A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FABRICS USED FOR THE GHANAIAN BASIC SCHOOL UNIFORMS

This study compared three brands of fabrics used for the production of Ghanaian public basic school uniforms based on selected performance characteristics to determine their suitability for the end-use in terms of the properties assessed. The parameters evaluated with the use of experimental procedures included yarn count, weight, colourfastness and shrinkage. The data collected were analysed with the use of the Predictive Analytical Software for windows version 22. Means and standard deviations of the fabric performance characteristics evaluated were calculated. Analysis of Variance at 0.05 alpha level and Pearson Product Moment correlation were also employed. The findings showed significant differences among the investigated fabrics performance characteristics. All the fabrics met the standard specifications for uniform fabrics indicated in the Ghana Standards Authority's specification for uniform fabrics (GS 970, 2009) for the parameters colourfastness, weight and dimensional stability. However, just as these three parameters cannot be used to judge the overall suitability of the fabrics for the end-use. It is therefore recommended that further investigations are carried out on the fabrics to evaluate the other characteristics such as strength and absorbency which could help to establish the better suitability of the investigated fabrics for the end-use (uniforms).