Since consumers are supporters of market growth and help to maintain the competitive advantage, an integral part of any clothing retailer's task is to understand consumer purchasing behaviour, especially important factors that drive their purchasing decisions. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of personal values on intrinsic evaluative criteria in terms of female consumers' preference during clothing purchasing decisions. An exploratory quantitative research design was used to collect data from 316 female respondents (18 to 66 years) residing in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nonlinear canonical correlation analysis (OVERALS) results suggested that female consumers are aware of what they want to communicate through clothing, and they are therefore likely to consider evaluative criteria that will help them achieve their goals. More specifically, the study has brought about an understanding of the significance of certain evaluative criteria in the achievement of female consumers' personal values.