Journal of Global Fashion Marketing
Bridging Fashion and Marketing
ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rgfm20
Actual versus ideal self: An examination of the
impact of fashion self congruence on consumer’s
fashion consciousness and status consumption
tendencies
Harsandaldeep Kaur & Sahiba Anand
To cite this article: Harsandaldeep Kaur & Sahiba Anand (2021) Actual versus ideal self: An
examination of the impact of fashion self congruence on consumer’s fashion consciousness
and status consumption tendencies, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 12:2, 146-160, DOI:
10.1080/20932685.2020.1856705
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2020.1856705
Published online: 15 Feb 2021.
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JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING
2021, VOL. 12, NO. 2, 146–160
https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2020.1856705
Actual versus ideal self: An examination of the impact of
fashion self congruence on consumer’s fashion consciousness
and status consumption tendencies
Harsandaldeep Kaur
and Sahiba Anand
University School of Financial Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India
ABSTRACT
ARTICLE HISTORY
With growing awareness about the self, consumers are increasingly
becoming conscious of the role of fashion clothing in enhancing and
communicating their self-image. They seek to portray their self-image
through an outward display of fashion style that is congruent to their
concept of self. Consumer’s congruity however can be formed with
both actual and ideal self. Recognizing this fact, the present study
investigates the comparative impact of actual and ideal-fashion selfcongruity on fashion consciousness and status consumption tenden­
cies of millennials in India. The study also probes into the mediating
role of fashion consciousness between the relationship of actual/ideal
fashion self-congruity and status consumption. Using a sample of 751
millennials, the study confirms that ideal fashion self-congruity is
a stronger predictor of fashion consciousness and status consumption
in comparison to actual fashion self-congruity. In fact, actual fashion
self-congruity did not have any significant impact on the two depen­
dent variables. Additionally, the results of the study also point towards
the mediating role of fashion consciousness between the relation of
ideal fashion self-congruity and status consumption. The study points
towards some notable implications for marketers of branded fashion
wear by signifying the importance of the ideal-self in consumer deci­
sion-making process.
Received 25 August 2020
Revised 18 November 2020
Accepted 24 November 2020
KEYWORDS
Fashion self-congruity; actual
self; ideal self; status
consumption; fashion
consciousness
1. Introduction
The fashion industry has witnessed substantial growth in the recent years owing to the
changing attitude of consumers who have become extremely fashion conscious and seek
to keep themselves updated with the latest fashion trends (Alexandera, 2014). The
fashion-conscious consumers define themselves by what they have and possess (Latter
et al., 2010). Khare (2013) pointed out that consumers exhibit a tendency to use fashion
clothing as a tool for expressing a state of well-being and status in the society. Among
consumers of different age groups, it has been found that the millennial generation, in
particular, is extremely fashion and status oriented (D. Kim & Jang, 2014; Valaei &
Nikhashemi, 2017).
The millennial generation is a lucrative consumer segment for purchase of fashionrelated products. For instance, college students in USA spend around 6 USD billion
CORRESPONDENCE TO Sahiba Anand
© 2021 Korean Scholars of Marketing Science
sahiba.4a@gmail.com
JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING
147
annually on clothing and footwear alone (Joung & Park-Poaps, 2013). The 20% growth in
personal luxury consumption in China in 2017 was mainly driven by millennials (Bain &
Company, 2017). This phenomenon is not only an international trend, but also a local
movement in India. According to a report by Deloitte Touche Tohmatstu India LLP
(2018), millennials represent 34% (around 440 million) of the Indian population and
account for nearly half (47%) of the country’s working population and spend staggering
21.4% of their income on apparels and accessories.
A key factor affecting the millennial generation’s attitude and purchasing behavior
towards fashion and status is their self-image. Suh et al. (2018) pointed out that
consumers tend to prefer products which reflect their self-image. The self-congruence
theory is particularly evident in consumption of fashion products, where self-expression
plays a major role (Liljander et al., 2009). Self-image can be formed with reference to
different aspects about one’s self (Koo et al., 2014). Research identifies two types of selfcongruence: actual self-image that corresponds to how consumers truly see themselves,
and ideal self-image as to how consumers would like to see themselves or what they
would like to become (Klabi, 2020; Sirgy, 1982).
While self-image congruity has been a subject of many studies in the past (e.g., Hosany
& Martin, 2012; Kressmann et al., 2006; Willems et al., 2011), the specific construct of
fashion self-congruity remains under researched. So far, only one study by Casidy et al.
(2015) examines the impact of fashion self-congruity on fashion consumption behavior
of millennials. Further, while studies in the past have focused on actual self-congruity
(Malär et al., 2011), there is a dearth of literature on examination of congruity with ideal
self in conjunction with actual self-congruity (Koo et al., 2014). There is also lack of
research examining the factors that influence or moderate the effect of self-image
congruence on consumers’ attitudes towards products or brands (Klabi, 2020). The
present research aims to bridge these gaps by conducting a comparative analysis of the
impact of actual and ideal fashion self-congruity on fashion consciousness and status
consumption levels of millennials in India.
The research seeks to address the following questions: What is the relative impact of
actual fashion self-congruity and ideal fashion self-congruity on fashion consciousness
and status consumption? How does Generation Y’s fashion consciousness influence their
status consumption behavior? In what manner does fashion consciousness mediate the
link between actual/ideal fashion self-congruity and status consumption.
1.1. Context of research
The present research specifically focusses on Indian Millennials, i.e., people born between
the years of 1980 and 2000 (Weingarten, 2009). With their magnanimous size and high
disposable income, this cohort is considered to be the major driver of luxury market
growth in India (Deloitte Touche Tohmatstu India LLP, 2018). Millennials are an imagedriven consumer group who prefer brands with a certain level of uniqueness and
constantly seek what is different or what others do not have (Eren-Erdogmus et al.,
2015). The fashion-conscious members of generation Y with high levels of self-esteem are
more brand conscious when making purchase decisions (Giovannini et al., 2015).
Generation Y has a heightened interest in purchase of fashion products and use apparel
to express themselves in social life (Eren-Erdogmus et al., 2015). Thus, self-concept is
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H. KAUR AND S. ANAND
a driving force behind their fashion consumption choices, thereby making them
a suitable context for the current research.
2. Theoretical background
2.1. Status consumption
Literature offers several definitions for the term status consumption. Eastman et al.
(1999) define status consumption as a consumer’s tendency to purchase or consume
goods and services for the status they confer, irrespective of that consumers’ objective
income or social class. According to O’Cass and McEwen (2004) status consumption is
the individual nature of possessing status goods for both inner reasons (e.g., self-reward)
and/or external reasons (e.g., to show-off ones’ wealth). In a consumer context, status
consumption is the practice of consuming expensive products and services with the aim
of displaying wealth (Bock et al., 2014). The present research defines status consumption
as a tendency to procure luxury goods and services with the intention of exhibiting it to
significant others in an attempt to boost one’s self-esteem.
Status conscious consumers are stimulated by a desire to belong to a certain social
group, to achieve prestige among peers, and to be seen as successful individuals by others
(Millan & Mittal, 2017). Such consumers are highly concerned about the impression they
make on others and therefore use status goods as a tool to communicate meanings about
themselves to their reference group (Husic & Cicic, 2009). Several researchers
(Clingingsmith & Sheremeta, 2017; Lertwannawit & Mandhachitara, 2012) have indi­
cated that consumers use fashion clothing to transmit an idea of self-concept and use it as
an instrument of status display.
2.2. Fashion self congruity
The concept of fashion self-congruity is an extension of the self-congruity theory
proposed by Grubb and Grathowhl back in 1967. The concept of self-image congruity
emphasizes that consumers tend to prefer products which reflect their self-image (Suh
et al., 2018). Grubb and Grathwohl (1967) stressed that consumers associate the symbolic
value of the products they purchase, display and use with their self-concepts. The concept
of self-image congruence has been studied widely in the fashion literature. For example,
O’Cass and McEwen (2004) reported that fashion goods have “symbolic power” and
enhance the self-image of consumers. Kim et al. (2011) reported a positive association
between a consumer’s self-identity and luxury fashion brand consumption. In a recent
study McNeill and Venter (2019) concluded that fashion items allow one to develop,
express, confirm or adapt his/her identity.
All these studies indicate that people like to align their fashion style with their self-identity.
This matching of one’s fashion style with his/her self-concept has been termed as fashion selfcongruity. The term fashion self-congruity was first introduced in literature by Casidy et al.
(2015) It is an application of self-congruity theory in the context of fashion. Self-image
congruency refers to a match between a consumer’s self-concept (actual, ideal, social or
ideal social) and the personality/image of a given product, brand, store, or event
(Kressmann et al., 2006). According to Sirgy (1982) there are four types of congruities, i.e.,
JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING
149
actual self-congruity, ideal self-congruity, social self-congruity and ideal social self-congruity.
On the same lines, there are four corresponding types of fashion self-congruity. However, for
the current study we only consider actual fashion self-congruity (Actual FSC) and ideal
fashion self-congruity (Ideal FSC). These have been defined as follows:
(1) Actual Fashion Self-congruity: The extent to which an individual perceives his/her
fashion style to be a representation of attributes that he/she believes he actually
possesses.
(2) Ideal Fashion Self-congruity: The extent to which an individual perceives his/her
fashion style to be a representation of attributes that he/she aspires to possess.
2.3. Fashion consciousness
The concept of fashion consciousness is based on the notion of public self-consciousness, i.e.,
a tendency to be concerned about one’s appearance in public (Fenigstein et al., 1975). Fashion
consciousness is the manifestation of public self-consciousness in the context of fashion
(Gould & Stern, 1989). It has been defined as a person’s degree of involvement with styles
or fashion of clothing and is characterized by an interest in one’s physical appearance (Nam
et al., 2007). Fashion-conscious consumers consider clothes as an extended form of their
identity and are willing to spend more money on clothes (Wan et al., 2001). Such consumers
regard clothing as a form of non-verbal communication which helps them to portray their
identities (Anić & Mihić, 2015). Sproles and Kendall (1986) noted that fashion-conscious
people gain pleasure and excitement from exploring new things and exhibit a greater varietyseeking behavior.
3. Hypotheses development
3.1. Fashion self congruity and fashion consciousness
Past research has investigated the significant influence of self-image congruence on
a variety of consumer behavior decisions such as brand preference (Ericksen, 1997),
purchase intention (J. Kim & Joung, 2016), satisfaction (Ekinci & Riley, 2003) and product
evaluation (Quester et al., 2000). Similarly, the fashion literature has also applied the theory
of self-image congruity to show that ideal FSC is a stronger driver of consumer’s fashion
choices than actual FSC. For example, Ridgway et al. (2016) found that women used optical
illusion garments to create a perception of an ideal body type, thus using fashion clothing to
present attributes of self that they desire to possess (Ideal self-congruity). Similarly, O’Cass
and Julian (2001) found that ideal self-congruity and social self-congruity were significant
predictors of fashion involvement, whereas actual self-congruity did not have any signifi­
cant impact on the same. In a study of young consumers, Leung et al. (2015) concluded that
young consumers have a stronger tendency to depend on luxury fashion products to get
their actual self closer to their ideal self, thus becoming more fashion-conscious. These
findings lead us to our first hypothesis:
H1: Ideal fashion self-congruity has a stronger impact on fashion consciousness than
actual fashion self-congruity.
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H. KAUR AND S. ANAND
3.2. Fashion self congruity and status consumption
Studies have shown that brand evaluations are more strongly influenced by ideal congru­
ence than actual congruence for publicly consumed goods (e.g., Graeff, 1996). Quester et al.
(2000) examined the role of self-congruity in product evaluation decisions and concluded
that product evaluation for status-related products is more correlated with ideal self-image
rather than actual self-image. Suh et al. (2018) reported that for product evaluations of
publicly consumed goods, ideal self-image congruence is more important than the actual
self-image. In a study of luxury apparel brands, Kumagai (2016) reported that ideal social
self-congruity positively influences luxury brand attitudes whereas actual self-concept had
a negative impact on luxury brand attitudes. Hosany and Martin (2012) and Vigolo and
Ugolini (2016) in their work also suggest that ideal congruity is more important than actual
congruity in relation to conspicuous fashion products. Thus, it seems logical to deduce that
ideal FSC will show stronger relation with status consumption in comparison to actual FSC.
H2: Ideal fashion self-congruity has a stronger impact on status consumption than
actual fashion self-congruity.
3.3. Fashion consciousness and status consumption
As stated earlier, Fashion consciousness is a manifestation of public self-consciousness
(Gould & Stern, 1989). Studies have shown that public self-consciousness is an important
determinant of consumer behaviors related to creating favorable impressions on others
(Workman & Lee, 2011). In fact, Burnkrant and Page (1982) had proposed that in
comparison to people with low public self-consciousness, people with high public selfconsciousness are more inclined to use products that create favorable impression.
Similarly, Giovannini et al. (2015) reported significant impact of self-esteem and public
self-consciousness on Gen Y’s status consumption motivation. They gathered that since
brands represent prestige and status, public self-conscious consumers tend to be highly
brand conscious. On similar lines, we expect fashion-conscious consumers to be prone to
status consumption as status brands could serve as a means to improve their public
impression. Based on this we propose the following hypothesis:
H3: Fashion consciousness has a positive impact on status consumption.
3.4. Mediating role of fashion consciousness
Previous studies report a positive relationship between fashion self congruity and
status consumption. However, it is also possible that this link between the two
variables is mediated by fashion consciousness. In fact, many studies in the past
have acknowledged the construct of fashion consciousness as a significant mediator.
For example, Lertwannawit and Mandhachitara (2012) found that self-monitoring
and susceptibility to normative influence impact status consumption tendencies of
heterosexual males in Bangkok, both directly and indirectly through the mediating
role of fashion consciousness. Similarly, a study by Casidy (2012) indicated that
fashion consciousness mediated the positive relation between personality trait of
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151
conscientiousness and prestige sensitivity and the negative association between
agreeableness and prestige sensitivity among Generation Y consumers in Australia.
More relevant to our research is the conclusion arrived at by Casidy et al. (2015)
wherein they found that fashion consciousness completely mediates the relationship
between FSC and attitude towards prestige brands for millennials in Australia. The
authors asserted that consumers who see fashion as a reflection of their self-concept
may use prestige fashion brands to express their self only if they are fashion
conscious. On the contrary, less fashion-conscious consumers may indulge in
other types of consumption behavior to convey their self-concept. However, the
study by Casidy et al. (2015) considered only actual FSC in their study. The present
research extends this existing empirical model by also including ideal FSC in the
model. We frame the following hypothesis:
H4a: Fashion consciousness mediates the relation between actual fashion selfcongruity and status consumption.
H4b: Fashion consciousness mediates the relation between ideal fashion self-congruity
and status consumption
4. Methodology
4.1. Measurement instrument
This study was administered in India using a structured questionnaire. The study adopted
the existing scales to measure various constructs with minor alterations to fit the context of
the study. Items relating to actual and ideal FSC were taken from Anand and Kaur (2018).
To measure fashion consciousness, we used a 6-item scale developed by Lumpkin and
Darden (1982). Status consumption was measured by items derived from Eastman et al.
(1999). All the measures employed a five-point Likert scale ranging from “1 = Strongly
Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree”. The instrument was pilot tested on a sample of 251
undergraduate students, resulting in the removal of one item from the scale of status
consumption. Barring this, the tests of item-to-total correlations and inter-item correlation
did not warrant the need for any item deletion. The final instrument consisted of 17 items.
4.2. Sample and data collection
For the final study, data were collected from a sample of 751 millennials using the mallintercept approach. The study focused on three major malls in Delhi. Every fifth person
entering the mall was requested to participate in the survey. If the person refused to
participate in the survey or did not qualify as a member of generation Y, the next person
entering the mall was approached. The participation in the survey was completely
voluntary and no incentives were offered in return. The demographic details of the
respondents are presented in Table 1.
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H. KAUR AND S. ANAND
Table 1. Demographic profile of respondents.
Variable
Gender
Male
Female
Age (years)
18–21
22–25
26–30
31–35
36–40
Monthly Family Income
Below 20,000
20,001–40,000
40,001–60,000
60,001–80,000
Above 80,000
Frequency
Percentage
267
484
35.6
64.4
308
170
99
57
117
41.0
22.6
13.2
7.6
15.6
30
83
150
161
327
4
11.1
20
21.4
43.5
5. Results
5.1. Measurement model, reliability and validity
The data were analyzed through a two-step approach, as recommended by Anderson and
Gerbing (1988). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, followed by structural
equation modelling (SEM), to test the hypothesized relationships. Tables 2 and 3 present
the findings of the confirmatory factor analysis of the measurement model. The fit indices
of the model exhibited excellent model fit (GFI =.949, AGFI = .931, NFI = .956,
TLI = .965, RMSEA = .050, CMIN/DF = 2.911). The values of all the fit indices were
found within the prescribed range (Hair et al., 2010).
Construct reliability was measured using Cronbach’s Alpha and composite reliability. All
Cronbach α values were found to exceed the recommended level of 0.70, thus demonstrat­
ing acceptable reliability. Composite reliability was also computed and all values were found
to be above the minimum acceptable level of 0.70 (Hair et al., 2010). Convergent validity
was also upheld as the values of all factor loadings were above .5 and AVE for all constructs
were greater than .5 as suggested by Hair et al. (2010) (see Table 2). Further, as depicted in
Table 3, all AVEs were higher than the squared correlations between the constructs, thus
establishing discriminant validity of the model (Hair et al., 2010).
5.2. Examining common method biasness
We used Harman’s one-factor test to check Common method bias (CMB) (Podsakoff et al.,
2003). Our results revealed that the first factor accounted for only 40.24% (i.e. <50%) of the
variance, confirming that CMB is not an issue in our study (Podsakoff et al., 2003).
5.3. Structural equation modelling
We applied structural equation modeling using AMOS version 21 to examine the
hypothesized relationships. The results indicated an excellent model fit (GFI = .949,
AGFI = .931, NFI = .956, IFI = .971, RMSEA = .050, CMIN/DF = 2.911). The values of all
the fit indices were within the recommended range (Hair et al., 2010). As shown in
JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING
153
Table 2. Standardized factor loadings, AVE, Cronbach’s Alpha and composite reliability of the
constructs.
Statements
Actual Fashion Self Congruity
My fashion style is consistent with how I see myself.
Clothes are important tool to express my self-image.
My clothes represent my true personality.
My clothes reflect how I feel about myself.
Ideal Fashion Self Congruity
Clothes help me become the person I want to be.
The clothes I own help me achieve the identity I want to
have.
The clothes I buy help me narrow the gap between what
I am and what I try to be.
Fashion Consciousness
I usually have one or more outfits of the very newest style.
I usually dress for fashion, not for comfort.
An important part of my life and activities is dressing
stylishly.
I often try the latest hairstyles when they change.
It is important to me that my clothes be of the latest style.
A person should try to dress in fashion.
Status Consumption
I would buy a product just because it has status.
I am interested in new products with status.
I would pay more for a product if it had status.
A product is more valuable to me if it is considered superior
by others.
Standardized fac­
tor loadings
AVE
.600
Composite
Reliability
.856
Cronbach’s
Alpha
.856
.718
.884
.881
.510
.861
.859
.716
.909
.898
.685
.776
.822
.807
.829
.922
.785
.682
.657
.763
.678
.836
.648
.892
.881
.873
.727
Table 3. Discriminant validity analysis*.
Construct
AFSC
IFSC
FC
SC
AFSC
.600
.135
.060
.047
IFSC
FC
SC
.718
.362
.347
.510
.454
.716
*Based on (Fornell and Larcker 1981): AVE in the diagonal and squared correlation off-diagonal.
Table 4, actual FSC showed an insignificant relationship with fashion consciousness
(β = .029, p > 0.05), while ideal FSC was found to be positively related to fashion
consciousness (β = .591, p < 0.001). Actual FSC was found to have negative impact on
status consumption (β = −.012, p > 0.05). On the contrary, ideal FSC had a significant
positive impact on status consumption (β = .291, p < 0.001). Fashion consciousness
displayed positive impact on status consumption (β = .502, p < 0.001). Therefore, H1, H2,
and H3 were accepted.
Table 4. Results of hypotheses testing: direct effects.
Proposed Relation
Actual Fashion Self Congruity →
Ideal Fashion Self Congruity →
Actual Fashion Self Congruity →
Ideal Fashion Self Congruity →
Fashion Consciousness →
Status Consumption
Status Consumption
Fashion Consciousness
Fashion Consciousness
Status Consumption
Standard Estimate
−.012
.291***
.029
.591***
.502***
Hypotheses Supported
YES
YES
YES
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H. KAUR AND S. ANAND
To test the mediation effect, bootstrapping approach with 5000 samples was applied.
Actual FSC was found to have no indirect effect on status consumption (β = .015,
p > 0.05). However, ideal FSC did have a significant indirect impact on status consump­
tion (β = .297, p < 0.001). It also had a significant direct impact on status consumption in
the absence of fashion consciousness (β = .588, p < 0.001). On the inclusion of fashion
consciousness, this relationship continued to remain significant, however it weakened in
magnitude (β = .291, p < 0.001). This points towards a case of partial mediation. Thus,
H4b was accepted while H4a was rejected (see Table 5).
6. Discussion
The results of the study show that ideal FSC has a stronger impact on both fashion
consciousness and status consumption tendencies of millennials in comparison to actual
FSC. In fact, the latter did not show any significant impact on the two dependent
variables at all. These findings are corroborated by the fact ideal self congruity affects
purchase motivation through the activation and operation of self-esteem motive (Sirgy,
1982). Self-esteem motives refer to an individual’s need to enhance positive evaluations
of self by behaving in ways that are closer to their ideal self (Choi & Rifon, 2012: Sirgy,
1982). Such motives to a large extent are fulfilled by conspicuous consumption of status
goods that symbolically represent prestige within their social group and are important in
creating individual identity and a sense of consumer achievement and status
(Lertwannawit & Mandhachitara, 2012).
An alternative explanation for this behavior is based on the social comparison theory
which suggests that low self-esteem induces the tendency to compare oneself with others
(Bergagna & Tartaglia, 2018). Individuals with low self-esteem engage in self-enhancement
activities through the consumption of ideally self-congruent brands (Malär et al., 2011).
Zhang and Kim (2013) indicated that socially anxious consumers are motivated to acquire
and consume luxury products that signify status. A recent research by Simpson (2019) also
showed that millennial women bought large quantities of apparels to create an ideal selfimage that they internalized from the fashion culture. Another study by Arminen (2017)
suggests that in comparison to actual self-congruency, ideal self-congruency influences
millennial consumer’s attitude towards luxury products to a larger extent.
The study also shows that fashion consciousness has a positive impact on status
consumption tendencies of millennials. This finding reaffirms that younger generation
in collectivist cultures like India places a lot of value on consumption of clothes to exhibit
their social status (Choi et al., 2005). The results also provide support to the mediating
role of fashion consciousness between the relation of ideal FSC and status consumption.
One may argue that consumers who see fashion as a reflection of their self-concept may
use prestige fashion brands to express their self only if they are fashion conscious (Casidy
et al., 2015).
Table 5. Results of hypotheses testing: mediating effects.
Proposed
Relationship
AFSC→FC→SC
IFSC→FC→SC
Indirect
Effect
.015(ns)
.297(***)
Direct without
Mediator
.002(ns)
.588(***)
Direct with
Mediator
−.012(ns)
.291(***)
Hypotheses
Supported
NO
YES
Type of
Mediation
N.A.
Partial
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155
7. Theoretical contributions
This study contributes to the literature in several ways. First, our study contributes to the
self-congruity theory by investigating the relative influence of both actual FSC and ideal
FSC on fashion consciousness and status consumption, as an under-researched area.
Secondly, recent literature emphasizes on the need for an integrative model that incor­
porates the interplay of factors such as self-concept, status consumption and fashion
consciousness to provide better understanding of consumption behavior. Past research
has studied these relationships independently, examining the relationship between fash­
ion consciousness and status consumption (Lertwannawit & Mandhachitara, 2012;
O’Cass & Siahtiri, 2014); self-concept and fashion consciousness (Casidy et al., 2015),
self-concept and status consumption (Arminen, 2017), etc. The current study integrates
all these constructs in a single model to provide a holistic understanding of fashion
shopping behavior of Generation Y. Lastly, our research supports predictive validity for
the recently developed scales of actual and ideal FSC (Anand & Kaur, 2018).
8. Managerial implications
The findings of our study offer valuable strategic implications for marketers of fashion
and status brands. At the very outset, the positive impact of ideal FSC on both fashion
consciousness and status consumption implies that managers need to take into account
the personalities of the customers to be able to create a brand that resonates with them.
Thus, the practice of congruence measurement is essential in creating and maintaining
the desired image for the brand and product (Ekinci & Riley, 2003). Congruence
measurement is also helpful in understanding the underlying motives behind
a consumer’s brand attitude and purchase intention which in turn can be used to by
marketers to focus marketing efforts more efficiently (Arminen, 2017).
Our study also shows that when it comes to fashion clothing and status brands,
consumers seek congruence with their ideal self-image rather than their actual self.
These results imply that marketers of luxury fashion brands must focus on promo­
tional appeals that please the ideal self of consumers. One way of doing so is to use
celebrity endorsements for communicating strong brand identification with the ideal
self of individuals. For example, online fashion giant Flipkart launched a campaign in
collaboration with GQ magazine to showcase how to get a trendy look like one’s
favorite celebrity by shopping on Flipkart. Even high-end fashion designers in India
like Sabyasachi Mukherjee launch their collection on social media in alliance with
Bollywood celebrities. Another effective strategy could be aspirational branding. It
helps consumers with low self-esteem to compensate for their low self-worth by
using a brand that takes them closer to their ideal self (Malär et al., 2011).
The results also show that fashion consciousness partially mediates the relation between
ideal FSC and status consumption. This implies that for status brands to be successful, it is
important to generate a sense of fashion consciousness in consumers. This could be done
by using marketing communication tools such as fashion newsletters, magazines, fashion
talk-shows, social media, etc., to create awareness about the significance of fashion in selfpresentation. This would help in instilling fashion consciousness and brand preference in
consumer minds at a very early stage of consumer socialization (O’Cass & Lim, 2002).
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H. KAUR AND S. ANAND
9. Limitations and scope for future research
First, the study makes inferences based on a cross-sectional data collected from the capital city
of Delhi. India being a vast nation displays great cultural variation, so future researchers are
encouraged to examine geographic variations in consumer’s attitude towards status con­
sumption in India. Secondly, the use of self-report items may have resulted in participants
reporting themselves positively on dimensions considered socially desirable (Pervin & John,
1992). Hence it is recommended the research be replicated in the future while considering the
social desirability issues. Third, the respondents of this study were Indian millennial con­
sumer. Thus, the findings cannot be generalized to other cultures. Future researchers could
conduct a cross-cultural study comparing the status consumption tendencies of consumers in
collectivist cultures with those of individualistic cultures. Finally, it would be of interest to
examine the moderating impact of individual difference factors like self-monitoring on the
relation between actual/ideal FSC and status consumption. For example, selfmonitoring could be a significant moderator.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
ORCID
Harsandaldeep Kaur
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7096-2892
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