Research in Clothes Behavior by Lifestyles of Senior Consumers

The goal of this study is to define the types of the lifestyles of senior consumers and identify the differences in the properties of apparel products and the apparel attitudes. To collect the data for this study, questionnaires for the research were distributed from November 20, 2006 to December 15, 2006 to those over 50 living in Seoul, Pusanand Kyunggi and 302 questionnaires were used for the data analysis. The results of the study are as follows. First, six factors were extracted which were "Pursuit of Self-development", "Pursuit of Active Life", "Pursuit of Material", "Pursuit of Diversity", "Pursuit of Family-oriented" and "Pursuit of Recreational Life" after factor analysis of lifestyles recognized by the senior consumers that participated in this study. Second, the lifestyles of the senior consumers were categorized into "Consumption-oriented Type", "Personal Satisfaction-oriented Type", "Family Weighted Type" and "Recreation-oriented Type." Third, three factors were extracted which were "Symbolical Property", "Functional Property" and "Customer Support Property" after conducting the factor analysis on the properties of apparel products. Fourth, significant differences were shown in apparel properties by the lifestyle types of senior consumers in the symbolical property and the customer support property. The "symbolical property" was shown highest in "recreation-oriented type" and lowest in the "family weighted type." The customer support property was shown highest in the "family weighted type" and lowest in the "recreation-oriented type", showing the opposite result. Fifth, significant differences were shown in apparel attitudes by the lifestyle types of senior consumers in "Fashion Innovativeness", "Apparel Involvement" and "Apparel Necessity." The "fashion innovativeness" was shown highest in the "recreation-oriented type" and lowest in the "family weighted type." The apparel involvement and the necessity for apparel for senior citizens was shown high in the "recreation-oriented type" and this showed that the senior consumers valuing recreation also value fashion, have high apparel involvement and feel the necessity for apparel for senior citizens.