Determination of a sizing system for mass customisation of Ghanaian women's traditional dress: and a conceptual framework for small and medium scale enterprises

Kuma-Kpobee, Mercy Afi (2009) Determination of a sizing system for mass customisation of Ghanaian women's traditional dress: and a conceptual framework for small and medium scale enterprises. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

Dress whether traditional or contemporary is a visual symbol that communicates the identity of individuals and groups who share a common background and heritage. This study identified that the usage of traditional dress in the Ghanaian society functions as an important medium for social differentiation in terms of identity construction which is communicated through its symbolic meaning. Traditional dress for women, known as "slit and kaba", previously consists of two pieces of cloth and a semi-fitted blouse which requires no standardised sizing and fit requirements but as this dress has undergone an evolution process into a skirt and blouse with western features, the fit and manufacturing quality has become increasingly important. The usage of this dress for both formal and informal functions and its evolution places importance on its overall production strategy in terms of sizing, quality and fit. The research was undertaken to develop a sizing system for the mass customisation of the Ghanaian traditional dress for women between the ages of 20-54 years old. In order to achieve the aim of the research, an extensive review of literature was conducted which led to the adoption of multiple data collection strategies in terms of participant observation, interview, questionnaire and an anthropometric survey to corroborate each other. The grounded theory approach was utilised in order to ascertain key issues related to mass customisation, production and utilisation of traditional dress while a quantitative approach was adopted to develop a sizing system for the Ghanaian woman and to establish the relationship between the meaning and utilisation of this dress. The data was collected in three metropolitan centres in Ghana from consumers and manufacturers of the traditional dress as well as the stakeholders of the garment industries using a non-probability purposive sampling technique. The quantitative results were analysed using correlation, a one-way ANOVA and t-test to determine the relationships among the variables while an inductive approach through the grounded theory was used to analyse the qualitative data. The findings were used to develop a conceptual framework for a sizing system regarding quality of fit and the utilisation as well as the development of a production model that facilitates the mass customisation of the Ghanaian traditional dress. The findings revealed that the traditional dress has undergone a considerable change, and demographic factors, such as age, education and marital status are associated with its utilisation. The anthropometric survey confirmed that the average key dimensions (bust, waist and hip girths) of the sample are larger when compared with those of other studies conducted where the participants were of white ethnic origins. This has practical implications when producing garments for the Ghanaian consumer using other size charts from different target groups or surveys. In terms of a production strategy, the study showed that there is a strong preference for mass customisation over mass production as a result of issues with fit. This study provides the first anthropometric survey on the female population and has a great implication for the development of the Ghanaian clothing industry in the provision of well fitting and quality garments to promote consumer satisfaction. It also contributes to knowledge in the area of traditional clothing practices placing emphasis on the utilisation and the underlying meanings of the traditional dress within the socio-cultural context. This study therefore provides original baseline data for future research for the development of researchbased national standards for menswear and childrenswear for Ghana in particular and West Africa in general.