Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Textiles, Apparel Design, and Merchandising
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
A wedding dress is a significant aspect of showcasing the bride's personality, identity, and social status at weddings. Many brides worldwide choose to wear ethnic wedding dresses. Ethnic wedding dresses reflect identity, culture, and heritage through their traditional designs and colors. In the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia, many brides incorporate wearing ethnic wedding dresses into their wedding days because it is a significant part of the traditional wedding events. However, previous researchers have not yet investigated why Jazan brides continue to wear ethnic wedding dresses at their weddings, and the impact of social media on the selection wedding dresses. The purpose of this research was to explore the significance of wearing Saudi Arabian ethnic wedding dresses and the motivations of brides to wear them in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia. In addition, the researcher sought to investigate the effect of social media on wedding dress selection on Jazan brides.
Qualitative data were collected beginning with an online demographic questionnaire and then in-depth, semi-structured virtual interviews virtually via Zoom with 27 women. The women were originally from the Jazan region and wore ethnic wedding dresses or had planned to wear them at least once at their weddings. The constant comparison method, which is associated with grounded theory was used for the analysis and utilized the three-step coding process of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding (Corbin & Strauss, 1990; Kolb, 2012). After the data were analyzed, there were six themes: culture and traditions, wedding dresses for Jazan's brides, self-expression and identity, wedding rituals in the Jazan region, wedding trends in the Jazan region, and social media and consumer behavior. The subthemes included: embellishment and aesthetic value, wedding dresses budget, foreign cultures influence, people surrounding bride's role in wedding dress selection, gifts, and hospitality, making a memory, and social media and fashion trends that motivate Saudi brides in the Jazan region to wear Saudi Arabian ethnic wedding dresses, and the impact on selecting wedding dresses.
The results of this research found that Jazan brides wore different types of wedding dresses, including modern and ethnic dresses. The brides wore ethnic dresses, which had varied designs; the majority of the ethnic dresses were from the Jazan culture, and a few were from other countries. Furthermore, they wore trendy, modern wedding dresses in different styles. The participants chose appropriate accessories for each wedding dress to complete their bridal looks. Social media helped the brides to find new styles and trends of wedding dresses and weddings. Social media also aided the brides by providing ideas on wedding dresses and wedding decorators through advertisements and pictures posted by influencers or celebrities.
Date
7-15-2024
Recommended Citation
Otayf, khawlah Naif, "Investigating the Jazan Region's Ethnic Wedding Dress Tradition and the Influence of Social Media on the Jazan Bride's Dress Selection" (2024). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6554.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6554
Committee Chair
Stannard, Casey R