Research Methods

Name: Krishna Mepani

Course: BA in Business and Finance

Influence of Western Styles on Eastern Culture in
Clothing









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%able of Contents


No.

%opic

Page No.
iterature Review
Culture and Clothing 3
Clothing in Eastern Culture 4
Clothing in Western Culture 4
Fashion Change 5
TransIormation oI Fashion Irom Eastern to
Western Culture

6
4 Fashion Consumption and Involvement 7
5 Conclusion 8
Research Question, Aim and Objectives
Research Question 9
Aim and Objectives 9
3 Methodology
3 Introduction
3 Secondary data
33 Primary data
34 Methods approached Ior the study
35 Limitations and suggestions
36 Conclusion
3 References 12
4 Bibliography 15






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1. iterature Review

Clothing does not have a speciIic inherent meaning; it is oIten ethnically deIined and its primary
Iunction is to protect the human body Clothing sector is known as one oI the Iashion market in the
industry which is perceived to create a major importance in creating personality (Sha, 7)
Clothing also adds beauty and enhances the appearance oI an individual Individual and society
make use oI clothing to be evidence Ior their culture as well as to communicate with their traditions,
tastes and liIestyle (Cholachatpinyo, ) The change applied in the clothing process is known as
ashion`, more to the point their perceptions, and tastes diIIer Irom country to country Authors
like Damhorst and et al (5), Hauge (7), Hamilton and Hassan () believes that Iashion
system works simultaneously with the cultural system Besides, Kumar et al (8), states that
consuming change in Iashion involves concept oI an individual`s personal interest with their
societal background ThereIore it clearly explicates that there is an association between an
individual and the culture as a whole in terms oI Iashion changes

This study is on the inIluence oI western styles on eastern clothing particularly regarding Indian
women clothing The Iashion system have tremendously transIormed Irom one clothing culture to
another The study Iirstly, explains culture and clothing Iollowed by brieI introduction on the
traditional clothing oI both eastern and western culture in order to recognize the clear
transIormation in the Iield oI Iashion Secondly, the concept Iashion change` is explained along
with how the transIormations have taken place in real world Finally the report will explain the
concept oI Iashion consumption` on the basis oI Iashion change






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1.1Culture and Clothing
Culture is an intangible and complicated concept The deIinition oI culture varies Irom diIIerent
societies and nations According to HoIstede in Banerjee (8) describes culture as 'the collective
programming oI the mind which distinguishes the members oI one group or category oI people
Irom another More commonly culture reIers to a set oI values, ideas, arteIacts and several other
meaningIul symbols that assist societies to communicate, understand and evaluate one another
The term Culture` in this study reIers to the women`s Iamily values Ior clothing Culture is a
system that is learned over the time and reIlected in behavioural patterns oI an individual The
cultural value oI an individual play`s a great role while making the decision to purchase any kind oI
product (Luna and Gupta, 9) Throughout a person`s liIetime, culture surrounds and shapes the
individual in ways that they can be recognised by other people in the world As a result, it is now
observed that culture most certainly aIIects consumer behaviour
Furthermore, Culture in clothing can be categorised into two sections: Western Culture and Eastern
Culture (Khairulla and Khairulla, 8) Western culture is known as individualistic culture
whereas Eastern Culture is known as collectivist culture (Sun et al, 4) At the moment, process
oI westernization in eastern clothing is considered to be lucrative, modern as well as Iashionable
The clothing oI eastern and western culture is Iurther brieIly explained below

1.1.1 Clothing in Eastern Culture
The Eastern culture initially reIlects the Indian category which is an expression oI culture and
symbolism Most common Ieminine outIit includes Salwar Kameez and Sarees Salwar Kameez
was imported to India during the Mughal times as a courtly piece oI clothing Irom the central Asian
invaders and eventually rose to be a popular garment among the people Salwar Kameez is an outIit
worn by numerous Asian women which has emerged as a very respectIul apparel oI their wardrobe
This dress is preIerred by many, as it is considered very comIortable, modest and elegant Salwar
resembles pyjamas drawn in Iirmly to the waist and is tailored so that it is baggy near the hip region
and tapers down at the ankles whereas kameez is worn on top oI Salwar The outIit`s design diIIers
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Irom culture to culture This ancient garment is commonly worn with a dupatta on the neck which is
similar to a scarI The dupatta is oI a very thin cotton or tissue material which is used to cover the
head
Indian Sarees which is also preIerred by the majority oI Indian women The style oI draping sarees
or be the design oI jewelries, it diIIers Irom one state to another A Saree is a long piece oI cloth
which is draped more oIten during the occasions like wedding ceremony as it portrays grace, beauty
and the traditional culture oI India (Anon, 9)

1.1.2 Clothing in Western Culture
The women`s clothing in western society diIIers Irom the eastern culture Western outIits are
perceived to be comIortable and trendy In the Western Culture: t-shirts, jackets, jeans, shorts,
skirts, prom dresses, and high-heeled shoes are traditional and socially accepted A trouser which
was once considered to be only a men`s clothing is also seen as a Iemales clothing in the modern
generation Throughout the society and passing generations it is accepted Ior women to wear
customarily male clothing (Delong and Wu, 5; Jones, 3)

1.2ashion Change
The term Fashion Change` is perceived as, to increase the modernization in clothing sector The
literature oI Iashion change is usually based on the Iusion oI eastern styles and western styles in
clothing This Change is endorsed by the Iashion designers to increase the purchase oI new clothes
The latest advancements in Iashion oIten motivate the younger generation to try various clothing
and styles As a result, the research on Iashion consumption is usually targeted on the youthIul
sector (Law et al, 4)
There are two basic psychological Iorces that are evolved through the process oI change in Iashion:
diIIerentiating Iorce and socialising Iorce DiIIerentiating Iorce implies consumers` assimilating
unique identity among them where as socialising Iorce implies homogeneity among consumers
Generally, the Iashion designers around the world are extremely inspired by the diIIerentiating Iorce
than the socialising Iorce But the younger generation has their own conIlicting views, iI they are
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genuinely committed to the cultural values and systems oI their society (Cholachatpinyo et al,
)
The Iacts discovered by Rocha et al (5) and Kim (5) suggests that Iashion industry should
be conscious oI consumers` requirements It is Ior this reason; the Iashion innovators have
incorporated customisation on the traditional eastern outIits by blending Western Styles in Eastern
clothing In other words, consumers are demanding more oI transIormation without departing their
traditional outIits This demand Iorces the Iashion creators to innovate and respond to the challenge
(Jin, 4) Globalization is another predominant reason Ior the amalgamation in Iashion This
latter has provided consumers with greater access to more ideas and inIluences Irom the other
cultures and societies Moreover, advertisements, satellite televisions, movies, and the internet also
inIluence the women`s perception oI Iashion in clothing Beside Iashion designers, peer groups`
also create new styles to give them a unique identity which results in Iashion change (Srivastava,
; Koksal, 7)
Fashion industries in today`s world have massive competition amongst all the Iashion innovators
(Fernie et al, 997) Changes in Iashion is oIten restricted iI it threatens the existing culture
Nevertheless, Iashion change continues despite oI restrictive system The study Iurther describes the
changes in Iashion that have taken place in the world oI all the ordinary people

1.2.1 %ransformation of ashion from Eastern to Western Culture
The main intention oI this study was to understand the various inIluences oI western styles in
eastern clothing TransIormation in the Iashion industry mostly began in the twentieth century
Fashion designers continually alter the styles on all types oI Iemale body, maintaining the
continuous cycle oI Iashion active Iorever Researchers stated that the collaboration oI eastern and
western clothing styles are not only one oI the modern trends in today`s Iashion world besides they
are Iound to be extremely comIortable and easy to wear (Azuma and Fernie, 3; Kim and
Jhonson, 9)
The term Iashion has been assimilated instinctively into the vocabulary oI all the Indian verbal
communication (Dutta, ) Latest trend in Iashion is the Iusion oI Indo-western wear by
integrating western necklines, waistlines, cuts, lengths and Iabrics into the Indian Iashion The
Iusions oI west and east clothing have shaped the outIits in some truly attractive looks which are
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latest and trendy For instance, in ancient times, Indian women wore cotton blouses among Iull
sleeves devoid oI any embellishments While these days, diIIerent styles in sarees blouses like
puIIed sleeves, noodle straps, halter-neck, deep necks and lyrical-Iitted blouses have eventually
made way to an Indian women`s wardrobe The standard length oI the blouse has also been
decreased
Similarly, these changes were also intermingled to the Indian Salwaar Kameez Parallel trousers
were transIormed to skin Iit trouser which also out-casted the traditional wear Moreover in the
current trends, kurti` (modern salwar kameez) can be worn either with jeans or capris
Furthermore, Iusion wear also includes, Ilowing tops with leggings and kurti with bead work in a
lined or crinkled skirts outIits over track pants However in the contrast; there are still parts oI the
eastern culture in clothing remains un-interrupted even in the today`s Iashion industry (Azuma and
Fernie, 3; Khare and Rakesh, )

1.3ashion Consumption and Involvement
Fashion consumption`, is not perceived as an independent event; it is interlinked with the societal
and cultural values commitment Consumption oI latest trends in Iashion is perceived that a woman
with immense modesty receives more observation by the public than the woman with low modesty
However, consumer`s age did not make any diIIerence, every individual in Asian countries have
consumed Iashion (Dickson et al, 4) Since clothing belongs to product category which is
acquired to create good-looking appearance, it is thus linked with Iashion involvement
Engel et al in Vieira (8) deIines 'Iashion involvement as the perceived personal relevance or
interest Irom the consumer by Iashion clothing The participation oI consumers in Iashion leads to
greater knowledge oI Iashion products It is observed that the greater the wish to be recognised in
the Iield oI stylish Iashion, the greater the Iashion involvement in adopting new Ioreign culture
Moreover, the researchers` states that it increases consumers` conIidence in decision making Ior
purchasing innovative Iashion production (O`Cass, 4; Kaigler-Walker and Gilbert, 9)
Law et al (4) have proved that the advertising oI imported Iashion by the printed media was
serious and have successIully attracted numerous people to purchase their publications People
perceive an image about them through the judgment oI others The key to the modern sense oI
personality is to consume new trends in Iashion (Craik, 993) ThereIore the, teenagers oI present
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generation have imitated the Iashion production oI the Western Culture The desire oI recognition
and social appreciation in the Iield oI modernism has turn out to be signiIicant part in consumer`s
liIe Yet, there are cultural systems that may place restraints on the Iashion system For instance,
parents who grew up in very traditional culture believe that body exposing clothing is related to
loosening oI morals Since the clothing styles diIIer completely, parents oIten restrict their children
to adopt certain western styles in their culture as it appears to be more revealing compared to their
culture


1.4Conclusion
Since some oI the older members in the Iamily restrict their children to adopt new Iashion; it is Ior
this reason the Iashion designers have specially created marvellous outIits which can assists the
teenagers to adopt modernism trends in Iashion while being accepted by their parents as well
The theoretical structure illustrates a correlation between the cultures oI an individual, the Iashion
change along with their behaviour on Iashion consumption Although the study is limited mainly to
the Indian clothing; it clearly explains why` the Eastern clothes have been persuaded by the
Western culture and how` did this primarily take place









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2. Research question, Aim and Objectives

2.1Research Question:
Is the culture Iactor really considered in today`s world while consuming change is Iashion?`

2.2Aim and Objectives
The aim oI this study is to identiIy iI the cultural background oI an individual`s Iamily actually
eIIects in their perception towards Iashion change along with their involvement in Iashion The term
Culture` in here reIers to the women`s Iamily values Ior clothing

The objectives oI this study are:
To analyse the Iemale`s perception oI western and eastern culture in clothing and contrast
both the Iindings
To expand knowledge about the changes in Iashion and Iashion consumption in detail
3 To determine iI there is positive association or negative correlation between the culture and
changes in Iashion
4 To identiIy the signiIicant transIormation in Iashion Irom eastern clothing to western
clothing
5 To reach wide range oI eastern culture`s young generation to get clear understanding oI
transIormation in their Iashion change






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3. Methodology

3.1Introduction
Methodology is a set oI procedure Iollowed to achieve aim and objectives oI the study In business
and management, secondary data is collected to Iurther identiIy and understand the concepts brieIly
in order to determine the new data
3.2Secondary data
The data produced by the researchers which includes deIinitions, description, as well as their results
and implications is known as secondary data (Bryman and Bell, 3) These data helps to achieve
the aim and objectives oI the study For instance, many authors have stated that cultural values oI
one`s Iamily have a great inIluence on consumer buying behaviour mainly in clothing sector
Analyzing the secondary data has various beneIits beIore carrying out any research project or
collecting primary data
3.3Primary data
The research strategy can be in the Iorm oI quantitative and qualitative research to obtain primary
data Quantitative research is a research which produces primary data in the Iorm in the Iorm oI
numbers to Iind whether there is any signiIicant distinction between two or more variables
Qualitative research is a research that emphasis on words that describes the attitude, behaviour and
experiences, in the collection and analysis oI data However, this type oI research needs a detailed
opinion Irom the people which is sometimes unattainable (Naoum, 6)
3.4Methods approached Ior the study
Based on the Ioundation oI secondary data mentioned in the literature review, the research on
inIluence oI western styles on eastern culture in clothing would be conducted in the Iorm oI
Quantitative data The research would be conducted in the Iorm oI surveys This survey would have
closed ended, multiple choices as well as open ended questions in order to quantiIy the data These
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surveys would be Iormulated in website and distributed by electronic mails to get the response Irom
the consumers as well as distributed personally in and out oI the campus Besides, this research
method would save time, cost as well as resources
The sample size Ior the study is expected to be more than hundred consumers, mainly targeting the
youthIul sector under Eastern Culture

3.5Limitations and Suggestions

O Although the study is limited to women`s in Indian clothing; well designed and precise
surveys on the blending oI styles would be Iramed to understand inIluence oI the Western
Culture on Eastern Culture in Iashion consumption
O In case oI increasing the samples, these surveys would be distributed by providing the link
on the Iacebook website to get the more number oI responses Irom the consumers


3.6Conclusion
Once Ieedback is received Irom the target consumers, these data would be sampled and Iurther data
would be analysed to IulIil the aim and objectives oI the study Moreover, it would also assist to
identiIy iI the inIluential oI Western Iashion had been really taken into consideration in real world








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