Judging a Book by Its Cover: Fashion Consumption Signals Lower Self-Control

While many people consume fashion primarily to signal positive identity to others (e.g., in the know, trendy), we argue that fashion consumers risk being perceived as inferior in their ability to regulate themselves, which could have far-reaching consequences for one’s social life and career opportunities. Results from six experiments provide convergent support for our predictions with regard to both trait evaluation and other behavioral measurements of self-control, thus demonstrating an unexpected negative effect of being fashionable.