Vanity and public self-consciousness: A comparison of fashion consumer groups and gender

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare vanity and public self-consciousness between fashion consumer groups (fashion change agents, fashion followers) and genders. Vanity has four dimensions: concern for physical appearance, a positive (perhaps inflated) view of physical appearance, concern for achievement and a positive (perhaps inflated) view of achievement. Participants (284 women; 116 men; mean age=21.16) completed scales measuring consumer vanity, public self-consciousness and fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership. Women scored higher on vanity physical concern, vanity achievement concern, vanity achievement view and public self-consciousness than men. Fashion change agents scored higher on vanity physical concern, vanity physical view and public self-consciousness than fashion followers. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.