Body Shape Perception in Relation to the Apparel Choices of the Young and Late Adult Women of Peshawar

Abstract

The current study was conducted to examine how young and older women in the Peshawar city perceive their body image which influences their clothing choices. The selected sample of women whose age ranged between 20-50 years were evaluated by using the Stunkard body image measure. The correlation between actual body mass index (BMI) and perceived body image was significant indicated by 39% of female population having a favorable impression of their bodies. Women with a poor body image often use clothing to camouflage their protruding body parts. Positive body image leads to a preference for fitting clothing, while negative body image favors loose-fitting clothing. The study also examined the impact of patterns on women's body image, finding that women enjoyed all types of prints in their attire. The study would be distinctive in the field of fashion industry which enable a woman in identifying real body image (BMI) and perceived body image, hence help in designing attires to camouflage minor flaws.