Author(s): Neha and Dr. Harminder Kaur Saini

Abstract:
The sub-mountaineus region of Hoshiarpur district was selected to study the Clothing buying practices of 120 rural families. It was found that 54.17 per cent of the respondents belonged to 41 to 50 years of age group and 50.00 percent of them were educated below matriculation level. It was noticed that more than 58.00 percent of the respondents had joint family. About family occupation, 38.33 per cent of the respondents belonged to the families where agriculture was the main occupation and 45 per cent of the respondent’s families had monthly income of ₹ 50,001 to ₹ 1,00,000. Regarding their buying practices, it was found that majority (87.50 %) of the respondents choose their clothes with the help of all the family members. Fifty per cent of the respondents reported that it saved their time while 46.15 per cent took independent decision to avoid unplanned expenditure. About 50 per cent and 58.33 per cent of respondents felt that they did not feel confident to make proper selection alone, and felt stressed while making the decisions alone, respectively. It was also reported that obtaining group conformity was given first rank with weighted score of 647 followed by cash money in hand and to meet the clothing needs were other reasons given by the respondents with weighted score of 565 and 534 that were given second and third rank, respectively. Colour of the fabric was most preferred factor as reported by 95.00 per cent of the respondents followed by design and price of the fabric by 80.83 and 79.17 per cent of the respondents, respectively. About 58.33 per cent of the respondent rarely looked for brand name and more than 46.77 per cent rarely followed the wash care instructions given on the label.