• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.137-149
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to identify the factor structure of sociocultural attitude toward Appearance, pursuit of clothing benefits, ambivalent consumption of fashion product and the effects of sociocultural attitude toward appearance and pursuit of clothing benefits on ambivalent consumption of fashion product. Questionnaires were administered to 425 women living in Deagu Metropolitan City and Kyungbook province. The data collected were analyzed by using frequency, factor analysis, multiple regression, ANOVA, and Duncan-test. The findings are as follows. Sociocultural attitude toward appearance was composed of two factors such as internalization, and awareness. Pursuit of clothing benefits was composed of four factors such as individuality oriented, social oriented, fashion leadership oriented, and body oriented. Ambivalent consumption of fashion product was composed of three factors such as style/price ambivalence, place of purchase ambivalence, and brand ambivalence. The effects of sociocultural attitude toward Appearance and pursuit of clothing benefits on each of ambivalent consumption of fashion product variables like style/price ambivalence, place of purchase ambivalence, and brand ambivalence were explained by the factors such as internalization, and awareness, and individuality oriented, social oriented, fashion leadership oriented, and body oriented.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.21-27
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to identify the sociocultural aspects of zero-calorie beverage consumption among young Koreans. Through an interview methodology, this study explores the perceptions of zero-calorie beverages, consumption behavior, and the important role of zero-calorie beverages in identity formation. The study uniquely integrates theories from health psychology, sociology, and cultural studies to analyze the complex interplay between individual health beliefs, social norms, and evolving cultural trends. The results show that the choice of zero-calorie beverages is heavily influenced by health consciousness, pervasive appearance culture, social media dynamics, and shifting workplace paradigms. Participants had a nuanced view of these drinks as both a "healthy alternative" and an "artificial product," reflecting the deep ambivalence that characterizes modern consumer society. Importantly, we found that the consumption of zero-calorie beverages serves as a means of sophisticated self-expression and impression management, acting as a form of cultural capital. This study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of health behavior in specific sociocultural contexts and provides important insights for health policy makers, marketing strategists. The study emphasizes that a multidisciplinary approach is essential in studying contemporary food and beverage consumption patterns, which have far-reaching implications for public health efforts and social epidemiology at home and abroad.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.156-165
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of major variables and their relationship with the males' appearance consciousness that affect the men's cosmetic consumption. Also, the study also intended to verify the differences of men's cosmetic consumption between Chinese and Thai males. The samples consisted of 200 males who ranged in age from 18 to 35 years (M=24.64). One hundred participants were Thai and one hundred were Chinese. Based on literature review, six research questions were proposed. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, factor analysis, t-test, and multiple regression were used for this study. As the results, the sociocultural attitudes of consumers towards their appearance are positively relevant to the self-esteem and public self consciousness. Also, appearance consciousness such as appearance evaluation and appearance orientation led more cosmetic consumption. Chinese males revealed higher scores on public self-consciousness, appearance orientation, and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance than Thai males. Based on these results, some implications for global cosmetic markets would be suggested.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.328-349
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• 2024

In the last decade, Korean culture has progressively facilitated the assimilation of appearance-related norms established by modern Korean society among young generations in Vietnam. Of note, Vietnamese consumers residing in Korea, under the influence of diverse sociocultural factors, are aligning themselves with an ideal standard of Korean beauty through cultural adaptation. This study explores how Vietnamese students internalize Korean beauty standards and the resultant negative behavioral reactions. We investigated the effects of sociocultural pressures (media, in-group, and out-group pressure) on risky appearance management and irrational purchase behavior by mediating sociocultural internalization toward appearance. We tested how the mechanism underlying these variables differs based on how long one has resided in Korea. A total of 213 female participants were surveyed online. The research model was tested using structural equation modeling through AMOS 22.0. The findings show that media and out-group pressure significantly increased sociocultural internalization, which led to consumer behavior in the form of risky appearance management and irrational purchases. The influence of internalization on consumption behavior was stronger for short-term residents of Korea. This study contributes to the literature on acculturation by investigating how foreign consumers accept the host country's ideal beauty standards.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the sociocultural meanings of flapper look in American society during the 1920s. Using the ProQuest database, I searched articles from The New York Times published between 1920 and 1929 for opinions and discussions on the flapper look. Keywords included "clothing," "dress," "fashion," and "flapper," and advertisements and articles on menswear, leisurewear, and bathing suits were excluded. In the resulting articles, I extracted the following sociocultural meanings: autonomy, activeness, practicality, attractiveness, and extravagance. Meanings were analyzed from the opinions and discussions focusing on skirt length, dresses that directly and indirectly exposed the body, heavy make-up, non-constricting underwear, the H-line dress, bobbed hair, hygiene, comfort, and consumption. In sum, the 1920s flapper look represented progressive characteristics such as autonomous and active womanhood and practicality, which matched the technological development of the time. However, the flapper look was commercialized and exploited to make women look attractive and extravagant. Even though American women had access to higher education, more economic power, and suffrage in the 1920s, they were limited in their ability to overcome social conventions and the power of consumerism. Understanding the double-sidedness of flapper look within the social context of the time would enhance the comprehension of the relationship between women's lifestyles and changing fashion.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.739-747
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• 2008

There have been increasing consumption of luxury fashion and recent marketing researches on luxury syndrome, trading up, etc. in mass fashion today. Historically the consumption of luxury had been concentrated on only upper class in the past. But since 20th century, the mass consumers of modern consumptive society show their interests in luxuries which had been preoccupation of few elite class. Accordingly, it can be thought that the historical review on the changes in the meaning of luxury should be necessary for a better understanding of modern luxury consumption in sociocultural context. The purpose of this study is to grasp the sociocultural meaning of luxury in modern fashion with a holistic viewpoint by examining the changes of luxury consumption in mass fashion. It will be helpful as a conceptual approach of modern luxury consumption. For this, the documentary study has been executed. It focused on since 20th century, which can be the root of mass productive and consumptive society in fashion history. The results are as follows. The luxury in court elite system before 20th century had been concentrated on few elite class exclusively but gradually began to be represented as inferior cheaper version by mass production according to their increasing interests since industrial revolution. The luxuries in elite designer system in the first half of 20th century were represented as illegal design piracy and legal genuine reproduction in spite of problems brought about between originality and copy. The concept of mass as consumer was virtually alienated in both systems. But in fashion system since the second half of 20th century, various types of consumer luxuries has appeared on account of the trading up phenomenon in drastic growth of mass culture.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.187-201
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• 2004

This study identified the characteristics of the consumer culture of the American Bobos(Bourgeois Bohemian) and the British POSH(Port Out, Starboard Home) and their influence on the consumption culture in Korea. The sociocultural background, values and consumption patterns of both Bobos and POSH were analyzed through a literature survey. Korean periodicals were analyzed to identify the influence of Bobos and POSH on the Korean consumer culture. The results suggested that the characteristics of both Bobos and POSH were reflected in their lifestyles or values through their consumption and possessions. In addition, it was found that Korean consumers appeared to be more influenced by Bobosthan POSH.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.321-336
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• 2022

The purpose of this study aims to investigate how consumer awareness and purchasing behavior are affected by the type of animosity against the nation. This study classified animosity into three categories: sociocultural, economic, and war-based. Additionally, the consumer's cognition toward animosity was split into two categories-empathic concernt and personal distress-and the direction of consumption behavior was split into two categories-individual brand avoidance behavior and collective bandwagon behavior. The concept of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) was introduced for the direction of consumption behavior, further validating the moderating impact. Structural equation modeling method was used to measure the general consumption behvior of Korean consumers' animosity. The results were analyzed using a total of 279 samples. As a result, animosity motivated by war and by economics had a substantial impact on empathic concern, while animosity motivated by socioculture had a significant impact on personal distress. Personal distress had a good impact on an individual's brand antipathy behavior, which in turn led to brand dislike and avoidance. Empathic concern also had a positive impact on the phenomena of group sympathy, which leads to identification of conduct and social conformity. Also, it was proven that the group that had a high level of FoMO reacted strongly to the phenomenon of group collective behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.122-135
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to figure out what the beauty of the modern body means and symbolizes from the aesthetic, sociocultural, and psychological perspectives and to investigate how it was formed in the modern Korean society. The data were obtained from the magazines and newspapers published from 1920 to 1939 and analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The results were as follows: First, the modern body from an aesthetic standpoint was characterized by the beauty of westernization, healthy body shape, sensuality, curvaceousness, activity, balance and harmony, and artificiality. The beauty of the modern body from a sociocultural perspective symbolized modern culture and implied the value evaluated by visual appearance. Therefore, the modern body became an object of consumption and the physical capital that gave women chances for their social success and happy marriages. The beauty of the modern body from a psychological viewpoint expressed individuality as a modern ego. Second, the formation of modern body esthetics was explained within the context of social comparison theory. The ideal body suggested by mass media was internalized as the aesthetic standard women used to create modern bodies and with which they compared their created bodies.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.83-99
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• 2013

This research is a follow-up study about analysis on the many different customer groups and their various culture trend, which intends to realize diverse values depending on the sense. The purpose of this study was to develop direction forecast for the future fashion industry through consideration about the characteristics of contemporary fashion industry by the change of different customer's culture trend. And also try to find solution to survival strategy of fashion fields able to evolve with customer. Change of the customer's cultural trend draws a shift in policy in the 21st fashion industry as follows : 1) mash-up 2) complexation through decentering and blurring 3) invisible and immaterial value oriented 4) expansion of minor small market. Moreover, this shows sociocultural meaning as follows. First is spread of flexible and horizontal relationship through collaborative consumption and collaboration. Second is concentration on floating and indeterminate chance through dismantling of various different fashion categories. Third is formation of the permanent difference by selection and focus. Last is expansion of understanding about cultural-ecology. Customer cultural trend is 'meme' of cultural gene in fashion field, so it intends to co-evolute with customer by continuous change.