Clothing and Personal Attractiveness of Adolescents Related to Conformity, to Clothing Mode, Peer Acceptance, and Leadership Potential

Abstract

The personal attractiveness of 228 high school students and the attractiveness of their clothing, as assessed by college student observers, were related to awareness of, and conformity to, the modal dress, to various types of peer acceptance, to participation in high school ac tivities, and to leadership potential. Significant correlation coefficients indicated that attrac tive students generally wore attractive clothing, and were aware of, and conformed to, the modal dress. The attractive students were also more likely to be accepted by their peers, to be selected for important roles in the high school situation, and to be more active in school ac tivities than students assessed as less attractive.

The influence of personal and social identity on the clothing consumption of adolescents

“…The gender variable has an important moderating effect on the explanation of the clothing consumption of adolescents, which echoes results from other studies (Creekmore, 1980;Gentina, Butori, & Heath, 2014;Gentina & Chandon, 2014;MacGillivray & Wilson, 1997;Muratore, 2008). The influence of secondary socialization agents on social identity is stronger in girls than boys, which supports earlier research showing girls are more easily socialized than boys during adolescence Lindsey, 2011;Souiden & M'saad, 2011;Ulrich & Tissier-Desbordes, 2013).…”

Adolescents’ brand sensitivity in apparel: influence of three socialization agents

“…Clothing is an important means by which adolescents gain social appreciation 15 and develop positive self‐esteem 6 . Teenagers who conform to clothing norms are more likely to be accepted in their social environment than those who express their individualism 9,15 . Clearly, during adolescence, clothing‐related decisions are associated with an important social risk.…”

Determinants of Adolescents' Brand Sensitivity to Clothing

“…In pre-adolescence and adolescence, clothes, because of their symbolic function, are powerful social interaction tools (Kaiser, 1990;Shim & Koh, 1997). Young people who follow the accepted dress code are more likely to be accepted by their peers than are those who express their individualism (Creekmore, 1980). Deviating from standard dress codes can have a disastrous effect on a young person's social acceptance, and the inability to dress like others can produce emotional stress and a feeling of deprivation (Liskey-Fitzwater, Moore, & Gurel, 1993).…”