Design Creativity and Clothing Selection: The Central Focus in Clothing Construction

Purpose: It looked into how the application of design elements and principles influence final appearance of clothing and their possible selection by the customer. The objective was to study design and construction variables that must be prioritized in garment assembly. The aim was to study outfits designs by the Ghanaian dressmaker and examine proportion, emphasis, rhythm, balance and colour coordination in designs constructed. Design/Methodology/Approach: The qualitative method was used in studying designs selected from three regions of Ghana namely Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi. This was so because most clothing activities were concentrated mainly in these three cities of Ghana. Design and style produced were studied to discover the assembled design features in finished apparels. Instruments such as observation and content analysis were engaged for data collection. Designed garments selected from the manufacturing houses were examined against design principles, nine outfits were sampled for the study from each city. The data obtained from the clothing constructed were analysed and presented for discussion. Findings: Findings revealed that most garments had colour combination inappropriately applied and motifs incorrectly placed. Common faults were on design creation and construction processes which affects customer satisfaction and clothing selection. Research Limitation/Implications: The study focused on the design construction and outer appearance of garments in selected fashion shops of the three cities in Ghana that affect clothing selection. Elements and principles of design, construction and selection of clothing were most times not designed to meet customer selection. Practical Implication: The knowledge acquired from this study would help in the training of designers in Ghana especially in the informal sector. This would also prompt designers to pay more attention to the construction of clothing for customer satisfaction. Key points realized would significantly influence the mode of training in the clothing industry. Social Implication: The knowledge advanced by this study would help in clothing designing/ selection, improve productivity in the clothing construction industry to enhance the Ghanaian economy. Originality/Value: The novelty of this study was the blending of knowledge in fashion design, construction and customer satisfaction in the Ghanaian fashion industry.