Does luxury fashion shape consumers’ perception differently in the real world versus the metaverse? A comparative study on wearer evaluation

As the metaverse’s significance becomes more widely recognized, people are increasingly expressing their identities in virtual spaces, acquiring luxury fashion items that would be difficult to obtain in reality, and willingly engaging in interactions with others. Despite the prominence of the metaverse and luxury fashion as key aspects of lifestyle, comprehensive research on the influence of luxury consumption on others in the metaverse is still lacking. Based on stereotype content model theory and costly signaling theory, this study investigates the relationship between perceptions, traits, emotions, and evaluations and fashion brand and space types. A total of 266 survey responses were analyzed. Results show a significant interaction effect between brand type (luxury vs. non-luxury) and space type (real world vs. metaverse) on trait and emotion. Furthermore, a positive correlation is found between perception, trait, emotion, and evaluation. Academic and practical implications are discussed.