Fashion psychology: The predictors of everyday clothing preference among UK and USA participants

Fashion is one of the most common and accessible (aesthetic) activities in everyday life, yet still missing in the literature is a systematic study on clothing preference. Two studies explored whether a preference structure of clothing style can be established and whether this clothing preference structure can be further understood through individual differences. The first study – published in Empirical Studies of the Arts (Hur, Etcoff, & Silva, 2023) – was based on an online survey consisting of 500 participants living in the UK. Factor analyses revealed a four-factor preference structure, the Everyday Clothing Preference Factors (ECPF). The preference structure consisted of Feminine, Essential, Comfortable, and Trendy styles. The findings further revealed that the preference for each of these clothing styles was correlated with certain individual difference variables (e.g. personality & demographics). The second study aimed to replicate and expand the ECPF, employing gender-balanced samples from the UK (N = 402) and the USA (N = 400). The work further explored the predictors of the ECPF through path analyses, incorporating a wide range of individual differences (e.g. fashion expertise, fashion attitude, etc.). Analyses revealed that while the ECPF was replicated among UK participants in its original four-factor structure, the ECPF could be expanded into five (Feminine/Pretty, Sporty/Trendy, Formal/Elegant, Classic, and Sporty) or six factors (adding Hip/Unique), depending on the sample. Overall, notable overlaps were found between the UK and USA ECPF structures. The path analyses identified extraversion, gender, and age as important predictors of fashion behaviors in both samples. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding how people choose and like certain styles of clothes. The studies' insights could inform retail marketing strategies and sustainable fashion, enhancing the understanding of fashion consumption mechanisms.