Fashion involvement of affluent female consumers

Abstract

Fashion involvement is a consumer’s perceived importance of fashion clothing (O’Cass, 2001). It is important to investigate fashion involvement to understand consumer purchase behavior and to develop improved marketing strategies. Although researchers agree that consumers consider apparel purchases to be important, there has been little research done regarding fashion involvement (O’Cass, 2000) of affluent female consumers. The purpose of this study was to measure the fashion involvement of selected affluent female consumers from eight metropolitan areas in the United States and to identify relationships between fashion involvement and other selected variables. After controlling for socioeconomic demographic characteristics, the following variables were investigated with correlation and regression analyses: media usage, personality traits (self-confidence and public self-consciousness), and price perceptions (price/quality and prestige sensitivity) of affluent female consumers. Regression results showed that media usage was significantly related to fashion involvement, indicating that media usage was the best predictor of fashion involvement. Prestige sensitivity was significantly related to fashion involvement, indicating that respondents’ perceptions of purchasing high prestige products was a predictor of fashion involvement. Price/quality was significantly related to fashion involvement; respondents’ perceptions of the price of a product were a good indicator of its quality. Results indicated that personality traits (self-confidence and public self-consciousness) were not significant predictors of fashion involvement. Regression analyses of the demographic characteristics were consistent with previous literature. A statistically significant negative relationship was found between age and fashion involvement in this study, with younger ages indicating higher fashion involvement. Income was positively related to fashion involvement; as income increased, so did fashion involvement. Education was negatively related to fashion involvement; fashion involvement increased as education levels decreased. By focusing solely on female consumers, with money to spend and access to retail fashion, the results can provide information into a recently untapped market. Marketers can use this research in developing improved marketing strategies to this market. Retailers can benefit from this information when pricing and promoting, and educators can expand on the findings by developing new studies examining affluent female consumers.