Abstract:
This study sought to investigate the management of dormant wardrobe among the
female youth of Winneba. Responses from three hundred and sixty female youth, 20-
40 years of age, who were members of the six congregations of the Methodist church
in Winneba, were collected using a close ended questionnaire. They were all female
youth of the six Methodist churches in Winneba and were selected based on their
interest in changing clothes for almost every occasion which made the researcher
wonder where they will keep all the clothes after some years and also to know if the
respondents keep dormant wardrobe. The first objective was to examine the extent to
which they keep dormant wardrobe, then to also find out the reasons for keeping
dormant wardrobe, the effect of keeping these dormant wardrobes and finally to find
out ways they manage their dormant wardrobe. The research instrument underwent
pilot testing with female educators of Winneba Secondary School aged between 20 and
40 years in order to verify its validity and reliability. Data analysis employed
descriptive statistics, including mean and percentage usage. The investigation revealed
that a significant proportion of young women in Winneba strongly endorse the practice
of keeping items for specific events or occasions, such as dinner parties, while also
acknowledging possession of clothing not worn for over a year. To find out why the
female youth keep dormant clothes it was established that most of the respondents
agreed to the fact that the nature of work demands more clothes. Always want to keep
a “just in case” or as a back-up clothes and Sentimental reason (clothes that reminds
you of past activities or ceremonies). The respondents again established by strongly
agreeing that the effect of keeping dormant wardrobe was untidy room, and further
agreed on difficulty in selecting clothes because of the number and time consuming
(searching for clothes to wear). For ways by which the female youth manage their
dormant wardrobe most of the respondents agreed on throwing away their wardrobe but
least agreed on donation as a way of managing their dormant wardrobe. The researcher
recommends that the female youth should be educated on the different ways of
managing their dormant clothes in order not to experience the associated effects.
Example having loads of out of fashion, unfitting or clothes that needs renovation in
your room coursing untidy rooms which may lead to hoarding disorder. Throwing away
of clothes should be discouraged because it adds to the landfill but rather
renovated/remodelled to give them a renewed life. Renovation and remodelling centres
should be established by the Ghana dressmaker’s association because most dressmakers
do not want to waste time on old articles. This will go a long way to prevent the keeping
of dormant clothes.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Clothing and Textiles Education, Faculty of
Health, Allied Sciences and Home Economics Education, submitted to the School
of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Clothing and Textiles)
in the University of Education, Winneba
FEBRUARY, 2024