Self‐Perceived Influences of Family, Friends, and Media on Adolescent Clothing Choice

The self‐perceived influence of parents, siblings, friends, and media on adolescent clothing choice was examined in a survey of 478 adolescents in the 6th, 9th, and 12th grades from two Midwestern school districts. Differences in self‐perception ofwho orwhat has the most influence on the clothes adolescents choose to wear were examined by chi‐square analysis andfound to be significant for grade, ethnicity, and residence. Friend influence increased with grade, whereas parental influence decreased. Blacks were influenced most by media, whereas Whites were influenced most byfriends. Rural adolescents were influenced more byfriends than were urban adolescents. Of those indicating media as most influential in their clothing choices, significant differences werefoundfor gender, grade, ethnicity, and residence. Findings reveal that media is the most important self‐perceived influence on Black adolescents, is less influential withfemales, gains influence as adolescents age, and has almost twice as much influence on urban adolescents as rural.