AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Brigitte Gaal Cluver for ...

wearing certain clothing items because the items are physically uncomfortable to
wear due to fit. On the other hand, consumers may cease wearing such clothing
items because wearing clothing that fits poorly is not in line with the identity he/she
wants to portray. When a consumer ceases to wear such clothing items, the items
are no longer a part of his/her active inventory of clothing; rather they are disposed of,
re-circulated into his/her inventory as a new item, or stored within his/her inactive
inventory.
The Quest for New
Campbell (1994) notes that consumers may stop wearing certain clothing
items when the items look worn or are not technologically up-to-date. He explains
that consumers often prefer “fresh or newly created” clothing over clothing that looks
worn. He also states that many consumers favor the latest technologically “new and
improved” clothing items. For example, one may stop wearing a running shirt made
of 100% cotton when he/she replaces it with a lighter-weight 100% polyester running
shirt that was engineered to wick moisture. Furthermore, if the 100% polyester
running shirt becomes worn-looking, he/she may stop wearing the shirt and replace it
with a fresh-looking shirt. An individual may cease wearing certain clothing items
because the items no longer function properly and/or are perceived as being
contaminated due to signs of wear or because the items can be or have been
replaced by items with better performance properties. On the other hand, consumers
may cease wearing such clothing items because a worn out appearance or a
technologically out-dated nature are not in line with the identity a consumer wants to
portray to him/herself or others. When a consumer ceases to wear such clothing
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