Fashion and Customer Buying Decision Name of University Student Name

Running head: FASHION RESEARCH
Impact of gender and emotional experience in fashion and customer buying decision
Name of student
Name of university

FASHION RESEARCH 1
Introduction
Fashion is often perceived simply as the way one dresses and presents oneself. However,
it must be remembered that fashion or the way one styles oneself plays a crucial role in
determining identity. At present, human beings are living in a postmodern, consumerist society
where material goods embody the identity of a person. In other words, every individual is driven
by an innate desire to find a distinct identity for himself, which would give him a voice in
society. Fashion, therefore, forms a vital aspect of one’s identity. Fashion helps a person sculpt,
construct and express his or her own identity (Shephard et al., 2016). Fashion can thus be defined
as a cultural and social phenomenon which helps an individual make a statement and
consequently visually communicate with other members of the society. However, the concept of
fashion has always been a grossly gendered subject and that is significantly visible with the
variations in the fashion that both the male and female are having. The difference in the fashion
or the dresses that the people of both the genders are wearing, are significant in specifying the
boundaries of the fashion for both male and female. However the people of conventional
societies consider that the fashion is only dedicated for the females, but the modern world is
significantly opposite to that mindset where the fashion has its own charm for the males as well.
As a result, it is only recently that men’s fashion has gained recognition and is now regarded as a
legitimate aspect of fashion as a cultural phenomenon (Entwistle & Mears, 2013). The research
will attempt to study the role of gender in fashion and study how emotional experiences can have
an impact on the way people perceive fashion.

FASHION RESEARCH 2
Background of the study
There are two vital aspects which determine and shape gender. These are fashion and
dressing, or the way an individual presents himself or herself. Since the early 16th and 17th
centuries when the major fashion movements started, fashion has always been guided by gender
roles. In other words, there is a clear demarcation in the way men and women dress. Men and
women are expected to dress in ways which are distinct to their gender roles (Stokes, 2015). For
instance, women have frequently been considered as the weaker sex while men are considered to
be the superior sex. As a result, women’s fashion has always been shaped to reflect the way
society perceived them – dainty, frail and quaint. On the other hand, men’s fashion has always
been characterized by apparel and accessories that are considered “manly.” However, changes in
attitude and trends have increased the level of gender fluidity in fashion. Fashion has helped
individuals express their gender identity, by restructuring the way girls’ and boys’ fashion are
perceived in society (Gitimu, Workman & Robinson, 2013).
It is also important to analyze the role of store designs and emotional experiences on the
fashion or buying behavior of an individual. For instance, the way an individual perceives a store
would have an impact on the contentment and satisfaction levels of the shoppers. It is not simply
the items that a person buys which affect the pleasure and happiness of a person visiting a
fashion store. There are a number of factors which contribute to the emotional experience of a
shopper. These emotional influences further have an impact on the repurchase decisions of a
shopper.