Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Clothes Reveal Generation Gap

BARBARA A. HOLT

CLARK COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE

When it comes to their clothes and how they spend their apparel dollars, there is positively a generation gap in the attitudes of baby boomers, born in the post World War II years after 1945 and their generation X offspring, who came along in the 1970's and 1980's.

The gap begins with how they position themselves, according to Michelle James, clothing specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.

While most parents have unquestioningly accepted their baby boomer label, James says, the offspring in their late teens and early twenties do not want to be identified as generation X. They resent the efforts of the media, marketers, teachers, parents and authority figures to categorize or patronize them.

According to research conducted by Cotton, Inc., when it comes to apparel, these offspring are bigger spenders and more avid shoppers than their parents. Twenty-six percent spend at least $1,000 per year on their clothing, versus 18 percent of the 35 to 55 age group.

The younger shoppers also expect to spend more per item. They favor speciality stores and generally avoid mass merchandisers. They shop for clothes an average of 2.4 times per month, as opposed to 1.4 times per month for baby boomers.

Apparel attitudes are different, too. An updated wardrobe is more important to gen Xers than it is for their parents.

There are other attitudinal differences. For example, the younger generation would rather appear at a party slightly over dressed than slightly underdressed. They don't mind standing out from the crowd, and they are more likely to sacrifice comfort for fashion.

Baby boomer parents exhibit more practical attitudes when it comes to clothing purchases. They are more inclined to buy clothes at end-of-season sales. They indicate more interest in the fiber content and are less interested in name brands. The older generation are more likely to note the care requirements before purchasing.

Replacement needs of the baby boomer generation more often motivate the typical new clothing purchase than fashion enthusiasms.

Denim, always popular with most Americans, plays a major role in the generation X wardrobe. Typically, they possess 17 denim garments. This wardrobe includes eight pairs of jeans.

When asked to choose between casual slacks and denim jeans, 74 percent of the younger generation selected jeans. Of the older consumers, the 35 to 55 age group, chose jeans over slacks 59 percent of the time.

Whether or not the younger generation will change as they grow older is open to speculation. The clothing industry will be interested.

If you want learn more about buying and caring for clothing contact the Clark County office of the Cooperative Extension Service, at 5th and Clay in Arkadelphia, or call 246-2281.