Relationships between body-cathexis, clothing benefits sought, and clothing behavior, and effects of importance of meeting the ideal body image and clothing attitude

Today, dissatisfaction with body image appears to be widespread. Few theoretical explanations have existed on why clothing can compensate for body dissatisfaction and on what clothing benefits are sought in relation to body satisfaction. Very limited studies exist on the relationships between satisfaction with different body areas and clothing behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine, for female college students, 1) the effects of body satisfaction on clothing benefits sought, clothing attitude, and clothing behavior and 2) the effects of importance of meeting the ideal body image on clothing benefits sought, clothing attitude, and clothing behavior.

The sample included 177 female college students, aged 18 to 25, at Virginia Tech. To measure the variables, an instrument was developed based on previous studies. Body-cathexis and importance of meeting the ideal body image were measured for five areas of body parts: head/upper body, lower body, height, weight, and torso. Clothing benefits sought had five dimensions: fashion image, figure flaws compensation, sex appeal, self-improvement, and individuality. The clothing attitude measure was modified from that of Shim et al. (1991). Clothing behavior consisted of clothing preferences for fit/color/style/emphasis, satisfaction with the fit and variety in ready-to-wear, fashion innovativeness, and shopping behavior.