Social and Psychological Aspects

Exploring How People Express Their Identities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

---

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore whether work-from-home (WFH) clothing can reinforce sustainability practices while also leading to fashion identity crises among employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study utilized Adam and Galinsky’s theory of enclothed cognition as a theoretical framework to understand how employees select clothing for their new WFH environments during the COVID-19 pandemic and how WFH clothing affects the worker’s sustainable clothing values and sense of identity. Data were collected through an online survey. A total of 147 responses were used. This study highlights the momentous changes work practices are currently undergoing by capturing the early stages of WFH in the context of clothing and identity, specifically focused on sustainable values and informal versus business clothing. Consequently, the findings of this study can contribute to the literature by providing additional data on consumers’ WFH clothing preferences during the pandemic.

Keywords: work from home, WFH, self-expression, Identity, Sustainability

How to Cite:

Bang, H. & Brathwaite, C., (2022) “Exploring How People Express Their Identities During the COVID-19 Pandemic”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13800