[Paper Review] Assessing the different aspects of consuming fashion and the role of self-confidence on the buying behaviour of fashion consumers in the clothing market as a mediator

Milad Zam, Mohammadhosein Tavakoli+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jul 28, 2022

Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification6 citations

TL;DR

This study investigates how interest in fashion, personal taste, utilitarianism, and new product adoption influence self-confidence, which in turn mediates fashion buying behavior among Iranian consumers. Using structural equation modeling on a sample of 400 Tehran-based consumers, it confirms that all fashion consumption aspects significantly boost self-confidence, which strongly and positively predicts fashion purchase behavior.

ABSTRACT

As a mediator variable, self-confidence is one of the most effective elements of the decision-making process of consumer behaviour. This research has studied the effects of different aspects of consuming fashion on the self-confidence and behaviour of consumers in Tehran's clothing market. This study has considered the acceptance of new products, interest in mode and fashion, utilitarianism, and personal taste in its analysis. This research aims to understand the fashion buying behaviour amongst Iranian consumers in consideration of their attitude towards self-confidence and aspects of fashion consumption. The statistic sample is 400 consumers from Tehran's clothing market who have been chosen based on the random availability procedure. The primary tool in this research was a questionary used to testify the assumptions and a model fit created by using structural equations and factor analysis. This research showed that the interest in mode and fashion, personal taste, utilitarianism, and new products positively impact self-confidence. In addition, the positive impact of self-confidence on fashion buying behaviour was confirmed.

Motivation & Objective

• To examine the impact of various fashion consumption aspects—interest in trends, personal taste, utilitarianism, and new product acceptance—on self-confidence among Iranian consumers.
• To investigate how self-confidence mediates the relationship between fashion consumption and buying behavior in Tehran’s clothing market.
• To provide actionable insights for Iranian fashion marketers by identifying demographic and geographic segments with higher fashion consumption propensity.
• To address the gap in consumer behavior research within Iran’s fashion industry, particularly regarding psychological mediators like self-confidence.

Proposed method

• Employed a quantitative survey design with a random availability sampling method to collect data from 400 Iranian consumers in Tehran.
• Developed a structured questionnaire to measure fashion consumption aspects, self-confidence, and buying behavior using validated scales.
• Applied exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to validate the construct reliability and validity of the measurement model.
• Utilized Partial Least Squares (PLS) structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationships and mediation effects.
• Conducted path analysis with t-values and p-values (set at 95% confidence level) to assess the significance of each path in the model.
• Used critical values (t = 1.96 for 95% confidence) to determine statistical significance of regression coefficients.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How do interest in fashion, personal taste, utilitarianism, and new product acceptance influence self-confidence among Iranian fashion consumers?
• RQ2 To what extent does self-confidence mediate the relationship between fashion consumption aspects and buying behavior in Tehran’s clothing market?
• RQ3 Which demographic or geographic segments in Tehran show higher levels of fashion consumption and self-confidence?
• RQ4 What is the statistical significance of the path from self-confidence to fashion buying behavior in the proposed model?

Key findings

• Interest in fashion significantly increases self-confidence, with a t-value of 5.016, confirming a strong and statistically significant effect (p < 0.05).
• Personal taste and new product acceptance also significantly enhance self-confidence, with t-values of 3.249 and 3.183, respectively, both exceeding the critical threshold of 1.96.
• Utilitarianism had a highly significant positive effect on self-confidence, with a t-value of 13.292, indicating a robust relationship.
• Self-confidence significantly and positively influences fashion buying behavior, with a t-value of 8.541, well above the 1.96 threshold, confirming strong statistical support.
• The model fit was validated using PLS-SEM, with all path coefficients meeting the 95% confidence level, supporting the overall structural model.
• Women and younger individuals (especially single people) reported higher fashion engagement and self-confidence, suggesting targeted marketing opportunities in these groups.