Consumer migration from traditional fashion items to wearable devices: a symbolic perspective

Purpose This study aims to investigate the psychological mechanisms behind consumers switching from traditional fashion items to wearable devices, focusing on symbolic congruence and procedural switching costs. Design/methodology/approach Using smart glasses as the focal wearable, a survey of 276 South Korean adults aged 18–49 examined how perceptions of relative advantage influence adoption and switching intentions. Findings The results revealed that symbolic congruence significantly drives adoption and switching intentions, partially mediating the effect of relative advantage. Conversely, procedural switching costs did not significantly impact either intention, suggesting that they are not a significant barrier for younger consumers. Originality/value This study advances the literature by framing consumer switching from fashion items to wearable devices as an identity-driven process and by demonstrating the central role of symbolic congruence while revealing the limited influence of procedural switching costs beyond traditional function-based adoption models, particularly in understanding consumers’ attitudinal and intentional orientations toward such transitions.