Imagining thin: Why vanity sizing works

Abstract

Vanity sizing, the practice of clothing manufacturers, whereby smaller size labels are used on clothes than what the clothes actually are, has become very common. Apparently, it helps sell clothes-women prefer small size clothing labels to large ones. We propose and demonstrate that smaller size labels evoke more positive self-related mental imagery. Thus, consumers imagine themselves more positively (thinner) with a vanity sized size-6 pant versus a size-8 pant. We also show that appearance self-esteem moderates the (mediating) effect of imagery on vanity sizing effectiveness-while vanity sizing evokes more positive mental imagery for both low and high appearance self-esteem individuals, the effect of the positive imagery on clothing preference is significant (only) for people with low appearance self-esteem, supported by the theory of compensatory self-enhancement.Our suggestion of simple marketing communications affecting valence of imagery and consequent product evaluation have implications for many other marketing domains.

The flip side of vanity sizing: How consumers respond to and compensate for larger than expected clothing sizes

“…Our research also focused on female consumers. Here we parallel previous research (e.g., Aydinoglu & Krishna, 2012) on vanity sizing that focused on the population thought to be most susceptible to this marketing tactic. However, it remains unclear how clothing sizes impact men.…”

“…Recent research examining effects of clothing size has shown that although smaller numbers on clothing labels generate positive mental imagery, larger numbers do not have the same effect (Aydinoglu & Krishna, 2012). In the current work we investigated whether larger sizes may result in other outcomes for consumers, such as reduced appearance self‐esteem and compensatory consumption behaviors.…”

“…The question of interest, then, is what happens when a consumer shops at a store that has not followed the vanity‐sizing trend, has inconsistent sizing standards, or has downshifted sizes to a lesser degree. Previous research has suggested that while size labels indicating a smaller‐than‐expected size can generate positive mental imagery, labels indicating a larger‐than‐expected size do not generate such imagery, because mental imagery about being a larger size could be detrimental to self‐worth (Aydinoglu & Krishna, 2012). Building on this notion, we suggest that being faced with larger‐than‐expected sizes can, indeed, be damaging to a consumer's self‐worth because they act as a threat to consumers' appearance self‐esteem.…”

“…Vanity sizing, the practice of altering measurement specifications for garments to enable consumers to fit into smaller sizes (Alexander, Connell, & Presley, 2005), has been shown to lead to more positive evaluations of clothing, based on the positive mental imagery that is evoked when consumers visualize themselves in a smaller size (Aydinoglu & Krishna, 2012). However, because manufacturers do not adhere to sizing guidelines and can pursue vanity sizing to varying degrees, significant variation exists across retailers (Kinley, 2003).…”

Show me the product, show me the model: Effect of picture type on attitudes toward advertising

“…Building on this significance of self‐referencing, we focus on the activation of self‐related imagery through the correct use of pictures in advertising, while considering consumer self‐perceptions. Similar to Aydinoglu and Krishna (2012), we define self‐related mental imagery as “consumers' visualization of the self in product purchase, trial, or usage situations.” Although concrete pictures are representational in nature, we propose that a consideration of domain‐specific consumer self‐esteem when choosing a particular picture will improve its self‐relatedness for the consumers and lead to an easier and increased generation of self‐related mental imagery. Our focus is not on general self‐esteem, but rather, we are interested in the effect of specific self‐esteem, which pertains both to the domain of the product category and to the domain of the picture that illustrates the benefits of the product, as detailed in the next section.…”