Clothing Behaviour of Male Students and its Relationship with Attitudes About Lifestyle and Self-presentation

Abstract

  This research examines the relationship between clothing behavior of young males and self-monitoring and its relationship with lifestyle attitudes as manifested in the “herbivore pattern” (sōshokuka) phenomenon. A questionnaire was presented to 290 male university students. The results were as follows:
(1) There was a weakening of awareness of separate gender-specific roles in lifestyle attitudes. The subjects were consumer-oriented and fastidious about cleanliness. Cluster analysis revealed that they were “positive independence in romantic relationships,” “subconscious awareness” and “sound and negative approach to romantic relationships” types.
(2) Factor analysis of clothing behaviour revealed the first factor as “valuing fashion and external appearance,” the second as “femininity” and the third as “emphasising sensitivity.”
(3) As to the relationship between attitudes of lifestyle and clothing behaviour, we found that members of the type characterised by “positive independence in romantic relationships” valued fashion and external appearance, and those with “sound and negative approach to romantic relationships” tended to demonstrate feminine patterns of clothing behaviour and to value sensitivity.
(4) As to the relationship between clothing behaviour and self-monitoring, subjects who “value fashion and external appearance” highly showed a high degree of orientation towards otherdirectedness and acting. Subjects who put great importance on “value sensitivity” showed extroversion, other-directedness and acting.