Gana'daki Büyük Bedendeki Kadınlar İçin Yenilikçi Giysi Tasarımı Çözümü/Innovative Apparel Design fix for Plus-Size Women in Ghana

Öz

The purpose of this study was to utilize the apparel design framework to develop innovative apparel designs catering to the specific needs of plus-size Ghanaian women. Design is the foundation of all products including those in the fashion industry. It involves the systematic creation and strategic organization of elements to achieve a desired purpose or aesthetic result. Adopting a qualitative research approach, a total of twenty-five (25) plus-size women actively participated in three (3) focus group discussions. Their valuable insights were then incorporated into the creation of three (3) prototype designs. These prototypes were subsequently produced, worn, and assessed by a group of five (5) consumers to ensure effective concealment of plus size figure orientation, promote illusionary aesthetic appeal, and optimal fit. The finding suggest that plus size women face challenges in finding apparel that aligns with their preferences, and even if they do find something, it may not be suitable for their figure type. The study also highlighted that incorporating innovative elements like style lines and colours could offer apparel options that cater to the requirements of Ghanaian women who wear plus sizes. Apparel stores and designers should acknowledge the market potential of the plus size market and make sure that a diverse range of sizes and styles are easily accessible. It is also important to implement initiatives that foster body positivity and boost self-confidence. These initiatives can include awareness campaigns, fashion shows, and diverse representation in the media.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Apparel Design
• Innovative Apparel
• Plus Size
• Women

Innovative Apparel Design fix for Plus-Size Women in Ghana

Öz

The purpose of this study was to utilize the apparel design framework to develop innovative apparel designs catering to the specific needs of plus-size Ghanaian women. Design is the foundation of all products including those in the fashion industry. It involves the systematic creation and strategic organization of elements to achieve a desired purpose or aesthetic result. Adopting a qualitative research approach, a total of twenty-five (25) plus-size women actively participated in three (3) focus group discussions. Their valuable insights were then incorporated into the creation of three (3) prototype designs. These prototypes were subsequently produced, worn, and assessed by a group of five (5) consumers to ensure effective concealment of plus size figure orientation, promote illusionary aesthetic appeal, and optimal fit. The finding suggest that plus size women face challenges in finding apparel that aligns with their preferences, and even if they do find something, it may not be suitable for their figure type. The study also highlighted that incorporating innovative elements like style lines and colours could offer apparel options that cater to the requirements of Ghanaian women who wear plus sizes. Apparel stores and designers should acknowledge the market potential of the plus size market and make sure that a diverse range of sizes and styles are easily accessible. It is also important to implement initiatives that foster body positivity and boost self-confidence. These initiatives can include awareness campaigns, fashion shows, and diverse representation in the media.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Apparel Design
• Innovative Apparel
• Plus Size
• Women

Kaynakça

1. Başer, G. (2024). Trends, problems and prospects for textile production in future. Tekstil ve Mühendis, 31(133), 63-64. https://doi.org/10.7216/teksmuh.1459914
2. Baskara, S., & Mehta, K. (2016). What is innovation and why? Your perspective from resource constrained environments. *Technovation, 52-53*, 4–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2016.01.005
3. Berg, A., & Amed, I. (2020). The state of fashion 2020. McKinsey & Company; The Business of Fashion. https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/retail/our%20insights/the%20state%20of%20fashion%202020%20navigating%20uncertainty/the-state-of-fashion-2020-final.pdf (Accessed on 14.09.2024)
4. Brevi, F., Celi, M., & Gaetani, F. (2019). Creating mood boards with digital tools: A new educational approach. In International Conference on Education and New Developments (pp. 507–511).
5. Chipambwa, E., & Chikwanya, C. (2022). Design communication: Fashion design students' perspectives on digital vs. physical mood boards. Professional Paper, Walter University of Technology, School of Art and Design,
6. Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe, 697–703. https://www.grid.uns.ac.rs/symposium/ download/2022/76.pdf :24.06.2024
7. Christel, D.A., O’Donnell, N.H., & Bradley, L. A. (2016). Coping by crossdressing: An exploration of exercise clothing for obese heterosexual women, Fashion and Textiles, 3(1), pp. 1-19.
8. Christel, D. A., & O’Donnell, N. H. (2016). Assessment of Women’s plus-size swimwear for industry applications. Fashion Practice, 8(2), 257–278. https://doi.org/10.1080/17569370.2016.1215113

9. Christel, D. A., & Williams Née Dunn, S. C. (2018). What plus-size means for plus-size women: A mixed-methods approach. Studies in Communication Sciences, 18(2), 339–352. https://doi.org/10.24434/ j.scoms.2018.02.009
10. Christino, J. M. M., Paula, G. R., & Ferreira, F. L. (2023). Consumption of plus-size clothing: A systematic review. Revista de Administração da UFSM, 16(4), e2. https://doi.org/10.5902/1983465973849
11. Debrah, A. (2014, May 15). The worst dressed lady at the 2014 VGMA. News Ghana. https://newsghana.com.gh/the-worst-dressed-lady-at-the-2014-vgma/ (Accessed on 28.04.2024)
12. Diedrichs, P. C., & Puhl, R. (2016). Weight bias: Prejudice and discrimination toward overweight and obese people. In Sibley, C., & Barlow, F. K. (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of the psychology of prejudice (pp. 391–409). Cambridge University Press.
13. Divoux, A., Sandor, K., Bojcsuk, D., Yi, F., Hopf, M. E., Smith, J. S., Balint, B. L., Osborne, T. F., & Smith, S. R. (2020). Fat distribution in women is associated with depot-specific transcriptomic signatures and chromatin structure. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 4(6), bvaa042. https://doi.org/10.1210/ jendso/bvaa042
14. Fabric decision checker. (2022). FREE fabric choosing guide. https://tr.ee/q9bZAkZInK (Accessed on 11.01.2024)
15. Frank, A. P., de Souza Santos, R., Palmer, B. F., & Clegg, D. J. (2019). Determinants of body fat distribution in humans may provide insight about obesity-related health risks. Journal of Lipid Research, 60(10), 1710–1719. https://doi.org/10.1194/jlr.R086975
16. Garza, R., Heredia, R. R., & Cieślicka, A. B. (2016). Male and female perception of physical attractiveness: An eye movement study. Evolutionary Psychology, 14(1), 1474704916631614. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704916631614
17. Hagtvedt, H., & Brasel, S. A. (2017). Color saturation increases perceived product size. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(2), 396–413. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucx039
18. Ibanga, D. (2017). The concept of beauty in African philosophy. Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, 10(7), 249–260.
19. International Monetary Fund. (2023). World Economic Outlook. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/ WEO (Accessed on 30.07.2023)
20. Jais, F. B., & Shariff, S. M. (2025). Determination of fitting issues for Malaysian plus size women, Advanced International Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (AIJBES), 7(23). https://doi.org/10.35631/AIJBES.723008
21. Kim, S., & Yang, S. J. (2024). Size-inclusive advertising in the Asian fashion market: Female consumers’ responses to a plus-size vs. Thin-size model in South Korea. PLoS ONE. 19(6), e0304989. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304989
22. Lakatos, E., Bercea, O. O., & Bacali, L. (2016). The concept of innovation in social economy: A review and a research agenda. Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, 11(1), 32–50.
23. Lamb, J. M., & Kallal, M. J. (1992). A conceptual framework for apparel design. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 10(2), 42–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X9201000207
24. Lu, S. (2022, July 25). World textiles and clothing trade in 2021: A statistical review. Just-Style. https://www.just-style.com/analysis/world-textiles-and-clothing-trade-in-2021-a-statistical-review/ (Accessed on 21.11.2023)
25. Mongraw-Chaffin, M., Foster, M. C., Anderson, C. A. M., Burke, G. L., Haq, N., Kalyani, R. R., Ouyang, P., Sibley, C. T., Tracy, R., Woodward, M., & Vaidya, D. (2018). Metabolically healthy obesity, transitionto metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 71(17), 1857–1865. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.02.055
26. Moyo, D., & Chisin, A. (2024). Fit satisfaction and experiences of plus-size females with active-wear in Cape Town, South Africa. Journal of Textile Engineering and Fashion Technology, 10(1), pp. 41-47. doi:10.15406/jteft.2024.10.00364.
27. Oliveira, R.C., Garcia, S., & Naas, I. D. A. (2026). Circular economy challenges in fashion: Insights from Brazilian consumer trends (2012–2022). Circular Economy and Sustainability, 6, 114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-026-00809-2
28. Papadopoulou, C., & Bazaki, E. (2019). Plus-size fashion: A comparative study of Southern vs. Northern European perspectives on fashion. European Business & Management, 5(2), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20190502.12
29. Ramirez, S. A. (2014). Slow fashion: Developing a conceptual apparel design process (Publication No. 3672104) [Doctoral dissertation, Louisiana State University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
30. Romeo, L. D., & Lee, Y. (2015). Exploring apparel purchase issues with plus-size female teens. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 19(2), 120–135. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-09-2012-0057
31. Sawyerr, N. O. (2019). Consumers’ evaluation of the quality of custom-made garments manufactured by micro and small-scale enterprises in Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Ghana]. https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/items/9dc92e55-44c3-47de-af0c-4c640a329024 (Accessed on 15.12.2023)
32. Sawyerr, N. O., Safo-Ankama, K,. & Mefful, O. O., (2023). *[From Fashion Collection Designs for plus size women]* [Unpublished raw data]. In possession of the authors.
33. Shelton, S. S., Bradshaw, A.S., Cretul, M., & Treise, D. (2023). You can't shop with us: how US-based, value- and mid-market online clothing retailers position their plus-size female clothing sections. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 27(6), pp. 1009-1026. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-11-2021-0304
34. Sidhu, N., Qualter, C., Higgs, E., & Guo, K. (2021). What colour should I wear? How clothing colour affects women's judgement of other women's body attractiveness and body size. Acta Psychologica, 218, 103338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103338
35. Tullio-Pow, S., Schaefer, K., Barry, B., Story, C., & Abel, S. (2020). Empowering women wearing plus-size clothing through co-design. Clothing Cultures, 7(1), 101–114. https://doi.org/10.1386/cc_00032 _1
36. Wang, Y. (2022). A conceptual framework of contemporary luxury consumption. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 39(3), 788–803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2021.10.005
37. World Trade Organization. (2022, October 5). Trade growth to slow sharply in 2023 as global economy faces strong headwinds. https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres22_e/pr909_e.htm (Accessed on 22.06.2023)
38. Zhang, Y., Ikonen, I., & Eelen, J. (2025). One size does not fit all: Optimizing size-inclusive model photography mitigates fit risk in online fashion retailing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 53, pp. 643-672. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-01034-9
39. Figure 1. Lamb, J. M., & Kallal, M. J. (1992). A conceptual framework for apparel design. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 10(2), 42–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X9201000207
40. Figure 2. Debrah, A. (2014, May 15). The worst dressed lady at the 2014 VGMA. News Ghana. https://newsghana.com.gh/the-worst-dressed-lady-at-the-2014-vgma/ (Accessed on 14.07.2024)
41. Figure 3. Agbo, D. A., & Igoli, V. (2015). Body size and shape categorization of some ethnic groups in Benue State using waist, bust, and hip measurements. International Journal of Scientific Research in Information Systems and Engineering, 1(1), 29–36.
42. Figure 4–Figure 13. Author’s Archive (2023).