Abstract
<p>The objective of this study was to analyze the discourse on fashion consumption and fashion brands by male inhabitants of Caruaru city, State of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. The findings include the way men understand fashion consumption and the values that direct them to buy fashion brands. These men see fashion consumption as the act of buying and consuming fashion brands in order to acquire various levels of status and express their values. When their discourse leaves the domain of fashion, the act of dressing becomes functional, an expression of personality and occupation. By doing this, it becomes part of the male universe. The following symbolic associations were identified, which were related to the motivational types of values proposed by Tamayo and Schwartz: Self-Realization/Self-Esteem, Belonging/Compliance, Contemporaneity/Hedonism, Rationality/Confidence, Distinction/Self-Determination, and Ostentation/Social Power. It may be concluded that the consumption of fashion and fashion brands by the men in the studied context are directly related to the social group they belong to, or would like to belong to (aspiring group). Regarding the group they belong to, the participating men, while consuming fashion and fashion brands, choose items that reflect the values of their group in order to feel part of it. However, insatiable desires, inherent to all human beings, do not allow that the Caruaru men are satisfied with the feeling of belonging to a group only, driving them to seek in the consumption of fashion and fashion brands those items that will make them feel valued and recognized as being unique.</p>
Highlights
Marketing may be defined as a business philosophy, or way of thinking, that a company has from the perspective of consumers, or potential consumers (Eassey, 1995), which explains the importance of understanding consumer behavior as a starting point for all marketing actions
Insatiable desires, inherent to all human beings, do not allow that the Caruaru men are satisfied with the feeling of belonging to a group only, driving them to seek in the consumption of fashion and fashion brands those items that will make them feel valued and recognized as being unique
The meaning given to the word fashion, and the narrative of the men on their dynamic fashion consumption, take the study into gender issues
Summary
Marketing may be defined as a business philosophy, or way of thinking, that a company has from the perspective of consumers, or potential consumers (Eassey, 1995), which explains the importance of understanding consumer behavior as a starting point for all marketing actions This understanding passes by the attribution of meaning to products and the symbolic construction of brands (Desmond 2003), the cultural significance of products (McCracken, 1986), the semiotics of consumption (Holman, 1981; Mick, 1986), products as tools for self-expression (Belk, 1988; Prentice, 1987), and impression formation based on possessions (Belk, 1978; Dittmar & Pepper, 1994; Gosling et al, 2002). This recognition is often made possible through the use of brands that are widely known in the market
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