The relationship between clothing modeling and female body perception and self-esteem

Abstract

Fashion can be a tool for social inclusion, as clothing is directly linked to self-esteem and self-image. The objective of this study is to discuss the influence of modeling on female self-esteem. It is also intended to research how each individual, depending on their body type, relates to the clothing offered on the market. Field research and bibliographic review were carried out, with a qualitative research approach, of an exploratory and descriptive nature, through interviews. From a questionnaire administered to 78 women, information was collected about their clothing shopping experiences. The data analysis focused on the factors that influence their purchasing choices and how these factors affect their self-esteem. The results of the research showed that a number of women did not feel served by the conventional offer of mass-processed clothing products. Field research was also carried out in two stages, including model testing and questionnaire 1 and 2, which focused on the specific needs of women who wore clothing sizes above size 42. It was concluded that when they are not considered the particularities of the biotypes, the user's self-esteem, comfort and feeling of good wearability of the clothes are affected.