Clothing and Self Concept in Cisgender and Transgender Individuals

Clothing serves as an expression of the self and means for self-evaluation and self-enhancement. Gender, which is central to one’s self-concept is performed through adherence to prescribed gender roles and dress. Using discrepancy theory and self-image congruity, the authors examined the relationship between gender identity and proximity of clothing to self, under the moderating effect of internalization. An online survey of 406 participants (150 cisgender women, 55 cisgender men, 101 trans men, and 100 trans women). MANOVA findings confirmed gender as a central component of self-concept which affects one’s relationship with their clothing specifically when they are used to create a common understanding of the body. Results indicated clothing to be more important for cisgender women (Clothing in relation to self as structure, self-esteem-evaluative process dominant, and self-esteem- affective process dominant) as an expression of their self-perception than transgender individuals. Further, cisgender women engaged more in self-evaluation with social standards, with no significant moderating effect of internalization observed. The current study contributes to the growing body of literature on gender and dress behaviors, specifically how transgender identities impact one’s relationship with their clothing

Survey of Historic and Contemporary Styles

This poster discusses a project on historic and contemporary styles offering students to design a complete exhibition from the procurement of garments to its final promotion in an international environment

Tinder use, gender, and the psychosocial functioning of young adults

Tinder is a mobile dating app where users evaluate possible matches based primarily on posted photos; limited content is provided as to who each user is. Thus, appearance becomes paramount in users’ decisions about who to swipe left (i.e., reject) or swipe right (i.e., approve). As such, and consistent with objectification theory, men and women who use this mobile app are treated as objects that are viewed, rated, used, and, in many instances, disposed of. Therefore, in a sample 18-34-year-old men (n=187) and women (n=547), we examined Tinder use and gender in relation to internalization, physical appearance comparison, body satisfaction, self-esteem, perceived sociocultural pressures, depression, negative mood, body surveillance, body shame, body appreciation, and dietary intent. A series of MANCOVAs were used to examine the relation of gender and Tinder use to the outcomes. Regardless of gender, Tinder use (vs. nonuse) was associated with more distress across a range of measures, including sociocultural pressures, internalization of appearance ideals, body image concerns, and negative affect. Tinder use, however, was not related to psychological well-being or eating pathology. These findings extend previous studies and affirm the potentially deleterious environment that exists for Tinder users

\u27I just want a shirt that will fit me!\u27: An inductive approach to understanding transgender consumers\u27 shopping experiences

Transgender consumers are often unable to express their identity or construct their appearance in the way they desire. Social realities inhibit realness, and it can be difficult or even impossible for them to externally realize their full identity (Gray 2009). The purpose of this research is to understand how transgender consumers’ gender identity influences their shopping experiences. Utilizing a lens of gender performativity theory, the research questions guiding the study include the following: (1) In what ways do transgender and gender non-conforming individuals experience the current retail apparel landscape? (2) How do transgender individuals navigate experience shopping for clothing and grooming products? (3) How does the shopping experience exacerbate or alleviate gender dysphoria? Ethnographic and survey methods were used to gain understanding into the shopping behaviours of these consumers. Additionally, the researchers identified × themes through thematic analysis and several rounds of coding (1) gendered and clothing, (2) positive experiences, (3) the body, fit and sizing and (4) accessibility to clothing and fashion

Improving Society and the Planet: Sustainability and Fashion Post-Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of our ecosystem and demonstrated a crucial need to address sustainability across the fashion supply chain, including the end-use consumer. As consumers become more conscious and demand sustainable fashion, the question of whether the pandemic has shaped such behaviors for long-term transitions remains unanswered. This qualitative study aimed to understand whether the COVID-19 pandemic has created a societal shift in individual attitudes toward sustainable fashion, whether it can help to motivate long-term sustainable consumption practices, and whether positive psychology plays a role in this context. With online survey data collected from 154 US consumers, summative content analysis and thematic analysis results revealed that as consumers continued to be puzzled by what constitutes sustainability, their pro-sustainability attitudes and behaviors did not evolve as claimed by prior literature. However, not only positive emotions associated with care and concern motivated consumers’ pro-sustainability, but indeed post-purchase positive feelings of contentment and altruism were revealed, affirming the need for marketing messages to incorporate positive psychology perspectives to motivate long-term sustainable fashion consumption practices

Appearance and performance enhancing drug usage and psychological well-being in gay and heterosexual men

The current study examined the relationship between appearance and performance enhancing drug use and the men’s sexual orientation to body image and psychological well-being in a sample of 537 heterosexual men and 146 gay men. Using objectification theory as a framework, we proposed that gay men who used appearance and performance enhancing drugs (APEDs) would report the most distress across our measures of body image, internalization, and psychological well-being. Although our results did not support our hypothesized interaction between APED use and sexual orientation, we did find significant main effects as expected. Solely considering APED use, men who used both leanness and muscle-building products reported higher levels of body shame than did those who did not use either product. Furthermore, our findings are consistent with other research that has found direct relationships between the internalization of an athletic ideal and a predilection to use legal and illicit muscle enhancing supplements. Contrary to expectations, APED use was not significantly related to the men’s psychological well-being. As expected, gay men reported higher levels of internalization and more body image concerns, compared to the heterosexual men, which may contribute to lower satisfaction with life and higher neuroticism

Impression Formation of Male and Female Millennial Students Wearing Eye Glasses or Hearing Aids

The purpose of this study was to examine impressions of persons wearing hearing aids (HA) and glasses. A survey consisting of impression formation measures was administered to 569 participants. Factor analysis and a series of T-tests were used to examine the effect of wearing glasses and hearing aids on first impressions. T-tests indicated significant differences between the control and glasses style for both the male and female model. Male and female control models (without glasses) were rated more positively. Another series of t-tests between hearing aid styles and the control indicated significant differences for the heavier, more visible hearing aid with the control model being rated higher on every factor except “reliable”. There were almost no significant differences between the control and the light, less visible hearing aid for either the male or the female. Correlations among traits differ as a function of both stimulus person and relevance of trait. Data indicates that different types of hearing aids stimulate varying impressions. The findings have implications for advising potential HA users who are disinclined to wear a device for cosmetic reasons. Findings support other literature on impression formation and the hearing aid effect. However, the findings are encouraging, as hearing aid use has historically been associated with an impression of lower cognitive function, yet participants did not indicate a significant perceptual difference between the hearing aid user and the control, possibly indicating stronger social acceptance