The prioritisation of vision and touch during clothing purchase decisions: preliminary evidence for a hierarchical sensory process of clothing evaluation

Despite studies highlighting sensory experiences in general shopping environments, there is a paucity of research examining the relative importance of the four senses – vision, touch, smell, and sound – concerning clothing itself during clothing purchase decisions. The present study investigated this topic using a mixed-methods approach; Study 1 adopted semi-structured interviews (five fashion industry professionals) and Study 2 generalised Study 1’s findings through an online survey (155 female participants). In both studies, vision emerged as the most prioritised sensory modality, followed by touch. Smell and sound, while deemed equally important, were the least influential of the four senses. Study 2 also examined whether individual differences (i.e. age & fashion expertise) influenced this prioritisation. The results indicated that fashion expertise was positively associated with the prioritisation of the visual element of stylistic uniqueness. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the possibility of hierarchical sensory processes involved in clothing purchase behaviours.