DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL APPAREL FOR COSMETOLOGISTS IN LAGOS NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to develop functional apparel for cosmetologists in Lagos, Nigeria. Specifically the  study was  designed to:  determine the functional apparel requirements (needs) of the cosmetology occupation; develop design criteria based on the needs for functional apparel and generate creative ideas for the prototype apparel; determine the functional apparel design preferences of the cosmetologists and select a final design idea; establish mean body measurements of cosmetologists for small, medium and large size-based users; develop 60 pattern pieces for the final design obtained in small, medium and large size categories; construct 24 sets of the functional apparel for the three size-based categories of user models and determine the mean ratings of both cosmetologists (users) and judges on mobility, fit comfort, safety/protection, general utilitarian, expressive and aesthetic variables of the functional apparel product. The study area was Lagos, Nigeria. The Research and Development (R & D) design was adopted and the Functional Apparel Design Process framework of Dejonge (1984) which coincides with the stages of the R & D cycle was utilized  to  accomplish  the  study  goal.  The  stages  of  the  design  process  were articulated into  three  major phases of  the  study namely, Development of  design criteria based on functional apparel needs assessment of cosmetologists; construction of the prototype functional apparel in small, medium and large sizes; and evaluation of the prototype apparel against established criteria on small, medium and large size- based users. Two sets of population were used in phases I and III of the study. This comprised  3,820  cosmetologists and  151  judges  consisting of  Home  Economics lecturers, cosmetology instructors, apparel producers and students. A multistage sampling  technique  was  used  to  select  195  subjects  from  the  cosmetologists population for the study in the first phase of the study. Purposive sampling technique was utilized to select 22 judges and 24 cosmetology models in the third phase of the study. Three sets of instruments were used for data collection in phases I and III of the study. The first, a Functional Apparel Needs Assessment (FANAC) instrument used to ascertain the functional apparel needs of cosmetologists. The second instrument was a 5-point semantic differential rating scale – Functional Apparel Design Assessment (FADAC) instrument used by cosmetologists to assess movement/mobility, fit, comfort, safety/protection expressive, aesthetics and general utilitarian variables of the functional apparel. The   third   instrument – Functional Apparel  Design  Assessment  (FADAJ)  instrument  also  a  5  –  point  semantic differential scale used by judges to score the fit, mobility, comfort, safety/protection, expressive,  aesthetics  and   general  utilitarian  variables  of  the  cosmetologists’ functional apparel. Cronbach alpha coefficient was used to determine reliability for each rating scale. The values for each scale was > 0.70 for the cosmetologists and >

0.75 for the judges in the preliminary study. The reliability values were slightly higher in the main study when re-examined. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the

data obtained from the research questions and t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses at .05 level of significance. All the data processes were done using the SPSS version 12. The major findings include: 6 general functional apparel needs  for cosmetologists functional apparel; 11 design criteria clustered into 7 broad

variables needed to produce  functional apparel for cosmetologists; 7 creative design ideas selection; mean body measurements of cosmetologists determined for three size categories; a  20 piece pattern set for each size category of consumers. A total of 60 pattern pieces; 24 functional apparel sets were produced and rated on the criteria outlined for evaluation by both cosmetologists and judges. There were no significant differences in the mean ratings of the three size-based users of the functional apparel for most of the variables used in the assessment of general apparel function and acceptability. There were significant differences between the mean ratings of cosmetologists and judges in 10 out of the 13 variables used in the assessment of the functional variable cluster.  Five recommendations were made. These include among others,  the  utilization  of  the  revised  functional  apparel  design  process  by  both lecturers and  students of  Home Economics in  tackling functional apparel design problems to address both physical and socio-psychological needs of people in various environmental and work related conditions in Nigeria.

CHAPTER ONE

Background of the Study

INTRODUCTION

Cosmetology is the treatment of skin, hair and nails. Cosmetology has also been defined  as  the  treatise  of  the  science  of  the  beautification  and  improvement  of complexion or hair. It includes, but is not limited to manicures, pedicures, application of artificial nails, special occasion hairstyling, shampooing of hair, cosmetics application, body hair removal, chemical hair relaxing and straightening, permanent waves, colouring and lightening of hair and hair extensions or wig treatment (Colleti, 1981). It involves the use of equipment and tools in its operation, chemicals including relaxers, hair colours and dyes,  and  other  hazardous substances which  can  irritate  the  skin  when  appropriate measures are not taken while using them (Colleti, 1981). The tools and equipment may injure workers if they are not handled and stored properly. These injuries include cuts, burns and minor irritations.

There are many persons working in the cosmetology industry all over the world. In the United States alone, according to the United States Board of Labour Statistics (2008), over 825,000 people are registered as workers in the cosmetology industry either as barbers, skin care specialists or nail technicians. In Nigeria, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in collaboration with Ministry of Labour and Productivity reported an estimated 24,020 registered cosmetologists.  Out of this number, Lagos State alone registered 3,820 cosmetologists (see Appendix A). With an ever increasing demand for quality beauty and cosmetic services, cosmetology remains a huge enterprise in large, densely populated cities and states. Even the smallest towns can have at least one barber shop or salon. As cosmetologists continue to encounter challenges with the demand of new techniques in beauty care, their services are considered important by many members of the society.

It  is  also  recorded  by Colleti  (1981)  that  cosmetology has  a  history that  is thousands of years old.  In Nigeria however, the first school of cosmetology was started in 1959 by Dr. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Osinsanya who on her return from England, equipped

with modern techniques of hairdressing, established a school of hairdressing and thus

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became the first Nigerian to open a cosmetology school in Nigeria. The establishment of a school of Cosmetology in Nigeria as far back as 1959, about five decades ago, has resulted in the emergence of many individuals practising the trade. They operate in a free market situation  where  laws  and  regulations  guiding  the  industry operation  are  not properly spelt out. As a result, this industrial sub-sector is flooded with all kinds of workers  who  are  non-professionals  and  become  exposed  to  various  environmental hazards that may impede job performance and present a poor corporate image. It is therefore necessary for workers in this industrial sub-sector to have a corporate identity through the use of a common apparel to address uniformity in appearance and efficiency in operation (Osinsanya, 2005).

It  has  been  observed  that  cosmetologists  in  Nigeria  in  addition  to  their professional tasks, maintain clean work areas and sanitize all work implements. They work for extended periods including evenings and into the night. In urban centres, beauty salons  are  busy during  weekends and  public  holidays.  Due  to  these  long  hours  of operation, many of them go to work with packed meals. Cosmetologists constantly get exposed to  hair,  nails,  body and  other chemicals in  their practice. In  addition they encounter problems in the practice which include minor discomfort with regular clothing, water and chemical splash on body and clothes, problems with handling of tools, repeated movements around the workroom, standing for long periods, lifting of buckets of water, and general cleaning of the work areas.   This constitutes a major challenge in apparel selection and usage. Special care must be taken to select and use apparel that reduces workers’ exposure to the hazardous chemicals and also address these challenges. This implies using functional apparel.   Functional apparel is apparel designed to meet the needs  of  persons  in  various  occupations and  in  physical,  environmental and  socio- psychological conditions.

According to Barker (2007), functional apparel serves as protection for the wearer from environmental conditions as well as work or task-related conditions that expose wearers to certain risks in operation. Task-related protection requires a wide variety of clothing, each designed for a specific end use. Shishoo (2002) asserts that protective clothing  specifications often  pose  additional  challenges to  the  designers and  textile scientists.

In achieving both protection and portability in apparel design several factors are taken into consideration. These include: (a) A critical look at an existing clothing form (b) The human body itself (c) The environment

Then the relationship between the above variables is explored. This relationship poses a big challenge to the apparel design researcher who aims at designing apparel that meets the complexity of clothing needs facing an individual in a specific situation (Alexander,

1998).

Barker (2007) further stated that wearers are subjected to a range of risks in many industrial segments like the hospital settings, energy services and the military. Frequent and common end uses for functional clothing include chemical and liquid splash suits, dry chemical handling, asbestos abatement coveralls,  vapour protection, clean  room apparel, fire-fighting suits, hospital gowns and motorcyclist visibility clothing. Previous research  has  investigated  many  types  of  apparel  for  various  populations  including asbestos workers (Ashdown, 1989; Turpin-Lengendre & Meyer, 2003), chemical protection (Pratt, 2004) grass fire-fighting (Huck  & Kim, 1997; Huck, Maganga & Kim,

1997; Rucker, Anderson & Kangas, 2000), police bicycle patrol (Rutherford-Black & Khan 1995) helicopter flight (Tan, Crown & Capjack, 1998), as well as various athletic uses (Chae, 2002; Ruckman, Murray, & Choi, 1999; Wheat & Dickson, 1999). Results from these studies indicate that negative comfort perceptions occur more often with garments that retain heat (Turpin-Lengendre & Meyer, 2003), inhibit movement (Lawson

& Lorentzen, 1990), or are inadequately sized (Huck & Kim, 1997).

Functionality and uniformity of appearance in the choice of apparel to address the needs of operators in an environment and the activities of the specific user is applicable in the cosmetology occupation as well. The concept of functionality in relation to the selection and use of clothing is extremely important in occupations where high productivity, performance and safety on the job are required. This means that those in the practice should be identifiable, visible and if possible through appearance, express occupational roles from others within the same cultural context. Kaiser (1997) believes that  uniformity  of  appearance  not  only  allows  outsiders  to  identify  individuals  as members of an occupational sub-sector but also to display the image of that occupational area it represents through their clothing.

Clothing, according to Kaiser (1997) refers to any tangible or material object connected to the human body. In support of this, Anyakoha (2004) stated that it is an article put on the body to protect, beautify or adorn it. It applies to those objects that are acquired by buying, receiving or constructing and attached to or worn on the body. The acquisition of clothing by construction results in an apparel. Apparel is a body covering specifically referring  to  actual  garments constructed from  fabric.  In  this  study,  the concept of clothing, garment, and apparel will be synonymously used to mean body covering actually constructed from fabrics. These include pants, skirts, tops, dresses, shirts and  other related body coverings. Clothing is  necessary for  the  protection of persons from various environmental hazards, ballistic threats and chemical irritants. The production of apparel actually follows a developmental process. Kaiser (1997) further states that this process begins with a design idea and translates into a material object that covers the body for the purpose of concealing or covering nakedness, attracting attention, adorning the body or protecting the body from dangerous natural elements or man-made devices. Clothing protects the body, promotes health and safety, and improves worker/job efficiency. It can also enhance or hinder body function among different groups of people and in various occupations.

Clothing has also been found to be a symbol of organisational culture (Kaiser

1997). Every organization is likely to develop a culture with a distinctive set of values, and these values are likely to be expressed through unique and uniformed appearance which conforms to a formal or informal dress code of that given occupation. Group identity and functionality of clothing among members of organizations or occupations are major variables in current clothing researches (Kaiser, 1997).

The development or design of new materials and prototype apparel requires more than just creativity. Prototype apparel here refers to the first design of an apparel product from which other forms can be copied. It is cut and sewn from the first pattern obtained for the product to evaluate the styling and fit (Glock & Kunz, 2000). According to Frings (2003), it is simply a trial garment or sample. A designer should also seek out, absorb and apply information regarding  the  wearer’s needs and  expectations (Fowler, 2003). A systematic approach or process is often used in functional clothing research to help designers incorporate all  aspects of  design development. This process is  the  design

process. The process takes the designer step-by-step from the initial idea through an evaluation of the final idea (Dejonge, 1984). A design description of each step in the Dejonge’s process follows (see Figure I).

The first step of the Dejonge’s (1984) design process is the general request, or a broad problem statement of the clothing need. The request can be a general statement of the objectives made by the designer or an expression of need from the wearer. This step can incorporate brainstorming, user interviews, and observations of garments and the wearer (Fowler, 2003; Dejonge, 1984). The next step is the exploration of the design situation, which involves statement of objectives, literature search and further definition of the problem. Further observations or market analysis could also be part of this step (Bergen, Capjack, McConnan and Richards, 1996). The problem structure is perceived through an assessment of critical factors. A designer may find needs assessment, movement analysis,  thermal  assessment, impact  assessment, and  socio-psychological assessment helpful  at  this  stage.  (Dejonge, 1984).  The  next step  is  that  the  design specifications and criteria are established including functional and psychological requirements.  It  may  be  necessary to  prioritise  the  criteria.  When  the  prototype  is developed, it should be evaluated against the design specifications and fit-tested for suitability in optimum performance. After the prototype is evaluated, the final design development occurs. There should be an objective evaluation of the final design, which may include a range of motion test, video analysis, comfort testing or movement analysis (Huck and Kim, 1997). There may also be a subjective user-evaluation to complement the objective evaluation of the design (Dejonge, 1984). This whole process framework is to make designing better and responsive to user needs.

With the increase in the number of practitioners of cosmetology in Lagos, Nigeria, there is a need to ensure that occupational hazards are controlled and that practitioners become aware of their identity and the usage of appropriate clothing to enhance performance and safety on-the-job. This will ultimately promote productivity within the cosmetology occupation.

Statement of the Problem

The advent of the television and the film industry has resulted in the current trend towards fashion and beauty care regardless of gender or profession. Consequently, there is a high demand in cosmetology related services globally. In Nigeria, cosmetologists both male and female are making tremendous entry into the cosmetology occupation and actually staying in it.

Within this work environment, manufacturers are required to make accommodations that are compliant with user needs and technological interfaces that are helpful in allowing an individual to function better on the job. Most times these accommodations are centred on buildings and furniture and not on clothing.

Clothing is another and often overlooked facet of the work environment despite the fact that it is believed to be the most important artefact in proximity to the body and its potential impact on a person’s immediate bodily comfort. This informed the research into the development of functional apparel for cosmetologists in the biggest commercial city of Nigeria, Lagos.

In Lagos State alone there are about 3,820 registered cosmetology practitioners. They operate in a free market situation where laws and regulations guiding the industry operation are not enforced.  As a result, this industrial sub-sector is flooded with all kinds of workers; both formally and informally trained who are exposed to various environmental hazards that may impede job performance. There is therefore a need for a corporate identity in the choice of apparel for workers in this industrial sub-sector to address occupational identity and functionality of clothing. The functionality indices of such clothing includes comfort, safety, fit, suspension of tools, easy accessibility, aesthetics,  facilitation  of  motion  and  activities,  adjustability and  other  needs  which should be provided for optimum performance.

There are many professions in the Nigerian society where functional apparel is worn. Such  professions include the  military,  the  police, and  other  law  enforcement agencies, the catering profession, aviation, sports, medical professions and the physically challenged. Incidentally many of these professional apparel are produced based on the directives of the management committees of the various organizations that employ these workers without the input of technical personnel in the field of clothing or even the

workers themselves. As a result, these uniforms fail to address the functional needs of the workers in most instances (Bassey & Thompson, 2005). It has also been observed that manufacturers of beauty supplies in the cosmetology trade have also attempted to design various forms of protective clothing for cosmetologists but the total functionality and appropriateness of the product to work environment is still not readily attained.

In a typical working day, a cosmetologist performs such duties and tasks of shampooing, cutting, colouring and styling of hair, lightening and darkening of hair colour, manicures, pedicures, scalp and facial treatments. These tasks and duties expose the worker to chemicals used for the hair, nails and other parts of the body. This may cause serious irritation and injuries to the workers when appropriate safety measures are not taken to handle chemicals and tools properly. Other problems encountered in the practice include water splash on the body and clothes problems with handling of tools, discomfort with regular clothing and repeated movements around the workroom, standing for long periods, chemical spills on clothes and body and lifting of buckets of water. In addition, they are responsible for the general cleaning of the work areas. However, if protection is required, the protective tool should be capable of maximizing protection from these hazards as well as minimizing metabolic heat stress, which causes discomfort.

Providing protection against chemical hazard is a unique problem and also incorporating other needs into apparel ensemble poses another major challenge in research. The emphasis on research concerning functional apparel for different groups of people  or  occupations  requires  that  the  apparel design  researcher  either  looks  at  a clothing problem from the standpoint of evaluation of an existing clothing form for possible modification, or the development of a prototype based on overall user needs (Shaw, Cohen and Wicke, 2000). It was observed by the researcher that the occupation of cosmetology as practised in Lagos does not lay emphasis on dress code to cater for the activities and professional image of the trade. Consequently, cosmetologists in Lagos lack existing functional apparel for their operations.

As  a  result,  group  identification  and  functionality of  user  apparel  which  is comparable with other occupations like hospitality, aviation and the military, is lost. They also make use of any kind of clothing to operate in the saloon and sometimes the clothing get  soiled  as  a  result  of  constant water  splash  and  chemical usage  and  are  utterly

uncomfortable. They should be protected against the hazards of their occupation. This is a big challenge. To meet this challenge, there is a need to develop functional apparel for this occupation using the different activities in the cosmetology workroom as reference point. This will project a corporate identity for this workforce as well as maintaining safety, performance, comfort and heightened productivity. The functionality indices of such an item of clothing or an ensemble includes comfort, safety, fit, suspension of tools, easy accessibility, aesthetics, facilitation of motion and activities, adjustability and other needs that border on self-worth which should be provided for optimum performance on the job.

Although researchers have carried out studies in the area of developing functional apparel to address work or task-related needs, no specific effort has been made to develop functional apparel for the small, medium and large sized population of cosmetologists in Lagos, Nigeria. This gap needs adequate attention, hence the study.

Purpose of the Study

The overall purpose of the study was to develop functional apparel for cosmetologists for use in their occupation in Lagos, Nigeria.      Specifically   the   study was designed to:

1.  determine  the  functional  apparel  requirements  (needs)  of  the  cosmetology occupation in Lagos, Nigeria.

2.  establish design criteria based on the needs for functional apparel and generate creative ideas for the prototype apparel.

3.  determine the functional apparel design preferences of the cosmetologists and select a final design idea.

4.  establish mean body measurements of female cosmetologists based on bust, waist and hip measurements for small, medium and large size-based users.

5.  develop patterns for the final design obtained in small, medium and large size categories.

6.  construct the functional apparel based on mean body measurements obtained for small, medium and large size categories.

7.  determine the mean ratings of functional apparel users on movement/ mobility, fit, safety/protection, comfort, general utilitarian, expressive and aesthetic criteria of functional apparel.

8.  determine the mean ratings of judges on mobility, fit, comfort, safety/protection, general utilitarian expressive and aesthetic attributes of functional apparel.

9.  compare  the  mean  ratings  of  cosmetologists  and  that  of  the  judges  on  the parameters outlined for evaluation of the functional apparel.

Significance of the Study

In occupations where workers are vulnerable to the hazards of the practice, it becomes necessary for  functional apparel to  be  used to  maximise performance and enhance  professional  identity.  Another  concern  is  making  sure  that  the  apparel  is designed to provide acceptable standards in production and packaging for potential end- users. Functional apparel design is a problem-solving approach available to the apparel designer and researcher to meet the complexity of clothing needs facing an individuals or corporate bodies in specific situations. The interrelatedness of these needs in the development of a suitable apparel ensemble that serves multiple purposes especially providing safety, comfort and protection from hazards, group identification and allowing a full range of activities within the cosmetology occupational sub-sector underscored the need to develop functional apparel for cosmetologists in Lagos, Nigeria.

The findings of the study will however be used to design new functional apparel products for apparel manufacturing companies within the industrial garment sub-sector. These products will then be systematically field-tested, evaluated and refined until they meet specified criteria of effectiveness, quality, or similar standards.

Specifically, the functional apparel design will facilitate large-scale production of occupational apparel that will meet several design and human factors. By mass customization of this type of apparel, the apparel industry will be able to offer the consumers  better  quality products  at  a  cost  lower  than  the  custom-made  products. Suitable materials and design details will also be suggested that will contribute to the thermal comfort, better use, care, storage and durability of the functional apparel product.

The  findings  of  the  study  will  generate  co-operative  initiatives  between  the various apparel production outlets where functional apparel could be custom-made, mass- customised or mass-produced to cater for various consumer populations in need of the products.

Findings of this study will also be of benefit to researchers in the clothing and textiles field of study who will now look at apparel design from a problem-solving and critical thinking approach other than mere aesthetical considerations. Clothing and textile students, lecturers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs of clothing among others will also find this study very useful. Lecturers will plan and develop instructions for functional apparel design using  the design process to achieve required goals. Manufacturers of beauty supplies and apparel products may choose to have a single line of production that focuses on cosmetologists’ clothing system. Entrepreneurs in collaboration with manufacturers will be able to carry out promotional activities to create the awareness for the usage of the functional apparel when introduced to the consuming public. Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Labour and Productivity will all benefit in diverse ways from the findings of the study because each of these institutions was either consulted or hopes to be consulted before actual consumption of the developed functional apparel product. In tertiary institutions offering Home Economics and some fashion and garment making schools, students and staff will utilize the findings of the research study in this occupation as a reference for the design and development of prototype apparel products in other occupations.

The findings of this study will boost the research and development exhibitions currently being embarked upon by the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC). Similar research and development projects will also be introduced into the Home Economics field of study. The patterns obtained from this study will be used in producing occupational apparel for cosmetologists with ethnic and other design inspirations. This way, globalisation  and  localisation  in  a  singular  line  of  product  for  cosmetologists,  a profession that is globally in practice, will be actualised.

Entrepreneurial initiatives will be triggered off by the time these products are exhibited and tested for acceptability. Wear tests will expose the designers/researchers,

students and the entire public to new ways of solving clothing problems. Economic benefits  are  also  the  expectations  of  the  research,  as  this  product  hopes  to  attract corporate licensing for mass production, marketing and distribution to local and international consumers. The needs assessment study will expose areas of specific needs of workers in the cosmetology occupation and similar other occupations. Utilization of the identified needs will assist in the design of apparel that function to meet the optimum productivity level of these workers.

Findings of the study will generate new problem-solving approaches to addressing design problems that face researchers and other people in the society. The curricula of clothing and textiles will be enriched to include courses in functional apparel design. This will assist students in finding solutions to the numerous clothing problems in the society and in conducting small research and development (R and D) apparel design projects that could attract both local private-sector funding and assistance from external donor agencies. The study will also address some research priorities related to human health, safety  and  well-being.  Furthermore,  it  will  contribute  to  strategies/technologies for lifelong learning among individuals/consumers who are interested in the study of new techniques and technology in clothing and textiles. Findings of the study will be used and should be used to infuse Creativity Education components in the Clothing and Textiles Curricula at the various levels of the educational system.

Research Questions

The study was guided by the following research questions:

1.  What are the functional apparel requirements (needs) of cosmetologists in Lagos, Nigeria?

2.  What  design  criteria  should  be  utilised  to  produce  the  functional apparel  to accommodate the needs/activities performed by cosmetologists?

3.  What are the functional apparel design preferences of the cosmetologists?

4.  What are the mean body measurements of cosmetologists based on bust, waist and hip measurements for small, medium, and large-size categories?

5.  What are the mean ratings of cosmetologists on movement assessment of the functional apparel?

6. What are the mean ratings of cosmetologists on mobility, fit, comfort, safety/protection, aesthetics, expressive and general utilitarian attributes of the prototype apparel?

7.  What are the mean ratings of judges on mobility, fit, comfort, safety/protection, aesthetics, expressive and general utilitarian attributes of the prototype apparel?

8.  What are the differences between the mean ratings of cosmetologists and judges on the fit, functional, aesthetics and expressive requirements of the functional apparel?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance:

HO1:     There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of small, medium and large size-based users on mobility requirements of the functional apparel.

HO2:     There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of small, medium and large size-based users on fit requirements of the functional apparel.

HO3:     There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of small, medium and large size-based users on comfort requirements of the functional apparel.

HO4:     There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of small, medium and large size-based users on safety/protection requirements of the functional apparel.

HO5:     There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of small, medium and large size-based users on expressive qualities of the functional apparel.

Ho6:     There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of small, medium and large size-based users on aesthetic requirements of the functional apparel.

Ho7:    There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of small, medium and large size-based users on general utilitarian qualities of the functional apparel.

Ho8:    There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of cosmetologists and judges on the functional attributes of the prototype apparel.

Ho9:    There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of cosmetologists and judges on the expressive attributes of the functional apparel.

Ho10:  There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of cosmetologists and judges on the aesthetic qualities of the functional apparel.

Ho11:  There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of cosmetologists and judges on the general utilitarian qualities of the functional apparel.

Ho12:  There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of cosmetologists and judges on the fit of the functional apparel.

Delimitations of the Study

The study was delimited to cosmetology practitioners who are between the ages of

21-40 years and possess at least the Ordinary National Diploma or its equivalent in Cosmetology and have served in the profession for not less than 3  years. They are resident practitioners in 200 zonal locations within the 20 local government areas of Lagos State outlined by the Nigerian Association of Hairdressers, Barbers and Cosmetologists (NASHCO) brochure, Lagos State Chapter. Only female subjects were used for  the  study because the  preliminary literature review  revealed that  there are significantly more female cosmetologists than male. A non-random selection of subjects was used for the study both for the needs assessment survey and  wearer acceptability tests. This means that only a limited number of participants were used for the study. Hence only limited generalizations may be  made beyond the selected population as defined by the sample. The study was also delimited to the developed functional apparel product’s size, style and quality.

Assumptions of the Study

1.  Functional  apparel  will  facilitate  task  performance  in  the  occupation  of cosmetology.

2.  Cosmetologists  will  be  able  to  perform  the  movements  required  for  the movement analysis.

3.  Cosmetologists  will   be   able   to   express   their   needs   and   respond   to questionnaire items adequately.

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