Mijeong Noh

What is cool? Operationalizing the construct in an apparel context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to operationalize the ubiquitously used concept of “cool,” specifically considering its meaning to Generation Y consumers of apparel. Using Churchills rigorous scale generating method, the authors generate items, pre‐test, and the test with a sample (n=265) of college students.Design/methodology/approach – Researchers specify the domain of the cool construct, conduct item generation, collect data through a pre‐test to purify the measures and then collect data from a large sample to assess reliability and validity of the measures and construct.Findings – Results of exploratory factor analysis reveal a six‐factor solution; a confirmatory analysis shows that cool is a multi‐dimensional construct reflected in two second‐order factors that this paper labels hedonic and utilitarian cool. These factors are reflected in five first order factors: singular, personal, aesthetic, quality and functional cool.Originality/value – The study provides a valuable insight into cool con...

In search of a common thread revisited: what content does fashion communicate?

Fashion is the way we wear our clothes, adorn our bodies, and train our bodies to move [Craik (1994). The face of fashion: Cultural studies in fashion. New York, NY: Routledge]. To assess the state of knowledge about the communicative nature of fashion, the goal of this research was to conduct a content analysis of research published after 1986, identifying fashions effect on perceptions. Articles for analysis (N=115) were identified from online database searches. Coding categories developed by Burns and Lennon [1993. The effect of clothing on the use of person information categories in first impressions. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 12(1), 9–15] and Damhorst [1990. In search of a common thread: Classification of information communicated through dress. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 8(2), 1–12] were used to code dependent variables. Results found that information communicated by fashion was related to potency (35.3%), evaluation (32.1%), physiological and biological traits (11.8%), demographic characteristics (8.3%), miscellaneous (5.3%), dynamism (5.7%), and quality of thought (1.5%). To further analyse information communicated by fashion, we recommend more research on effective coding taxonomies.

Psychological Benefits of One-to-one Marketing in Apparel E-commerce: An Approach with Perceived Usefulness, Pleasure, Arousal, and Attitude toward the E-store

Wide-spread practitioner literature exists for the one-to-one marketing effect from a firm`s perspective; however, limited research discusses the psychological effect of one-to-one marketing from a consumer`s perspective. The authors test a model that integrates the level of consumer-perceived one-to-one marketing effort (OTO-E), instrumental (i.e., perceived usefulness) and affective benefits (Le., pleasure and arousal), and attitude toward the e-store (ATE). The analysis of an online survey (conducted with 195 U.S. undergraduates) confirms the positive effect of level of OTO-E on the benefits that influence ATE. In addition, it reveals the positive effect of the affective benefits on the instrumental benefit. The results expand the current research on the value of one-to-one marketing by presenting a consumer-oriented approach. As the study was conducted in the U.S. market with intense consumer demands for individuation of service, the results should provide useful managerial/ theoretical implications to Korean apparel e-tailers, concerning their future implementation of one-to-one marketing.

Querying fashion professionals’ forecasting practices: the Delphi method

This study employs the Delphi method in probing forecasting practices of fashion professionals in product development and retailing. The study examines how fashion professionals acquire and use forecasting information by employing a two-round Delphi method. Specifically, the results reveal that colour is the most important fashion forecasting component, followed by style and textiles. The top three information sources for colour and style forecasting are customer feedback or requests, past sales, and own cumulative knowledge. In addition, the most used strategy for colour forecasting decisions is reliance on colour forecasting insights of companies with which the fashion professionals conduct business. The findings suggest that the Delphi method can be used as a qualitative research method for long-range future trend forecasting with advanced tools, such as online surveys, in the areas of fashion product development and retailing.

College men’s fashion: clothing preference, identity, and avoidance

The goal of our exploratory study was to investigate what fashion means to college men in terms of preference, identity, and avoidance. Specifically, we aimed to determine what young men want to achieve as well as avoid through their clothing. We interviewed 15 college men to collect data. This exploratory study revealed that the male college students who participated in this study desire clothing that is comfortable, gives them confidence, and meets the expectations of their surroundings. The results suggest that college men’s fashion preferences are driven largely by a desire for comfort and adherence to norms. Moreover, the study participants avoided certain types of clothing due to the clothing’s incongruence with their styles. Their aversion to clothing that could be perceived as alternative, gangster, or gay indicates that these men strived to avoid clothing that conveys identities viewed as non-conformist, non-professional, or unusual. In line with our findings, we encourage universities to educate students in order to prevent them from holding negative stereotypes against African Americans and homosexuals. Continued educational efforts could be made through courses that curtail aversion to underrepresented ethnic groups.

Effects of young consumers’ self-concept on hedonic/utilitarian attitudes towards what is ‘cool’

This study examines the causal relationships among young consumers’ actual self-image, ideal self-image, and hedonic/utilitarian attitudes towards cool products. We conducted single-group structural equation modelling to test the hypotheses developed. The study shows that young consumers with high levels of actual self-image are not interested in utilitarian values when purchasing cool products whereas consumers with high levels of ideal self-image seek a cool lifestyle in which their aspirations for novelty are reflected, and thus they put emphasis on hedonic values. The findings offer guidance to apparel marketers on which cool product, either hedonic or utilitarian, is congruent with their targeted young consumers’ self-image.

Effect of Workplace Characteristics on Part-Time Apparel Sales Associates’ Turnover Intentions

This study focused on the development of a conceptual model of the turnover intention of part-time sales associates in apparel retailing. A convenience sample of 294 college students who were part-time apparel workers was used to test the model. In this proposed model, organizational support and growth opportunity indirectly influenced turnover intention through work engagement, which in turn positively affected work effort, job performance, and job satisfaction. The results also revealed a direct relationship between work/role stress and burnout, which influenced turnover intention. These findings make a unique contribution to the extant literature and enable development of relevant strategies by apparel retailers.