashion trends because our brains love new and exciting things. Keeping up
with trends will make you seem younger and hot. When a young person does a hairdo which
is popular with oldies they may be perceived as older than they are. Before we throw any
clothing item on our body, we make sure it is appropriate for the occasion and try to think
of how others will perceive us, if we are happy about the impression we are giving it’s a
go!

Based on this we also know that all the brands have a predefined brand personality mapping
out the various ways of figuring out what is their:
Verbal identity i.e. How they talk.
Visual identity i.e. How they look (play with color psychology).
Tactical identity i.e. How they act.

Most of the times brands have a brand identity prism defining the various aspects of a
brand. But what they also need to pay attention to is the fact that if a brand is growing old
with the many years its surviving in the market then in order to survive and grow it has to
look at the brand as a person and treat it the way that personality would grow and evolve
and act with the external environmental factors in fashion.

71
 CHAPTER 3 ON THE JOB TASKS

3.1 RANGE PRESENTATION

This is the most important part of the buying process where designers showcased their
collection of a particular season (FE 17) in which they developed certain number of option
(shirts, t-shits, bottoms etc.) for each brand to show so at the end of the Presentation you can
check the actual number of options that are the best buying options for that season. Buyers
have to often reject certain styles that were developed due to either Fabric problem, color
outcomes, print outcomes etc. which caused the brand wasting their time, money and
manpower.

Range presentation set up allocates different brands with Visual Merchandising props,
accessories, Mannequin etc. For the Range Presentation of FESTIVE 17, I was working under
the Pantaloons Casual wear brands named Bare Denim & SF Jeans. I was assisting the buyers
in making the Visual merchandising sheet with all the information about the best styles that
will go for store wall.

The Range Presentation goes on for three days with each day allotted to a particular party.
Apart from the Buyers & Designers, the first day had the various Zonal Managers being part
of the range presentation to see how the next season range should be as per their understanding
and requirement of their respective zones.
Second day was for the buying that had to be done for the E-commerce partners of Pantaloons.
The buyers showcase their selected product range to them where they select particular styles
according to their requirements, online sales and data basis).
Third day was for the company CEO and Head of the Departments to come and see the range
to make suggestions wherever needed.

Buyers have to consider the following when developing the Range:

• The right depth and width of range – ensuring sufficient choice and range completeness.
• The right price architecture – guiding the customer through the options available.
• The right quality and value – ensuring the brand and product propositions fit your
business. Great on shelf availability (with minimal stock investment) – ensuring you
maximize your sales potential off the lowest possible cost base.

72
 • Also some of the important things which needs to be done.
• A flexible, responsive, agile supply base – to ensure you can follow consumer trends
quickly.
• A better return per square foot than the last range – to mitigate the ever increasing cost
of property.
• A better shopping experience for the customer – to secure their loyalty, repeat business
and increased basket size
Once the three days of Range Presentation were done I was then in charge of making the MCC
(Merchandise Category Code) sheet for the brand Bare Denim & Urban Eagle Denim.

3.2 PC MRP REVIEW (COST REVIEW)

After completing the work on the Range Presentation and the buying for FE17, I was given the
task of completing Cost review or PC MRP review for Bare Denim & Urban Eagle Denim
brands. This includes all product’s Cost, MRP, Margin, Qty bought, along with the cost of all
the bought styles which is given to Category team from sourcing department and is finally
updated by those working with the Category team. The entire Category team then decides
which styles to drop and go ahead with, which MRPs to be increased or decreased and how
based on the margin set on them according to the data base of the given product range.

Contact Sheet made for Urban Eagle Denim, T-shirts.

73
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
• http://www.experian.co.uk/assets/business-
strategies/brochures/fashion_segments_handbook_males_small[1].pdf
• https://www.helpscout.net/blog/psychology-of-color/
• http://www.collegefashion.net/fashion-tips/colors-and-mood-how-the-colors-you-wear-affect-you/
• https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/15/motivation-and-aspiration-whats-the-point
•

74
 ANNEXURE

You consider yourself as a fashion-conscious person. * Age Group

Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
You consider yourself as Strongly Disagree 0 0 2 0 1 3
a fashion-conscious Disagree 3 0 2 1 0 6
person. Neutral 2 11 5 2 2 22
Agree 4 11 11 1 0 27
Strongly Disagree 5 4 2 1 0 12
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

You buy clothes that are in trend and latest. * Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
You buy clothes that are Strongly Disagree 1 3 2 0 0 6
in trend and latest. Disagree 3 2 1 0 1 7
Neutral 5 6 6 1 0 18
Agree 2 13 6 3 2 26
Strongly Agree 3 2 7 1 0 13
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

You buy clothing you like, regardless of the current fashion. * Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
You buy clothing you Strongly 0 0 1 0 0 1
like, regardless of the Disagree
current fashion. Disagree 0 1 5 0 0 6
Neutral 1 5 1 0 0 7
Agree 6 10 4 3 3 26
Strongly Agree 7 10 11 2 0 30
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

75
Fashion details (style/color/print/design etc.) are very important to you. * Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
Fashion details Strongly Disagree 1 0 2 0 0 3
(style/color/print/design Disagree 3 1 1 0 0 5
etc.) are very important Neutral 1 1 1 0 1 4
to you. Agree 2 14 10 4 2 32
Strongly Agree 7 10 8 1 0 26
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

You prefer dressing up safely and practically rather than experimenting with new
looks/ongoing trends in fashion. * Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
You prefer dressing up Strongly Disagree 1 3 3 0 0 7
safely and practically Disagree 1 3 4 0 0 8
rather than Neutral 6 6 7 1 0 20
experimenting with new Agree 3 10 5 2 3 23
looks/ongoing trends in Strongly Agree 3 4 3 2 0 12
fashion.
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

Your personal style is often considered conservative/old-school by others around

you. * Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
Your personal style is Strongly Disagree 1 6 3 1 0 11
often considered Disagree 3 11 10 3 1 28
conservative/old-school Neutral 5 8 3 0 0 16
by others around you. Agree 3 1 4 1 2 11
Strongly Agree 2 0 2 0 0 4
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

76
You spend a lot of money shopping for your fashion needs. * Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
You spend a lot of Strongly Disagree 0 4 2 0 1 7
money shopping for your Disagree 6 6 5 3 1 21
fashion needs. Neutral 4 8 7 1 1 21
Agree 2 7 6 1 0 16
Strongly Agree 2 1 2 0 0 5
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

You prefer buying few quality items than several at lower quality & price. *
Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
You prefer buying few Strongly Disagree 0 1 0 1 0 2
quality items than Disagree 1 2 2 1 1 7
several at lower quality Neutral 2 6 7 1 0 16
& price. Agree 6 11 8 2 2 29
Strongly Agree 5 6 5 0 0 16
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

You tend to buy on impulse, rather than planning in advance. * Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
You tend to buy on Strongly Disagree 1 3 1 0 1 6
impulse, rather than Disagree 1 3 1 1 1 7
planning in advance. Neutral 5 6 1 2 0 14
Agree 4 7 8 2 1 22
Strongly Agree 3 7 11 0 0 21
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

77
 Brand name of the clothes you buy is very important to you. * Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
The brand name of the Strongly Disagree 1 3 1 0 1 6
clothes you buy is very Disagree 3 2 5 0 0 10
important to you. Neutral 4 12 7 0 0 23
Agree 2 8 2 4 2 18
Strongly Agree 4 1 7 1 0 13
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

Fit/comfort is more important than appearance/styling. * Age Group

Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
Fit/comfort is more Strongly Disagree 0 1 0 1 0 2
important than Disagree 1 0 0 0 0 1
appearance/styling. Neutral 3 10 4 0 0 17
Agree 6 11 10 1 2 30
Strongly Agree 4 4 8 3 1 20
Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

You buy clothes that help you express your personality. * Age Group
Count
Age Group Total
Below 21 22-27 28-33 34-39 40 -46
You buy clothes that Disagree 0 2 1 0 0 3
help you express your Neutral 2 4 3 0 1 10
personality. Agree 5 9 12 2 1 29
Strongly Agree 7 11 6 3 1 28

Total 14 26 22 5 3 70

78
 79
 80
 QUESTIONNAIRE: ANALYZING FASHION FOR MEN

On a scale of 1 to 5 write your level of agreeability for the following statements:
1=Strongly Disagree; 2=Disagree; 3=Neutral; 4=Agree; 5=Strongly Agree

Ø You like to experiment with your look/styling.

Ø You consider yourself as a fashion-conscious person.

Ø You buy clothes that are in trend and latest.

Ø You buy clothing you like, regardless of the current fashion.

Ø Fashion details (style/color/print/design etc.) are very important to you.

Ø You prefer dressing up safely and practically rather than experimenting with new
looks and ongoing trends in fashion.

Ø Your personal style is often considered conservative/old-school/basic by others
around you.

Ø You spend a lot of money shopping for your fashion needs.

Ø You prefer buying few quality items than several at lower quality & price.

Ø You tend to buy on impulse, rather than planning in advance.

Ø The brand name of the clothes you buy are very important to you.

Ø Fit/comfort is more important than appearance/styling.

Ø You buy clothes that help you to express your personality.

Q. Do you buy clothes that compliment your physical trait, If Yes then which trait you keep
in mind while shopping?
o Height
o Weight/Built
o Skin color

Q. Mostly you find yourself dressing as per your:
o Mood
o Personality
o Work Environment
o Peers/Colleagues
o People you find fashionable
o Other ___________

81

Q Typical brands that you shop from? Name any four.

Q. What are the things that inspire you in life?
o Nature
o Art/ Books/Poetry/Music etc.
o Everyday people around me
o Successful people
o Life & its struggle

Q. 5-10 years down the line, what do you see yourself aspiring for in life?

o Career Prospects
o Family & Good Health
o Wealth & Prosperity
o Happiness
o Recognition & Fame
o Marriage & Relationship
o Dreams & Passion

Q. Describe your personality type in one word? ______________________

Q. Select your height from the below given options:
o 5’5” & Below
o 5’6” – 5’10”
o 5’11” & Above

Q. Based on the scale below, which of these skin tone do you identify most with?

Q. Currently you are:

o Employed (your area of employment _________________ )
o Unemployed
o Freelancer
o Retired
o Student


Name:

Age:

82