Designer ID: brands, T-shirts, & the communication of identity

This study examines the dynamics of the relationship between brand image and consumer identity when mediated by designer T‐shirts. A qualitative and quantitative study were undertaken in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of these phenomena. Study 1 conducted (N = 31) in‐depth‐interviews with industry professionals involved in fashion in a diverse range of business and creative capacities. These interviews were performed in an effort to establish an overview of the cultural significance of the T‐shirt, its history and the evolution of its trends in fashion. The interviews were also used to produce an organizational perspective on the business of fashion, branding strategy, and the retail T‐shirt market. Responses informed the design of the study that followed. Study 2 included a pilot study and two online experiments wherein (N = 1237) respondents were divided into 26 sample cells of (41 ≤ n ≤ 53) and issued self‐administered questionnaires asking them to provide opinions of brand and consumer status given a multitude of conditions involving T‐shirts. Results found that branded designer T‐shirts are capable of both raising and lowering the perceived status of consumers based upon the image of the brand; however, they were found to have no significant effect on perceived brand status based upon the identity of the consumer.