Associations between cosmopolitanism, body appreciation, self-esteem and sought functions of clothing

This study investigates the relationships of an individual’s cosmopolitan orientation, body appreciation, self-esteem and sought clothing functions. The sample consisted of 320 university students (184 females, 136 males) with ages ranging from 17 to 59 (M= 26.91, SD= 8.84). Analysis shows that cosmopolitanism is positively associated with body appreciation and self-esteem. Moreover, cosmopolitans choose clothing for fashion purposes and to express their individuality. Results show that gender influences the tested relationships, as the effects were only significant among females. These findings provide the first empirical evidence for significant associations between cosmopolitanism, body appreciation, self-esteem and clothing choices.