Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to clarify differences in images of clothes expressing masculinity and femininity between male and female according to develop the scale for measurement of these images. We selected 63 image terms, which were collected by using open-ended question, for masculine or feminine dress. Male and female students and grown men rated their desirable dressing images for male and female on 7-point Likert-type scale consisted of 63 image terms.
Then, factor analysis for ratings was performed to examine the structure of the images and the scale items to select. The scale for measurement forms five dimensions composed of “beauty and sensitivity”, “conspicuousness”, “casualness”, “refinement” and “conservativeness” . Each dimension contained six items. This scale is valuable even in differences of subject and time. The reliability of the scale was confirmed by the fact that Cronbach's ?? coefficient was higher than 0.7.
Differences in images of clothes expressing masculinity and femininity between male and female were also examined by measuring the developed scale. Both male and female pointed “refinement” and “casualness” as the desirable dressing image of masculinity. The points of “beauty and sensitivity” in the case of male were higher than those of female. The importance of “refinement” and “casualness” was pointed out as the desirable dressing image for female. On the basis of this fact, the desirable dressing image has been chaging with social status of female.
