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The power of contextual attire: Effects of style and color brightness on customer mood and food consumption

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  • Wang, Sijun
  • Dong, Junwu
  • Guo, Yili

Abstract

With the rise of the experience economy, service providers are increasingly incorporating contextual attire, such as aprons, robes, or uniforms, into customer experiences. Yet the aesthetic elements of such attire remain underexplored as drivers of customer mood and consumption behavior. Drawing on enclothed cognition theory, this research investigates how two aesthetic elements of contextual attire—style (cute vs. serious) and color brightness (high vs. low)—influence customers’ emotional and behavioral responses in a dining context. Across three studies, including a pretest (Study 1), an online experiment (Study 2), and a real-world field experiment in two hotpot restaurants (Study 3), we find that cute styles and brighter colors elicit a more positive mood, which in turn enhances purchase intention and actual food consumption. Moreover, color brightness moderates the effect of style such that a cute style has a stronger impact on mood under brighter conditions. This research contributes to the service design literature by highlighting how aesthetic elements of contextual attire can strategically shape customer experience and behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Sijun & Dong, Junwu & Guo, Yili, 2026. "The power of contextual attire: Effects of style and color brightness on customer mood and food consumption," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:89:y:2026:i:pa:s0969698925003686
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104589
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    References listed on IDEAS

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