Understanding the psychology of fashion: Demographic, personality, and fashion factors underlying everyday clothing choices in the UK and USA

Fashion is one of the most common (aesthetic) activities, yet aside from a select number of works, systematic studies of clothing preference remain relatively rare. This study aims to extend this line of research by offering a more generalizable understanding of the predictors and descriptions of everyday clothing preferences. Samples were drawn from two English-speaking cultures (i.e., the UK and the USA; Ns = 402 and 400 respectively) and a range of demographic, personality, and fashion-related variables (e.g., general fashion interest, formal training/education in fashion, & perceived function of clothing) were examined. The results revealed a six-factor structure of clothing preference, which was invariant across UK and USA samples (i.e., the Updated Everyday Clothing Preference Factors; ECPF-2). Path analysis indicated that general fashion interest and demographic variables (e.g., gender) are key predictors of one’s clothing choices. Moreover, while a general positive relationship between liking and owning clothing was found across the entire sample, further analysis revealed individual differences. Additionally, the work includes analyses of culture-invariant factor structures for perceived clothing functions and clothing descriptors. The present study opens up exciting avenues for exploring the dynamic relationship between clothing preference and its underlying motivations.