According to the authors, the apparel and retail industries are integral to our lives, yet they contribute to environmental issues from discarded clothing items that still have life within them. Gen Z and Millennials today are at the forefront of the pre-worn apparel movement, often documented as thrift shopping. This shift from new to pre-worn…

The following are journal reflections written by Morgan State University Family and Consumer Sciences-Fashion Merchandising students in 2020, during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we navigated through a semester that should have had students completing practicum credits, they instead wrote about recouping the time and identifying…

In a sea of applicant uniformity, how can an undergraduate student develop a means of personal differentiation while attempting to land an internship or job? That is the dilemma of the roughly 1.9 million Millennials graduating with bachelor's degrees within the United States in 2015 (Hussar & Bailey, 2015). Although the national unemployment…

Guided by the five cross-cutting themes of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Body of Knowledge (BOK) two capstone courses (C[superscript 2]) in Apparel Studies were designed to help prepare students for careers, further study, or both.

The purpose of this paper is to describe an educational partnership experience between rural retailers and graduate students in a Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles program. Students were afforded an opportunity to work with small business owners in rural communities, giving them real world exposure to the actual challenges being faced by…

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how a large comprehensive family and consumer sciences unit has incorporated sustainability into its curriculum and research agenda. It summarizes how each area within the department (Interior Design, Apparel Design and Merchandising, Consumer Affairs, Family Studies, Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food…

Merchandising and consumer economics traditionally have been part of family and consumer sciences (FCS) within the ecosystems framework. The purpose of this article is to examine progress of this sub-system within FCS. Specifically, the authors explore the relevance of the systems approach for merchandising programs and conclude that this model is…

The purpose of this study was to gather information on the perceptions of sustainability in design held by family and consumer sciences (FCS) students majoring in interior design and apparel design/merchandising. Likert-scale responses were used to explore differences and similarities between students in the two majors. Overall, interior design…

This study examines how student learning can be enhanced by using a multi-course project that simulates an industry environment and emphasizes the interrelationship among course concepts through collaborative efforts of student teams. The role of technology as a tool in facilitating student teamwork is examined. The researchers found that students…

Responses from 38 of 184 retailing graduates, 24 of 111 recruiters in the apparel field, 58 of 200 retail merchandising educators, and 45 of 47 current students found that differences in their ratings of the importance of 53 competencies for entry workers centered on three factors: merchandising, leadership, and monitoring. (SK)

The purpose of this project was to develop a science-based course, "Environmental Sustainability Issues for Designers and Merchandisers". The course emphasis was on scientific concepts underlying textile-related environmental problems; the focus was on the "cradle to cradle" design model as an approach for eliminating environmental problems during…

Computer-assisted design (CAD) technology is transforming the apparel industry. Students of fashion merchandising and clothing design must be prepared on state-of-the-art equipment. ApparelCAD software is one example of courseware for instruction in pattern design and production. (SK)

The application of the technology acceptance model to a merchandising course teaching industry software was evaluated. Based on technology acceptance research, industry software was presented emphasizing ease-of-use and usefulness. The final course project gave students a quasi real-life experience of combining merchandising skills with the…

New career opportunities exist for family and consumer sciences (FCS)professionals as traditional formats for shopping service, and information transition to a virtual environment. The requisite competencies and skills necessary for effective online operations are identified. Interactions with industry personnel and supporting literature revealed…