Participant one

Question 5. What is your everyday relationship with clothes like?
Answer: “As a mother of a toddler my everyday relationship with clothes comes down to- what is easy, what is clean, what is comfortable. Then there are days spent away from my toddler. These are the days I put extra thought into what I am going to wear, as these are the days I interact with other adults. I sue clothes and make-up on these days as a reminder of a life that is separate form my daughter.”

Question 6. Are you disappointed by the choices available to you for dressing?
Answer: “YES! All the time. As a plus size woman with an interest in fashion I am constantly disappointed that the clothes I like are not made in my size.”

Question 7. On a scale of passive to highly involved – what is your relationship with fashion like?
Answer: ‘”Involved”.

Question 8. Do you find dressing an easy/enjoyable/other experience?
Answer: “Other. I love finding the right outfit to express myself in, but all too often I am frustrated by the lack of options for plus size women.”

Question 9. Does clothing allow you to be imaginative and express yourself?
Answer: “Yes. I love using colours and styles and prints and fabrics to express whatever mood I am in on a particular day.


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  Participant two

Question 6. Are you disappointed by the choices available to you for dressing?
Answer: “As I get older I am more conscious of my choices, and what might have worked before not being quite the same for a ‘mature’ woman!! I don’t think it is due to lack of choice though- more about my own self-perceptions and the judgments of people around me. “

Question 8. Do you find dressing an easy/enjoyable/other experience? If other please expand?
Answer: “Enjoyable.”

Question 9. Does clothing allow you to be imaginative and express yourself?
Answer: “Yes, very much so, and I am lucky that I can wear a lot of styles as I have a small/standard body type. This means my choices are probably more versatile, but as well as having a lot of fun ‘dressing up’ I can still make some fashion disaster choices!!! I like coats with tails and swishy hems, but can tend to look like a circus master if I ‘m not too careful!! I like short dresses as I do have good legs, but my days of bare legged abandon are over I think, so hem length and legging use are in constant review. Also I am not very good at just dressing casually. But then that’s just another challenge when next in the recycle boutique, perhaps finding that elusive plaid jacket to go with the drop crotch pants and fluffy jumper..”


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  Participant three

Question 6. Are you disappointed by the choices available to you for dressing?
Answer: “I am sometimes disappointed but I’ve found one shop in particular that suits my body shape. I also like the hunt of trying to find great things secondhand. I love spending a few hours sifting through clothes to find one of two great pieces. I am a size ten on the bottom, but broader on the top, so I don’t suit clothes made for women with more ‘womanly’ shapes (e.g. pear and hourglass). This can be frustrating but I’ve learned my shapes.”

Question 7. On a scale of passive to highly involved – what is your relationship with fashion like?
Answer: “Involved.”

Question 8. Do you find dressing an easy/enjoyable/other experience?
Answer: “Easy.”

Question 9. Does clothing allow you to be imaginative and express yourself?
Answer: “Yes- it lets me portray an image of who I am on the inside, which is a creative, storing and feminine person. I think fashion can do that.”


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  Participant four

Question 1: What does the term ‘fashion’ mean to you?
Answer: “The clothes and accessories that you be sportin’.

Question 7. On a scale of passive to highly involved – what is your relationship with fashion like?
Answer: “Marginally Involved.”

Question 8. Do you find dressing an easy/enjoyable/other experience?
Answer: “Easy.”

Question 9. Does clothing allow you to be imaginative and express yourself?
Answer: “Yes, yes it does.”


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  Participant five

Question 1: What does the term ‘fashion’ mean to you?
Answer: “Up to the minute designs/trends, be that clothing, interior design, holiday destinations, etc. “

Question 4. Are you puzzled or please by the emphasis that is placed on clothing?
Answer: “I can kinda understand it (sometimes) but I think people should be able to dress to please themselves their mood etc though preferably covering the bits I’ve no need to see ;)”

Question 5. What is your everyday relationship with clothes like?
Answer: “I usually try to wear colour. Hate the obsession NZers have with black! Needs to be comfortable and usually practical also. Do try every now and then to spruce it up, though suspect more through nagging of friends than faith in my ability to dress…”

Question 6. Are you disappointed by the choices available to you for dressing?
Answer: “Yes. Can never find anything to suit or pretty or age appropriate, etc. in my size. Get frustrated clothes shopping. Cost is sometimes an issue.”

Question 7. On a scale of passive to highly involved – what is your relationship with fashion like?
Answer: “Marginally involved”.

Question 8. Do you find dressing an easy/enjoyable/other experience?
Answer: “Other. Hard and sometimes soul destroying.”

Question 9. Does clothing allow you to be imaginative and express yourself?
Answer: “Sometimes. I just wear what I want, e.g. like today I’m wearing an orange dress, medium violet red tights maroon coloured shoes, as best as I can tell from the colour chart on the monitor :) I love the happiness of it!”


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