When I first went into the QUEST lab to ask Kylie King, QUEST Program Director, and Jessica Macklin, QUEST Program Coordinator, if they would like to participate in a fashion face-off article, Jessica said that she had already admitted that Kylie has a better sense of style than herself. However, I beg to differ. Both Kylie and Jessica are fashionable and are constantly fabulous. As an illustration, there are five pictures that I took of Kylie and Jessica in March. For the purposes of this article, though, I’ll be judging on Kylie and Jessica’s fashion choices based on three of Garvin’s 8 Dimensions of Quality: aesthetics, perceived quality, and durability.
Aesthetics
Based on the pictures below, you can see that Kylie definitely takes more fashion risks. When asked how she describes her sense of style, she said that “[she] prefers bright colors and ‘statement’ pieces (anything from pants to jewelry)”. In comparison, Jessica likes “solid colors and simple patterns such as stripes and polka dots…[and] statement necklaces!” I also asked Kylie and Jessica about what is important when they are shopping for clothing, Kylie said that the most important thing she looks for when she shops is whether the clothes will complement her current wardrobe. Jessica said that she looks for clothes that are professional and usually shops in the petite section.
Perceived Quality & Durability
To assess perceived quality and durability, I asked Kylie and Jessica two questions. The first question asked how they decipher which clothes are quality. Kylie said that she applies some of Garvin’s 8, including reliability, serviceability, and durability. For example, she likes tops with zippers and prefers to buy clothes that won’t require servicing and are, thus, more durable. Jessica shops at brand name stores because she “trusts that these stores will sell quality clothing.” Also, she definitely values durability because she hopes “that the clothes will last [her] a while.” Also, I asked how much brand names matter to them. Both of them said that brand name is very important because brands have an expectation for reliability and durability. However, Jessica says that brands are not completely reliable. She said, “I have definitely found holes in the seams of brand new pieces once or twice before!”
In conclusion, I believe that Kylie and Jessica both dress very well. While Kylie’s style might be considered a bit more “fashion forward” as far as risk taking goes, Jessica has a sweet and simple way of dressing that is just as aesthetically pleasing. I believe that there isn’t a winner in this fashion face-off.
Fashion Tip: Kylie told me that a fellow QUEST student said, “Gold clothing could have greater perceived quality.” So if you want to look fancy, throw on some gold!
[slideshow_deploy id=’2007′]