Examining fashion conspicuous consumption from a self-congruity perspective: a moderated mediation model

Purpose The study looks at how fashion self-congruity (FSC) components, actual, ideal and ideal social FSC, affect a consumer’s fashion conspicuous consumption (FCC) through the mediating role of self-expression (SEXP). The study aims to investigate the interaction between public self-consciousness (PSC) and various dimensions of FSC on SEXP in an emerging market context (India). Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a quantitative study with 246 respondents and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM) in SPSS AMOS 24. Findings This study found that overall FSC (including its components) is a significant predictor of FCC through SEXP, which mediates the relationship. PSC moderates SEXP when triggered by actual FSC. However, the moderating influence of PSC becomes insignificant when ideal or ideal social FSC triggers SEXP, suggesting differential psychological mechanisms across FSC dimensions. Originality/value Building on prior work, particularly Kaur and Anand (2021), this study refines the self-congruity framework by incorporating ideal social FSC as a third dimension alongside actual and ideal FSC. Unlike earlier studies that treated self-congruity as a unidimensional or bidimensional construct, the study advances theoretical understanding of the tridimensional FSC by exploring a moderated mediation model with SEXP as a mediator and PSC as a moderator variable. By empirically validating this framework in an emerging market (India), the study highlights culturally grounded identity signaling processes in fashion consumption.