Fashion Consumption Research Articles

Why do people buy virtual clothes?

AbstractVirtual clothes consumption is part of the digital virtual consumption practices of the global NFT phenomenon and the global digital fashion trend. While cutting‐edge technologies shape customer experience and behavior, research examining how consumers desire, own, and experience these technologies in general, and virtual objects in particular, remains scarce. Adopting the uses and gratifications (U&Gs) theory and building on research related to brand roles and category, the present research aims to unveil the psychological determinants of purchasing NFTs‐virtual clothes. A mixed‐method, two‐stage approach was adopted. First, a qualitative study and a pilot study aimed to capture and understand what motivates people to buy NFTs‐virtual clothes and identify contextualized U&Gs. Second, two original confirmatory studies verified the U&Gs of purchasing virtual clothes and investigated how they differ based on brand category (luxury vs. non‐luxury). The results show that enjoyment, social interactivity, and curiosity are the main predictors of NFTs‐virtual clothes purchases. Consumers mainly seek hedonic, social, and technological gratifications as part of the digital fashion consumption trend. Brand managers must recognize virtual clothing gratifications for effective virtual world positioning. Products should encourage networking, community, and user interaction. Demographics and virtual experience should be considered to understand NFT‐virtual clothes motivations.

The effect of digital fashion visual symbol perception on consumer repurchase intention: a moderated chain mediation model

PurposeThe study aims to explore how fashion visual symbols influence consumers' inclination for repurchasing. It attempts to investigate the intricate interplay among three essential variables (social presence, collective excitement and cultural identification) from the perspective of Interaction Ritual Chains theory. Meanwhile, an attempt is made to reveal the underlying patterns in these relationships, fully harnessing the positive impact of fashion brand visual symbols in brand marketing.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a quantitative research methodology, administering an online survey in China, from which 381 valid responses were collected by simple random sampling. The acquired data were subjected to structural equation model and hypotheses testing.FindingsThe analysis reveals that heightened visual symbol perception significantly strengthens consumers' social presence, consequently elevating the probability of collective excitement. This establishes a mediated chain model, reinforcing repurchase intention. Additionally, the moderation effect analysis indicates that cultural identification negatively moderates both direct paths in the mediated chain model, with particularly pronounced effects for low cultural identification.Originality/valueThis study establishes a closed-loop system in fashion brand product marketing, continuously enhancing the intimacy and interactive willingness between consumers, as well as between consumers and the brand. The objective is to increase brand repurchase rates. Additionally, the research provides valuable recommendations and strategies for fashion brands to adapt to Chinese consumer demands, strengthen emotional attachment between consumers and the brand, and achieve sustainable development in the realm of fashion consumption.

Measuring consumers’ dominant value perceptions to determine their purchase intention of luxury fashion consumption

Measuring consumers’ dominant value perceptions to determine their purchase intention of luxury fashion consumption

Understanding the relationship between the material self, belief in brand essence and luxury fashion rental

PurposeWith the growing market for luxury fashion rental, we aim to examine how renting luxury fashion is related to consumers' construction of the material self, based on material self-framework. We propose that consumers adopt luxury fashion rentals to construct and manage the personal and social aspects of the material self and that their belief in brand essence facilitates the mechanism.Design/methodology/approachA total of 296 responses of US female participants collected from Cloudresearch were analyzed to test the relationships between constructs in the proposed model.FindingsThe results, using structural equation modeling analysis, supported the expected relationships. Specifically, whereas the social material self directly increased adoption intention, the personal material self indirectly increased such intention via the belief that rented luxury items preserve brand essence.Originality/valueOur findings advance the literature by showing how the self is constructed and managed in collaborative luxury fashion consumption, from self-identity perspective. The current research reveals the important roles of two aspects of material self that respectively contribute to consumers' adoption of luxury fashion rentals.Research limitations/implicationsThis study empirically tests the material self theory in the context of luxury fashion rental and demonstrates the processes of how consumers regard a luxury fashion rental as a tool to construct their identity. This study not only validates the two-structure model of material self (social and personal), but also incorporate the role of brand essence in revealing how the two facets of material self differently facilitate luxury fashion rental adoption.

Overcoming barriers for sustainable fashion: bridging attitude-behaviour gap in retail

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the attitude-behaviour gap consumers experience when transitioning from buying fast fashion to embracing sustainable fashion consumption. Despite being driven to make sustainable fashion purchases, consumers are confronted with certain retail barriers that impede them from making the shift.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws from the theory of planned behaviour and the behavioural-reasoning theory approaches to theoretically develop and assess five key fashion consumption barriers that moderate the relationship between sustainable fashion consumption motivations and actual behaviour. These are the steep price of sustainable fashion, low visibility, restricted availability, limited cognisance of the deleterious consequences of fast fashion and low trust in sustainability claims. Under heightened levels of moderators, the relationship between motivation and behaviour was predicted to be weaker. The author's data sample of 376 consumers validated the hypotheses.FindingsThis article contributes to the field of sustainable fashion retail consumption in three ways: (1) it reveals that the expensive cost of sustainable fashion is not an obstacle to its adoption, and consumers are willing to pay more but struggle to access the styles they prefer; (2) it unveils that, in contrast to recent scholarship, the lack of knowledge of the adverse environmental effects of fast fashion is still a barrier to transitioning to sustainability and (3) it implies that consumers are less motivated to lower their consumption of clothing when they feel dubious about fashion companies' sustainability claims.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge on green consumption by shedding light on the complex dynamics between moderating factors and the transition from intention to behaviour in sustainable fashion consumption.

Fashion Reincarnation of Design and Clothing Industry Under the Concept of Retro-Futurism

In the context of globalization and technological progress, the fashion industry is developing rapidly and cross-cultural exchanges are becoming more frequent. This paper explores the existence of the phenomenon of fashion reincarnation and the reasons behind it. Fashion reincarnation refers to a cyclical trend in which clothes and accessories that are popular at one time will be popular again at another time. This paper provides insight into the phenomenon of fashion reincarnation, including various reasons such as historical background, social and cultural factors, and economic factors. The paper also discusses the influence of fashion reincarnation on the fashion business and the function of mass media in the fashion reincarnation. By comparing fashion trends in different periods, the paper analyzes how mass media influences the perceptions and demands of fashion consumers, thus promoting the development of fashion reincarnation. Finally, the paper discusses the significance of fashion reincarnation, as well as the trends and possibilities of future fashion reincarnation. Exploring the phenomenon of fashion reincarnation helps us to better understand the development rules of the fashion industry, provides designers and brands with inspiration for innovation, and at the same time guides consumers to consume and appreciate the aesthetic values of different periods more rationally in the pursuit of fashion.

The fashion consumer purchase patterns and influencing factors through big data - Based on sequential pattern analysis -

The fashion consumer purchase patterns and influencing factors through big data - Based on sequential pattern analysis -

Segmenting and Targeting Fashion Consumers Using Social Media: A Study of Consumer Behaviour

The review of this research study segments online consumers into different consumer categories based on how they perceive and relate to the fashion business through social media. Therefore, the diversified nuances of consumer behaviour have been studied in this paper. The study focuses on two crucial stages that have a significant influence on social media usage in the world of fashion. This study categorises consumers into groups based on their perceptions and relationships they have with the fashion brands, using K-means cluster analysis. It is a ground-breaking study in the fashion world because it adopts the fashion consumer–brand relationship index and fashion consumer brand perception index with the aid of social media, laying a solid foundation for similar studies to be conducted in other fashion industry verticals. Policymakers might use the study’s results to build strategies to enhance consumer behaviour of marketers in the world of fashion.

Check Out or Call Out: Attitude-Driven Boycott Intention in The Fashion Industry

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to the study of the factors of consumers’ attitudes toward boycott intention. This examines how behavioral beliefs and attitudes are statistically related to boycott intention through the modified conceptual framework of Ajzen’s Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior.
 Design/methodology/approach – Human behavior concerning boycott intentions is studied using a sequential explanatory research design. Data are obtained from 90 valid respondents through questionnaires and 8 interviewees from focus group discussions. It was analyzed using regression analysis and Baheiraei's points of integration.
 Findings – Animosity, legitimacy, and boycott attitude significantly affect boycott intention. Boycott attitude served as a mediator between legitimacy and boycott intention. Weak evidence shows that ethical relativism and animosity significantly affect boycott attitudes.
 Research Limitations/Implications – The study is limited to millennials and Generation Z Filipino fashion consumers who have substantial purchasing power and awareness of social events.
 Practical/Social Implications – This paper shall help companies and researchers better understand the motives behind boycott intentions for ethical decision-making processes and further engage in social and moral involvements within the community.
 Originality/value – The study proposes the addition of relevant variables to studies on boycott intention in the fashion industry. This may help increase the understanding of consumer attitudes leading to boycotts and aid a company in countering boycotts.

Fashion consumption behaviors of sustainability consumers: Fast fashion or slow fashion?

Sustainability is a critical issue shaping our future, and consumer behavior is a major force in this area. Conscious choices of consumers have a critical impact on businesses achieving their sustainability goals. In order to protect the quality of life of future generations and protect our planet, it is of great importance that the interaction between consumers and businesses is shaped on the basis of sustainability. Sustainability is influential in different sectors and fields such as health, transportation, fashion and clothing, tourism and travel. Especially the clothing and fashion industry has a great potential in terms of sustainability. The fashion industry is a huge industry serving people around the world to foster creativity, trends and personal expression. Since the fashion sector has a great role in the destruction of nature, researchers and marketers have drawn attention to the importance of slow fashion and sustainability in order to raise awareness of the producer and the consumer. Therefore, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important issue in the fashion industry. Within the scope of this study, the effect of consumers' knowledge of sustainability on their attitudes and perceptions towards advertising messages and their fast/slow fashion preferences are examined. (Extended English summary is at the end of this document) Özet Sürdürülebilirlik, geleceğimizi şekillendiren kritik bir konudur ve tüketici davranışları bu alanda büyük bir güç oluşturur. Tüketicilerin bilinçli tercihleri, işletmelerin sürdürülebilirlik hedeflerine ulaşmasında kritik bir etkiye sahiptir. Gelecek nesillerin yaşam kalitesini ve gezegenimizi korumak için, tüketiciler ve işletmeler arasındaki etkileşimin sürdürülebilirlik temelinde şekillenmesi büyük önem taşımaktadır. Sürdürülebilirlik sağlık, ulaşım, moda ve giyim, turizm ve seyahat gibi farklı sektörlerde ve alanlarda etkilidir. Özellikle giyim ve moda sektörü, sürdürülebilirlik açısından büyük bir potansiyele sahiptir. Moda endüstrisi, yaratıcılığı, trendleri ve kişisel ifadeyi teşvik etmek için dünyanın dört bir yanındaki insanlara hizmet veren devasa bir sektördür. Doğanın tahrip edilmesinde moda sektörünün rolü büyük olduğundan dolayı üreticinin ve tüketicinin bilinçlenmesi için araştırmacılar ve pazarlamacılar yavaş moda ve sürdürülebilirliğin önemine dikkat çekmişlerdir. Bu nedenle, sürdürülebilirlik moda sektöründe giderek daha önemli bir konu haline gelmektedir. Bu çalışma kapsamında tüketicilerin sürdürülebilirlik konusunda bilinç düzeylerinin reklam mesajlarına yönelik tutum ve algıları ile hızlı/yavaş moda tercihleri üzerindeki etkisi incelenmektedir.

Exploring the Consumer Acceptance of Nano Clothing Using a PLS-SEM Analysis

We use an extended framework of the technology acceptance model (TAM) to identify the most significant drivers behind the intention to buy clothes produced with nano fabrics (nano clothing). Based on survey data, we estimate an integrated model that explains this intention as being driven by attitudes, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. The influences of social innovativeness, relative advantage, compatibility, and ecologic concern on perceived usefulness are tested using perceived ease of use as a mediator. We employ a partial least squares path model in WarpPLS 7.0., a predictive technique that informs policies. The results show positive effects for all the studied relationships, with effect sizes underscoring perceived usefulness, attitude, and compatibility as the most suitable targets for practical interventions. Our study expands the TAM framework into the field of nano fashion consumption, shedding light on the potential drivers of the adoption process. Explorations of the topic hold the potential to make a substantial contribution to the promotion of sustainable fashion practices.

The effect of message framing on young adult consumers’ sustainable fashion consumption: The role of anticipated emotions and perceived ethicality

The debate about which communication strategies are most effective for inducing consumers to behave sustainably remains open, despite growing attention on more sustainable forms of fashion consumption. To further this understanding, we investigate the effectiveness of positive and negative message framing in promoting sustainable fashion consumption, where the beneficial versus detrimental environmental consequences of choosing second-hand clothing were highlighted. Across two experiments, positively framed messages were more effective than negatively framed ones in prompting consumers to engage in sustainable fashion consumption. Elevation was the anticipated emotion responsible for this effect, while consumers’ subjective beliefs about the ethicality of advertising messages promoting sustainable consumption served as a moderator. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of this research together with its limitations and directions for future research.

Assessing consumers’ propensity towards product-service systems in the fashion industry: A cross-national comparison between Russia and Italy

To assess the propensity of Russian and Italian fashion consumers to use Product-Service Systems (PSSs), the study identifies the drivers and barriers for their adoption to improve decision-making and targeting of consumers when launching PSSs in markets with different socio-cultural and economic characteristics. After providing a comprehensive list of the services that are currently implemented in the fashion industry, the study also compares the level of interest in PSSs for Russian and Italian consumers, as well as their willingness to recommend, actual usage of, and attitude towards PSSs. The methodology relies on an exploratory empirical study between Russian and Italian consumers, using a survey leading to a final sample of 328 participants. From the findings, it emerges that the national context plays a pivotal role in determining the propensity of fashion consumers to adopt PSSs. We find that Italian consumers are more inclined to adopt PSSs vis-a-vis their counterparts. Further, by identifying the key drivers and barriers, we also highlight potential opportunities and threats for the adoption of PSSs in the future. Given that the widespread adoption at an international level of PSSs is strictly related to their potential in terms of scalability, the findings have highly significant implications for both theory and practice.

Fashion Library: Bridging Environmental Sustainability and Innovative Marketing for a Sustainable Future

The UN Environment Programme states that thefashion business is the additional largest user of water while emitting 8 to 10% of global carbon. Fashion Libraries, a novel idea in India as a form of pooling or renting are considered as possible paths to sustainable clothing. Research in foreign counties has associated the acceptance of fashion libraries with psychological, social, and financial risks among others. The rationale of this study is to find out the acceptance and perception of fashion libraries; identify the early adopters of fashion libraries, the risk associated, and the decision-making factors for becoming members of collaborative fashion consumption. Further, the exploratory study aims to obtain a psychographic valuation of Collaborative Fashion library users/potential users and comprehend their cause and factors for joining it.Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 410 respondents across various cities of Gujarat, India with respondents in the 18 to 60 age group. Statistical tools like Exploratory factor analysis, ANOVA testing, and correlation were used to corroborate the results.The effect of the exploratory study identified three early adopter segments –Early adopters of fashion, Fashion Influencers with environmental concerns, and Possible Green early adopters. The acceptance of these libraries was based on certain factors like sustainability, hygiene and cleanliness, store layout, easy accessibility to store location, product width and depth availability in all sizes, styles, designs, and good maintenance of the garments.

Green Fashion Consumption – a Review of the Literature

The environmentally conscious consumption of fashion products promotes the preservation of natural ecosystems for current and future generations. It may include the purchasing and use of textile products made from organic and sustainable materials, the repair, reuse and recycling of textile products, and the concept of slow fashion. The environmental aspects of fashion products have drawn the attention of both researchers and practitioners in recent years. As a result, many scientific papers have accumulated regarding this vital aspect of consumer behaviour. This paper aims to provide an overview of the literature regarding consumer behaviour toward green fashion products, as well as to uncover and categorise significant driving factors, and in addition, identify the most critical barriers. After identifying the relevant literature, the study examines 104 articles published between 2011 to 2021 in high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarly journals. Our results demonstrate that while most of the reviewed articles employ a quantitative survey questionnaire method to identify the drivers of green textile consumption, qualitative approaches are also used. Most authors utilise the theory of planned behaviour as a foundation of their research. This paper summarises the research problems covered by the selected articles, the theoretical frameworks, the methods used, and their essential findings. We also outline existing research gaps and suggest potential directions for future research. Since there are only a few review articles on green fashion consumption, our article provides an important new addition to the literature for the reference of future scholars.

Jack of all trades, master of everything? Competing routes of consumer responses toward multiple product categories endorsements by fashion influencers

ABSTRACT The match-up hypothesis has long been used to explain the nature of influencers’ endorsements, as influencers can only effectively endorse products that match their characteristics. However, the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) suggests that influencers’ perceived characteristics (i.e. competence) can be overgeneralized to other domains. Hence, this study aims to examine which theory is more applicable to explain the nature of influencers’ product endorsements in the context of fashion. A survey of 302 fashion consumers in Indonesia was conducted. The results contribute to the theory by confirming the relevance of SCM in explaining the nature of influencer’s endorsement by spotlighting the importance of not only competence stereotype but also warmth stereotype as represented by trust. However, the results could not rule out the match-up hypothesis that the product-influencer fit is still relevant especially when trust is not present. Future studies might benefit from exploring conditions where the SCM or the match-up hypothesis works better to explain an influencer’s endorsement.

Fashioning the Circular Economy with Disruptive Marketing Tactics Mimicking Fast Fashion’s Exploitation of Social Capital: A Case Study Exploring the Innovative Fashion Rental Business Model “Wardrobe”

With the threat of the climate emergency intensifying and limited time left to reduce irreversible consequences, the need to consider how natural resources are excavated and managed from cradle to grave intensifies. This positions the circular economy (CE) as being highly relevant, particularly for the fashion industry, which is criticised for encouraging continued frequent and impulsive consumption of inexpensive garments with limited longevity. Advancing the circular fashion economy (CFE) has received little attention. Limited research to date has found that consumers have not been socialised to consider fashion acquisition as a collaborative or sharing activity, revealing an established attitude–behaviour gap that prohibits the advancement of the sustainable-fashion agenda. Primarily, fashion is imbued with social and emotional capital, as experienced with the dominant social paradigm (DSP) of fast fashion. This paper argues that similar tactics can be adopted for sustainable fashion practices through the CFE by exemplifying a case study of a fashion-renting platform, “Wardrobe,” that enables consumers to rent fashion owned by influencers and celebrities. In doing so, the paper makes four contributions to the knowledge: Firstly, in developing a conceptual framework from research examining fashion, sustainable fashion, and the CFE, the paper illuminates how fashion marketing emphasises social and celebrity capital to appeal to consumer emotions, encouraging frequent impulsive consumption, and how this can be transferred to the CFE. Secondly, the DSP is contextualised alongside the theory of disruptive innovation to understand how social norms of fashion consumption can be disrupted. Thirdly, although there is an emerging literature stream examining the CE and CFE, this focuses more on consumer practice and behaviours, and little attention has been paid to how the CFE can be marketed to engage with consumers. Fourthly, this paper illuminates how similar marketing tactics used by fast fashion can be exploited to advance the CFE.

Intentions to Consume Sustainable Fashion Products in Indonesia: Does Religiosity Affect ?

Religiosity is expected to be a positive driving factor of consumption demand for environmentally friendly fashion products. However, few studies have been found that focus on consumer behavior in purchasing sustainable fashion, and none use religiosity as an explanatory variable. This study, therefore, is the first to analyze the effect of religiosity on the intention to consume sustainable fashion products. This study used a quantitative approach with the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis method and involved 522 respondents in Indonesia. By adopting the theory of planned behavior model, the study results show that religiosity significantly positively affects purchase intentions of sustainable fashion products through the variables' attitude towards behavior and perceived behavioral control. At the same time, the green thinking variable also has a positive impact, but altruism is irrelevant to sustainable fashion consumption. These results indicate that if the consumer is religious, this can lead to a better environmentally friendly attitude and result in a tendency to consume sustainable fashion products.JEL Classification: D12, D90, Z12

Association between self-reported alcohol consumption and diastolic dysfunction: a cross-sectional study

Background and objectivesWhile alcohol consumption is associated with common risk factors for diastolic dysfunction the independent impact of low levels of alcohol consumption on this condition in a community setting...

Reclaiming tradition, fashioning citizenship: Ankara in contemporary Brazilian Afrocentric fashion

This article explores the ways in which fashion consumption shaped the understandings of citizenship and belonging in colonial and postcolonial Nigeria and Brazil. It focuses on ankara, a printed textile that was brought to West Africa by European merchants and Christian missionaries. The article examines how African materials, such as ankara, challenged modern beauty standards and have been used to control people during colonization. In Nigeria, ankara became a symbol of the new Christian citizen, while in contemporary Brazil, it was used to challenge western fashion and celebrate African heritage. The article uses visual art, literature and interviews with fashion designers in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Salvador to show how ankara has become a part of Afrocentric Brazilian fashion. Overall, the study of ankara shows how fashion has been used as a tool of oppression and how its oppressive history is in the process of changing, thanks to modern Afro-Brazilian fashion designers.