This study employed qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), an approach developed within the field of psychology with an idiographic focus to understand and deliver insights into the personal lived experiences, instead of being influenced prior by psychological theories or the researcher’s own bias (Smith, 1996; Smith, 2017a).
This research project is an active interpretive process as I interpret the research and produce the knowledge that seeks to understand how these women experience their clothing (Smith & Osborn, 2015: 26).
This study recruited seven women in Toronto and Guelph, Ontario within the age range of 21-39 and employed the following methods similar to the techniques employed by Guy and Banim (2000); a personal account, a two week long clothing diary, and a wardrobe interview.
The present study utilized an online personal account questionnaire asking questions regarding the participant’s interests and relationship with fashion and clothing, followed by a daily clothing diary for four weeks where they recorded their experiences and responses from a guideline as well as photographs of their daily outfits, and lastly an in-depth semi-structured wardrobe interview.
Conclusion
The first chapter has given a brief overview of the research study. The introduction of this paper will be followed by a literature review, and sections on the methodology, analysis, discussion, and conclusion, limitations, and future research.