Current Issue

International Journal of Costume and Fashion - Vol. 24 , No. 1

[ Article ]
International Journal of Costume and Fashion - Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 1-18
Abbreviation: IJCF
ISSN: 2233-9051 (Print) 2288-7490 (Online)
Print publication date 30 Jun 2024
Received 06 Jul 2023 Revised 12 Dec 2023 Accepted 19 Dec 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7233/ijcf.2024.24.1.001

The Symbolic Meaning of Conspicuousness of Fashion Consumption in Ritual Image Communication on Instagram
Hee Young Kim
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Fashion Design, Kyung-in Women’s University, Incheon, South Korea

Correspondence to : sindawn@kiwu.ac.kr

Citation Kim, H.Y. (2024). The symbolic meaning of conspicuousness of fashion consumption in ritual image communication on instagram. International Journal of Costume and Fashion, 24(1), 1-18.


Abstract

This study focused on the ritual expression of conspicuous fashion consumption on Instagram to understand conspicuous fashion in the media culture. As a research method, netnography and 1:1 in-depth interview was conducted. According to the results, participants expressed themselves through fashion consumption on Instagram, including the intention to show off their fashion taste and styling ability. This show-off was not only about a social status or economic affluence, but about the creative ability gained by oneself. This ability was about to find and select value from the products that were commonly seen around them rather than expensive or luxury brands, and to combine them creatively. It was focused on styling rather than fashion products, and on consumption experience rather than purchasing behavior. Styles have come to mean the individual’s discriminatory self and the importance of its existence, and it explained that the self is being interpreted at an individual level rather than in a social structure. However, as the posting of fashion consumption was regarded as a representative conspicuous expression on Instagram, individuals carefully adjusted the image expression so that it would not be seen as excessive showing off to the extent allowed in the media users.


Keywords: Conspicuousness, Conspicuous consumption, Fashion consumption, Symbolic interaction, Ritual image communication, Instagram

References
1. Atkinson, R., & Flint, J. (2001). Accessing hidden and hard-to-reach populations: Snowball research strategies. Social Research Update, 33(1), 1-4.
2. Chan, T. W., & Goldthorpe, J. H. (2007). Social stratification and cultural consumption: Music in England. European Sociological Review, 23(1), 1-19.
3. Chaudhuri, H. R., & Majumdar, S. (2006). Of diamonds and desires: Understanding conspicuous consumption from a contemporary marketing perspective. Academy of Marketing Science Review, 2006(11).
4. Chaudhuri, H. R., Majumdar, S., & Ghoshal, A. (2011). Conspicuous consumption orientation: Conceptualisation, scale development and validation. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 10(4), 216-224.
5. Dantas, B. L., & Abreu, N. R. (2020). An analysis of the influence of the conspicuous consumption of fast fashion on identity construction on Instagram. RAM: Revista de Administração Mackenzie, 21(5), eRAMG200043.
6. DMC Media. (2021). 2021 social media market and current status analysis report. https://www.dmcreport.co.kr/report/trendBrief/freeView?reportcode=DMCTBF20210050&drtopdeth=RPT_TYPE_1&keyword_type=REPORT_KEYWORD_16
7. Duan, J., & Dholakia, R. R. (2017). Posting purchases on social media increases happiness: the mediating roles of purchases’ impact on self and interpersonal relationships. Journal of Consumer Marketing. 34(5), 404-413.
8. Duan, J., & Dholakia, R. R. (2018). How purchase type influences consumption-related posting behavior on social media: The moderating role of materialism. Journal of Internet Commerce, 17(1), 64-80.
9. Ferraro, G. P., & Briody, E. K. (2016). The cultural dimension of global business. Routledge.
10. Gibbs, M., Meese, J., Arnold, M., Nansen, B., & Carter, M. (2015). #Funeral and Instagram: Death, social media, and platform vernacular. Information, Communication & Society, 18(3), 255-268.
11. Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity: Self and society in the late modern age. Stanford University Press.
12. Giovannini, S., Xu, Y., & Thomas, J. (2015). Luxury fashion consumption and generation Y consumers: Self, brand consciousness, and consumption motivations. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 19(1), 22-40.
13. Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Anchor.
14. Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction ritual: Essays in face-to-face behavior. Penguin Books.
15. Goffman, E. (1971). Relations in public: Microstudies of the public order. Basic Books.
16. Grace, D., & Griffin, D. (2009). Conspicuous donation behaviour: Scale development and validation. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 8(1), 14-25.
17. Hand, M. (2017) Visuality in social media: Researching images, circulations and practices. In L. Sloan & A. Quan-Haase (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of social media research method (pp. 215-231). SAGE.
18. Ilich, K. L., & Hardey, M. (2018). ‘It’s all about the packaging’: Investigation of the motivations, intentions, and marketing implications of sharing photographs of secondary packaging on Instagram. Information, Communication & Society, 23(1), 1-19.
19. Kaiser, S. B. (1983). Toward a contextual social psychology of clothing: A synthesis of symbolic interactionist and cognitive theoretical perspectives. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 2(1), 1-9.
20. Kaiser, S. B. (1990). The social psychology of clothing: Symbolic appearances in context. Fairchild Books.
21. Kaiser, S. B., Nagasawa, R. H., & Hutton, S. S. (1991). Fashion, postmodernity and personal appearance: A symbolic interactionist formulation. Symbolic Interaction, 14(2), 165-185.
22. Kaiser, S. B., Nagasawa, R. H., & Hutton, S. S. (1995). Construction of an SI theory of fashion: Part 1. Ambivalence and change. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 13(3), 172-183.
23. Kastanakis, M. N., & Balabanis, G. (2014). Explaining variation in conspicuous luxury consumption: An individual differences’ perspective. Journal of Business Research, 67(10), 2147-2154.
24. Kozinet, R. V. (1999). E-tribalized marketing?: The strategic implications of virtual communities of consumption. European Management Journal, 17(3), 252-264.
25. Krause, H.-V., Wagner, A., Krasnova, H., Deters, F. G., Baumann, A., & Buxmann, P. (2019, December). Keeping up with the Joneses: Instagram use and its influence on conspicuous consumption. Paper presen ted at the 40th International Conference on Information Systems, Munich, Germany.
26. Kress, G., & Leeuwen, V. T. (2005). Reading images. Routledge.
27. Lee, S. J., & Kim, N. D. (2020). A comparative study of conspicuous consumption behavior upon Instagram and real life. Journal of Digital Convergence, 18(5), 205-220.
28. Lewis, A., & Moital, M. (2016). Young professionals’ conspicuous consumption of clothing. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 20(2), 138-156.
29. Mason, R. S. (1981). Conspicuous consumption: A study of exception consumer behavior. St. Martin’s Press.
30. McCracken, G. (1988). Culture and consumption: New approaches to the symbolic character of consumer goods and activities. Indiana University Press.
31. Mehdizadeh, S. (2010). Self-presentation 2.0: Narcissism and self-esteem on Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(4), 357-364.
32. Oswald, L. R. (2012). Marketing semiotics: Signs, strategies, and brand value. Oxford University Press.
33. Pounders, K., Kowalczyk, C. M., & Stowers, K. (2016). Insight into the motivation of selfie postings: Impression management and self-esteem. European Journal of Marketing, 50(9/10), 1879-1892.
34. Pratt, M. G., & Rafaeli, A. (1997). Organizational dress as a symbol of multilayered social identities. Academy of Management Journal, 40(4), 862-898.
35. Roach-Higgins, M. E., & Eicher, J. B. (1992). Dress and identity. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 10(4), 1-8.
36. Rothenbuhler, E. W. (1998). Ritual communication: From everyday conversation to mediated ceremony. European Journal of Communication, 15(1), 98-99.
37. Spradley, J. (1980). Participation observation. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
38. Taylor, D. G., & Strutton, D. (2016). Does Facebook usage lead to conspicuous consumption? The role of envy, narcissism and self-promotion. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 10(3), 231-248.
39. Thoumrungroje, A. (2014). The influence of social media intensity and EWOM on conspicuous consumption. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 148, 7-15.
40. Tsai, S. (2005). Impact of personal orientation on luxury-brand purchase value: An international investigation. International Journal of Market Research, 47(4), 427-452.
41. Veblen, T. (1899). The theory of the leisure class: An economic study in the evolution of institutions. MacMillan.
42. Wai, L. K., & Osman, S. (2019). The influence of self-esteem in the relationship of social media usage and conspicuous consumption. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(2), 335-352.
43. Widjajanta, B., Senen, S. H., Masharyono, Lisnawati, & Anggraeni, C. P. (2018). The impact of social media usage and self-esteem on conspicuous consumption: Instagram user of hijabers community bandung member. International Journal of eBusiness and eGoverment Studies, 10(2), 1-13.