Need to Trust

The second motivational goal highlighted by Fiske (2009) concerns the need to trust others. She explains that people motivated by this goal anticipate a positive interaction with others and are more sensitive when it comes to negative feedback. Swim and Thomas (2006) explain that this goal is supported by a belief that the world is fair and that people will not intentionally hurt people. Hence, being exposed to discrimination challenges the safety of the world. Our data analysis revealed many experiences that challenged consumers’ desire for trust that lead to withdrawal. Indeed, their negative experience with stereotyping made many of them lose trust in their social environment and the marketplace. As discussed in our previous results section, this includes experience with stereotyping, feelings of threat from their environment and the negative outcomes associated with marketplace interactions.

In this regard, many of our members report not discussing/sharing weight related issues such as the desire to give up dieting, or the challenge of finding clothes since it exposes them to normative discourses that pressure them to diet. When it comes to the marketplace, many of them report their lack of trust in salespeople since they resent being subject to stereotyping. They explain that this desire to avoid mistrust makes them keep away from new shopping experiences. They prefer to shop only in stores with whom they have established a trustworthy relationship (finding size, finding desired clothing styles, having a positive experience with the salespeople). According to Steele et al. (2002), stereotypes increase

vigilance for prejudice, create a threatening environment and instill mistrust. As illustrated in the following passage, Amélie explains how she avoided going to stores as she did not believe she will find her size. However, finding her size in a store and experiencing trustworthy sales personnel made her go back to the store. She also explains how being able to regain this trust made her reengage with her feminine identity.

I had an ‘a ha’ moment when I was shopping in the factory outlets in Troyes. It had been several years that I wanted to go. So I did it. I found this store and my mom encouraged me to try a skirt in size 50. I was so worried. Mom was right, I looked lovely. I ended up buying several skirts.

I had given up wearing this kind of accessories since a long time.

Because it was so discouraging to end up purchasing a pair of jeans instead of the dressy outfit that I was looking for. I found a lingerie store where my 100F did not scare and where the sales ladies were unusually nice to help me find what I was looking for… Anyway, I got back with the feeling that I can finally enjoy dressing like a woman, and feel comfortable. After that, everything followed, the work on myself, men’s attitude towards my body, my perception of my body…

The funniest thing happened when I went back to the store. I knew that I would fit in most of their clothes. I found a short dress in a smaller size with a large fit. I tried it and it was perfect. I had lost a size without losing a single gram. Since then I have hidden my jeans in the closet and I started wearing dresses and skirts of all styles!

And mostly, I really feel like myself, without a costume, comfortable and still not slim Wink, but I care less!

The following experience offered by Janice also highlights the withdrawal resulting from the lack of a trustworthy relationship with a fashion store. She explains that moving from one city to another made her avoid shopping with her boyfriend. She explains how in her former city she had identified stores where she had established trust and was sure to find what she was looking for. She resorts to the community to identify trustworthy stores in her new city.

I just moved to Lausanne, and I am completely lost. Before, I knew where to go shopping to avoid feeling bad because I fit in nothing.

This happened, even if there were not many stores that carried my size. This is how I feel right now.

I absolutely avoid shopping with my boyfriend from fear of finding myself in this humiliating situation when I am with him.

I cannot stand this. My self confidence (if we assume I have one) lies in pretending. Pretending as if I am perfectly within the norm, that this “little thing” does not affect me, everything is ok, I am like everybody. Then we have to survive these little things that reposition everything back in our head. Thanks to them for reminding me, I had almost forgotten about my situation.

Anyway, I felt a little depressed and I needed to write it somewhere.

Joining the community puts the consumer in an environment where they can fulfill their goal of trust. In this regard, Voci (2006) highlights that marginalized people affiliated with a group, trust more members of their groups as opposed to outgroup members. This is because they share a similar social perception of the world. Our data analysis confirms that most of the members regard the community as a safe and trustworthy environment. In VLR, members report feeling free to discuss their dressing preferences. Several of them also publish pictures of their styles for feedback from other members to identify what looks good on them.

Many of them report not being able to trust their surrounding environment that keeps pushing them to conform to norms and to engage in weight loss. Nathalie’s experience with VLR highlights the trust associated with the community. Similarly to several members, she reports disclosing in the community weight related information that she is unable to disclose within her close social environment.

Hello everyone!!

It has been few months that I am reading you messages on a daily basis and that I have been talking about this website around me as if it was a bible!!

It’s true that as soon as I come here I know that I can find support or an answer to one of the 100 questions that pop up in my head every second…

Anyways, let me quickly introduce myself, my name is Fanny, I am 26 years old, and I had gastric ring surgery, only a year ago!! I have lost 35 kg and everything is going great (I cannot dream of better), but the road is still very long. I started at 144kg. Yes I dare say it here but nobody knows about it around me!! What I am trying to say is that I still struggle with my body and my self-image. I have been working on it very hard for the past 2-3 years but I must admit that this website helps me a lot.

I would like to share many things with you and that you share things with me.

Also, I live in Lyon, but I don’t know the city very well so I am open to going out!!

Kisses to all.

The trustworthiness of the community also extends to external environments. Being a member of VLR helps multiply positive interactions with the marketplace through referring members to threat free contexts /stores. This reinforces the power of the community to fulfill the trust goal. As a result, many consumers that used to adopt an avoidance coping strategy report using the community to identify trustworthy stores. Most of them report that VLR helps them identify stores where they can find their size and where they manage to fulfill their desired style without risking to come back empty handed. As with many members, Alice’s message illustrates how discovering these trustworthy stores that account for the overweight consumers generates more engagement with fashion consumption.

I would say that it’s 99% thanks to or because of VLR that I spend a lot on clothes and accessories.

Once we join Vlr, we discover stores like Julie, Torrid, B&Lu,……..

etc, we find clothes our size on blogs, …etc.

So we give in to temptation and Bam we catch the shopping fever.