Jennifer Avila Headshot
Author: Jennifer Avila | Major: Apparel Merchandising and Product Development
Hello, my name is Jennifer Avila, and I am a Senior Apparel Merchandising and Product Development major within the Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food, and Life Sciences. I have been working with Dr. Laurie Apple to discover consumers’ perception of women’s swimwear. Originally this project started with the intention of working with a major retailer, but then it was decided to continue the research without them. The topic of consumer perception of quality is one that does not get considered often in the world of consumerism. It is important to look for different ways to reduce consumerism and one way for consumers to start is to look for things that are made properly and won’t get thrown away after a handful of uses. Since swimwear is often only worn for a short period of time during the year, it is important to consider purchasing a well-made piece that can be worn year after year rather than consuming microtrends that go out of style by the end of the summer.
To understand how consumers perceive swimwear, we needed to create a survey that questioned the participants on what they thought made a swimsuit good quality. Prior to creating the survey, Dr. Apple and I purchased three different swimsuits from three different retailers that were similar in shape and style. This was important because we did not want the participants to be swayed by the aesthetics of one swimsuit over the other, instead the participants considered the construction qualities. Throughout the fall semester, Dr. Apple and I tweaked the survey questions and then later entered them into three different Qualtrics surveys. The purpose of three different surveys was to change whether the participants knew the price, brand, or neither. One group knew the prices but not the brands, another group knew the brands but not the prices, and one group was not given either. The surveys themselves contained the same questions, each group of participants were given different information on the price and brand. Some of the survey questions asked participants if they believed the fabric was resilient, had a smooth or bumpy surface, if it was free from defects, as well as, if the edges were properly sewn to prevent raveling. The students surveyed were those in Dr. Apples’ classes as well as those in Dr. Leigh Southward’s classes. Since the surveys were conducted towards the end of fall 2021 semester, I have not been able to look over the results, but plan on doing so once the spring 2022 semester begins.
Dr. Apple and I have worked closely together over the past year preparing to survey students as well as assisting me when it came to applying for the honors grants. I plan to continue working closely with her and my committee members during this last year of my university studies.
I plan to defend my thesis project in the Spring of 2021. During the spring semester, not only do I plan to edit my thesis paper with my committee, but also look over the survey results to continue writing the results section of my paper with Dr. Mahendran Balasubramanian, another member of my honors thesis committee and AMPD faculty member. Also, if necessary, continue another round of surveys to collect more data. At this point in time, my plans for after graduation are still unclear. I am in the process of searching for jobs and looking for the best option after graduation. I look forward to continuing working on my honors thesis and entering the workforce after graduation.