Fashion Awareness and Interest among Female Students at a College in Gweru, Zimbabwe

The study examines the differences in orientation towards fashion styles among female students at a college and tries to determine how students develop awareness and interest in fashion. A descriptive survey was used and questionnaires were data collecting tools. Thirty female student teachers within the age range of 25-45 years were randomly selected from a college in Gweru, Zimbabwe. Quantitative and qualitative data collected were presented in tables and narrative forms. The findings indicate that levels of personal involvement with fashion were low among the female students. Differences in levels of fashion awareness and interest were noted by marital status and knowledge related to fashion. Findings are intended to benefit fashion marketers, designers, merchandisers and garment constructors. The study recommends that appropriate marketing tools be developed to meet the needs of the consumer at the different stages of the fashion adoption process and that different promotional strategies be designed to cater for the different consumer segments.