Comparison of Test Protocols for Judging the Fit of Mature Women's Apparel

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare reliability and validity of trained paraprofessional judges' responses and expert judges' responses in a garmentfit test. The study addressed the relationships amongparticipants' body and garment measurements, participants'perceptions of garmentfit, and fit assessments of the trained and expert judges. Paraprofessional judges participated in fit training sessions. Judges assessedfitfrom videotapes ofparticipants in testjackets, and made second assessments one to two weeks later. T-testsfor paired samples were runfor reliability between judges'first and second evaluations. The trained paraprofessionals' judgments were equally reliable as the expert assessments. Validity was measured by comparing the differences ofparticipants' body measurements and test jacket measurements, and the judges' and participants'fit assessments of the test jacket. None of the measures (judges' responses, subjects' responses, measurements) showed a very high level of agreement infit assessment.