Interviews

I have recently conducted interviews as part an assignment. We were asked to pick a question or choose a topic I have previously researched. I chose;

‘How have students dress sense changed since they started University?’

I brainstormed a possible ten questions but narrowed them down to six. I felt these questions would give me the best results with out asking the question out right. These six questions are:

• When did you start buying your own clothes?
• What do you look at when buying clothes?
• Do you shop for more practical clothes?
• Have you changed what you spend your money on since starting University?
• Do you feel your course has a specific dress sense?
• Why do you think people’s style changes after starting University?


The reason why I chose to put, ‘Why do you think people’s style changes after starting University?’ as my last questions is because I asked the relevant questions I needed to conduct my research at the start then I wanted to see the reactions and response I got by asking a direct question.

I interviewed four students, all female, two studying art, one studying accounts and one studying law. All aged from nineteen to twenty-one. By interviewing these people I was trying to see if students did changed their dress sense after starting University and why this is the case.

From my initial question I found links through out my answers producing similarities. Serena started to pick her own clothes when she was aged ten. This was when she was given pocket money to spend. Although she wasn’t purchasing items for herself until a later age, she chose her clothing from aged eight with the approval of her mum. When she started buying clothes of her own she never wanted anything that her mum didn’t approve of because she was influenced by her mum from such a young age, they had the same taste in clothes. Ailsa had a similar response. She was slightly older being twelve/thirteen and this was because she was at an age where she was old enough to go to the shops on the bus herself and be trusted. Her mum chose her clothes alone previously but they were always “nice”. Laura was eleven when she started to buy her own clothes and was also influenced by her mum. Sarah was slightly different. She got her first job at fourteen. This is how she was able to buy her own clothes. When she started to buy her own clothes she changed her style, but her mum didn’t like her clothes. The way she seen it was, it was her own money, so she spent it accordingly, buying clothes she preferred to wear.

When buying clothes the first thing all four said was the colour. I expected this because it’s the feature that predominately catches someone’s eye first. Ailsa said she buys the same colours that she knows she suits. This indicates she is not influenced by anyone else’s dress sense and not following any colour trends that are in fashion. The next was material and quality of the fabric. How will it wash? As a student the garment must be sustainable and durable to last a long time but the surprising thing was that only one of the three looked at price first. They were all willing to pay to a high price if the garment was sustainable from a shop that had a good reputation but if it was from a low end high street shop they wouldn’t consider it worth the money. The next thing would then be shape. It is shaped to fit the body of hang loose? Three of them never mentioned buying clothes that were either in fashion or of a particular style. One mentioned it’s what looks good on her, not what is in fashion, relating back to the shape and colour that suits each individual.

I would have presumed that since students will be dressed casual, everyday for classes and lectures the main bulk of their purchases would be practical day to day clothing. I was wrong. Serena has a shoe fetish for dressy shoes and alot of her tops are made from soft wool and pyjamas made out of silk. These need to be delicately hand washed and not practical for everyday washing. Ailsa said when she has money she can’t find anything practical so she buys clothes she doesn’t need. Laura buys more practical clothes. Sarah also buys dressy clothes for going out. She explained she only has a certain amount of money and doesn’t want to buy boring day-to-day clothes so she treats herself to a nice glam outfit, when she can afford it.

Buying clothes seems to be a high priority as a student. Evidence shows that although students have to budget, three students spend their money on the same essentials as they previously did but buy more clothes. The other spends her money on drink and nights out. After starting University you grow up and learn to manage money better so they can afford to splash out and buy more garments they want, but still cannot have everything they wish for. Ailsa saved up money during the summer holidays before starting University so she is able to spend money on herself. Sarah also spends money on herself but on different treats. Another point made was, after one of the girls moved to Dundee - now living in a city - she had a lot more shops to choose from and lives so close it is easier to spend money.

I presumed the reason students change their style after starting University is to fit in with others and blend in with the people in their new course. I got mixed results for this question because the people I interviewed are students from different disciplines. Three say no there is no trend in the clothes they wear and one says yes. Serena thinks her course has similar tastes as they follow fashion but mainly because they all take pride in their appearance, choosing carefully what they put on in the morning. Laura says its extreme opposites. An example she gave was a man wore a suit one day and a woman had tracksuit bottoms on. Ailsa says there is no pattern to what anyone wears and Sarah said yes of course there is. It’s an art course! They all wear the same style mainly because they study trend forecasting so they feel they need to fit in with fashion but also fit in with the others in the class and keep up with each other.

I assumed asking the question, ‘Why do you think people’s style changes after starting University?’ wouldn’t give me great results and I wouldn’t get an honest answer but I got feed back that in my opinion is very true. People start University when they are at least 18. By this time people have grown up, matured and can make decision by themselves. ”. People learn to create their own unique style, to make themselves feel good and confident. Styles change because they are bored wearing the same outfits rather then influences around them. They are no longer influenced by parents as they are buying their own clothes and maybe moved away from home, gaining independence. They no longer copying people’s dress sense like they did at high school to follow the “popular trends”.
Have students dress sense changed since they started University? No they haven’t changed their styles intentionally it is only because they have matured. Through the experiment I have learned that if girls at a young age are given the choice of what they want to wear by the help and guidance of their mother, they will not rebel when they are old enough to shop for themselves and change their styles completely, unless they intentionally want to fit into a group with a particular dress sense.