How does body appreciation affect maladaptive consumption through fashion clothing involvement? A multi-group analysis of gender

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of fashion clothing involvement in the relationship between body appreciation and maladaptive consumption, namely fashion-oriented impulse and compulsive buying. The second purpose of this study is to investigate if this mediation varies based on gender.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach was adopted in this study, and data were collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk from 255 consumers located in the U.S. aged 18 and above. The collected data were analyzed using the least partial square and multi-group analysis of the structural equation model.

Findings

The results revealed that the relationship between body appreciation and maladaptive consumption is established through fashion clothing involvement. Results also showed that the mediating role of fashion clothing involvement in this relationship does not significantly differ across gender.

Originality/value

This study reports the fully mediating role of fashion clothing involvement in the relationship between body appreciation and maladaptive consumption, highlighting the importance of studying positive body image in the context of fashion and consumption. While previous research findings indicate the negative consequences of negative body image, this research reveals that positive body image can also lead to negative outcomes through possible mediators. Furthermore, this study finds fashion clothing involvement does not differ in mediating the relationship between body appreciation and maladaptive consumption behavior based on gender.