Abstract

Dress has many significant functions for an aging population, including positive psychological effects on personal behavior, such as increasing self-confidence by revamping appearance. Thus, it is important to determine the design elements that can increase positive self-conception in the aging population. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of design elements (e.g., color, pattern, and silhouette) on Baby Boomers’ clothing preferences to identify significant clothing design factors for the aging population. Applying the generational cohort theory, we invited two female age groups, aged twenty-one to thirty-five and sixty-five to seventy-two, for the between-group experiment, and a total of 100 usable data were collected. Results indicated that Baby Boomers most preferred bright and vibrant colors. Regarding patterns, simple and basic patterns were positively evaluated by Baby Boomers. Furthermore, there were a few silhouettes preferred by Baby Boomer consumers including A-line, T-shape, wedge, and drop waist. Clothing designers and fashion practitioners need to understand the different evaluations on clothing design for the aging population to better serve them based on their needs. This will also improve quality of life, self-confidence, and self-conception of the aging population by generating positive emotions and psychology of this population.