The Perception of Colors in Fashion: A Cohort Comparison of Baby Boomers and Generation Y
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The first national meeting of textile and clothing professors took place in Madison, Wisconsin in June 1959. With a mission to advance excellence in education, scholarship and innovation, and their global applications, the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a professional and educational association of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education.
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Colors of clothing affect psychology of consumers and the psychological effects and meaning of colors may vary by generation and culture. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate if baby boomers and generation Y have different interpretation of colors, and how their color perceptions are related to self-esteem, social motivation for fashion consumption and fashion involvement. A quasi-experimental quantitative survey method was used for this study. Respondents consisted of two generations including 50 baby boomers in age 65 or older and 50 generation Y individuals. Results showed that baby boomers, generally, prefer bright colors such as orange whereas generation Y prefers dark colors such as black. Also, self-esteem and fashion involvement are important factors of understanding their different color perceptions. The results from this study can be useful for apparel manufacturers and retailers to understand each generation's different perceptions of clothing color.