Students from the human sciences department sat in quiet observation, marking on pieces of paper Tuesday as others hurried to class. What were they observing? Your jeans.
For the past nine years, students who are in a class called social-psychological aspects of clothing have participated in a fashion count.
Through the count they observe the frequency an item of clothing is worn among certain groups.
The fashion count began under direction of Wanda Cheek, an associate professor of human sciences. Cheek said her purpose is to prove that blue denim jeans serve as a uniform on the MSU campus.
Traditionally, when people hear the word “uniform” they think of blue blazers, khakis and penny loafers or starch-white shirts with a plaid skirt and knee high socks. But for apparel, textiles and merchandising students who look to the Dictionary of Fashion, a uniform means “a distinctive clothing item worn by all members of a group to denote activity.”
Last fall 3,400 students were seen wearing jeans during the survey. The statistics are then broken into two main categories-gender and race. The statistics showed 72 percent of students were white, 22 percent were black and 6 percent were of other races. For gender, males narrowly beat females in who wears the most jeans with 53 percent to the ladies’ 47 percent.
“The consistency of numbers have been valid and reliable from the start of the program thus far,” Cheek said.
The survey also shows trends in blue jean fashion.
“The pictorial record has shown how jeans have changed overtime due to fashion acceptance,” Cheek said. “In Fall 2001 the waistlines began to drop; in 2002 ornamental details became big. Last year the waistline was considerably low.”
Studies like the blue denim fashion count allow students to see how consumer behavior works. In the apparel industry, retail merchandisers can determine upcoming trends and to anticipate what types of products the public wants.
The students who participate in MSU’s count are able to observe, examine and essentially determine next year’s styles.
“When certain fashion style’s reach the extreme, like low-rise waistlines, merchandisers have to determine what’s going to come next,” said Megan Hodge, a senior who participated in Tuesday’s survey. “I believe next year the focus will be on the treatments of jeans like extreme darks, stone-washed, shredded edges and holes.”
Even students who are not yet in the class are taking notice of these fashion changes.
“I think the influences of the 1970s are coming back,” said Sarah Johnston, a junior in apparel, textiles and merchandising. “The peasant look had many interesting details on jeans like paisley and cloth insets, worn edges and large bell-bottoms. The jeans also were high-waist but I don’t believe they’ll be back.”