The document studies how vanity sizing, where clothing labels do not accurately reflect the true size of the garment, can affect consumer evaluations and behaviors. Three studies found that consumers prefer clothing items with smaller size labels and evaluate them more positively, and view items with larger labels negatively, potentially harming their self-esteem. The research also found evidence that when threatened by a larger size, consumers may try to compensate through increased purchases of non-sized goods from the same retailer.

1. Does Size Really Matter?
The Effect of Vanity Sizing on Product Evaluations
JoAndrea Hoegg Maura L. Scott
Andrea C. Morales Darren W. Dahl

2. Marketing & Consumer
Size
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3. Vanity Sizing
Let ‘em eat cake, but if you want to sell ‘em
clothes, trick ‘em into thinking that the cake they
eat doesn’t put on pounds.”
(Eisenberg 2009)
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4. The sizes, they are a-changin’
y g
Size 14
1950
and
today
Even in a 10-year spa
e 0 yea span….
Size 8 in 1986 is equal to size 10 in 1997 (Workman & Lentz 2000)
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5. The sizes, they are a-changin’
y g
Waist M
W i t Measurements for Size 7/8 Pants
t f Si P t
40
38
36
34
32
30
28
26
24
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6. Are you pa ts lying to you
e your pants y g you?
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7. Our Research
How does vanity sizing affect consumers?
Evaluation of clothing and retailers
g
Effects on self esteem
Effects on shopping behaviours
7
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8. Self-Esteem and Altered Sizes
Appearance Self Esteem – critical to sense of self worth
• Chronic level
• Context dependent
• P
People seek t attain positive boosts and avoid
l k to tt i iti b t d id
negative drops that deviate from their normal level
self-esteem.
• Clothing size may impact how we feel about
ourselves.
• L
Lower appearance esteem people are more aware of their
t l f th i
size.
8
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9. Self-Esteem and Altered Sizes
Hypothesis 1: When a clothing item that fits is a smaller
size than expected, consumers will evaluate the item
more positively.
Hypothesis 2: When a clothing item that fits is a larger size
than expected, consumers will evaluate the item more
expected
negatively.
Hypothesis 3: When appearance esteem is bolstered,
threats to self-esteem from larger size labels are
mitigated
iti t d
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10. Study 1: Fitting Room
Experience
Variables manipulated:
• Size on labels: smaller vs. larger than
expected
Bolstered self esteem: intellect vs.
vs
appearance
Key measures:
• Attitude toward the pants (bad/good,
dis/like, un/pleasant, un/satisfied)
• Likelihood to shop at the store
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11. Study 1: Fitting Room
Experience
Two Phase Study
Phase 1 Bolstering
• Intellect:
Aptitude test (GRE Jiang et al. 2010)
Outcome: 89th percentile – you’re smart!
• Appearance:
“Symmetry and proportion test” – digital
photos
h t
Outcome: 89th percentile – you’ve got a
great shape!
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12. Study 1: Fitting Room
Experience
Phase 2: Evaluating a new local fashion retailer
Size label manipulated on pants hangers
Two Sizes Smaller (10 labeled “6”; 8 labeled “4”; etc.)
6; 4 ; etc )
Two Sizes Larger (10 labeled “14”; 8 labeled “12”; etc.)
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13. Study 1: Attitude toward
Pants
5.5
5 4.82
4.79
4.5 4.30
Bolstered
4 Intelligence
3.75
3.5 Bolstered
Appearance
3
Two sizes larger Two sizes smaller
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14. Study 1 Summary
Consumers like small sizes and dislike large sizes
sizes.
Reactions to clothing size seem to be driven in
g
part by appearance self esteem.
• Bolstering feelings about appearance reduces the
threat and mitigates the negative evaluation
g g
14
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15. How Do Consumers Cope?
p
Requiring a larger size is a threat to appearance self
q g g pp
esteem.
Consumers compensate for threats by consuming.
• Affirm threatened aspects of the self
• Compensatory consumption
Hypothesis 4: When a clothing item that fits is a larger size
than expected, consumers will have higher purchase
intentions for non-sized products
non sized
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16. Study 2: Measurement
Experience
Variables manipulated
• Size: expected size, two sizes larger than expected
Phase 1:
Report expected size i b i
R t t d i in business attire
tti
Phase 2: (three weeks later)
Evaluate tailor made clothing
Key Measures:
Willingness to pay for suit
Attitude toward the suit
Likelihood of purchasing other products from retailer
> Sized items (skirts, blouses, undergarments)
> Non-sized items (fragrance, scarves, jewelry/watches)
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17. Evaluating Custom-Made
Business Suit
Go into Dressing Room
g
Take Measurements
Bring Sheet to Administrator
17
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18. Evaluating Custom-Made
Business Suit
Administrator References
Fictitious Size Chart,
Assigns Size and Suit
Sample Card
18
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19. Study 2 Results
Attitude toward suit WTP
6 5.49 $200 $188.00
5 4.53 $160 $148.00
$148 00
4
$120
3
2 $80
1 $40
0
$0
Expected Size Larger Size
19
Expected Size Larger Size
p < .05 p < .05
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20. Study 2 Results
Likelihood of Purchasing Other Items
6
5.00
5 4 83
4.83
4.44
4.07
4
Sized Items
3 Non-Sized Items
2
Expected Size Larger Size
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21. Summary – Study 2
y y
• Evidence of a coping mechanism
through consumption.
• Th t
Threatened i di id l purchase non-sized goods
d individuals h i d d
and avoid sized goods.
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22. Can Consumers Protect
Themselves?
Consumers’ Knowledge of Persuasion Attempts
g p
Consumers have ideas about persuasion that help them form
attitudes about influence agents (Friestad & Wright 1994)
Reduced size label  persuasion attempt
Hypothesis 5: The effects of altered sizing
practice will be reduced when consumers
are wary of marketing persuasion tactics
tactics.
22
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23. Study 3
Variables Manipulated
Size: smaller than expected vs. larger than
expected
Suspicion of marketers: yes vs. no
S i i f k t
Two part study:
Part 1: Read persuasion knowledge article or neutral
article
Part 2:
P 2 Scenario about selecting and trying on pants
S i b l i d i
… as you pull the pants up you find that they are far
[too loose/too tight]...After trying on a few pairs, you
find a pair that fits perfectly that is labeled two sizes
[smaller/larger] than your normal size.
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24. Study 3 Results - Attitudes
6
5.32
5 4.78
4 78
4 3.88 Not Suspicious
3.28 Suspicious
3
2
Smaller Size Larger Size
24
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25. Conclusions
• Consumers like fitting into smaller sizes and
respond very negatively to larger sizes
• Size label can act as a boost or threat to consumers’
self esteem
esteem.
• Is boosted self esteem a good thing in this case?
• Consumers respond to appearance threats by
purchasing non-sized appearance-enhancing items.
• Improving consumers’ awareness of marketing
tactics reduces, but does not eliminate the effects.
reduces effects
25
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26. Thank you!