Jaehee Jung

Professor, Fashion and Apparel Studies University of Delaware

  • Newark DE

Prof. Jung examines the psychology of clothing and consumer behavior across cultures.

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Spotlight

1 min

What Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad reveals about beauty standards and cultural expectations

Sydney Sweeney’s latest American Eagle campaign is doing more than selling denim – it’s stirring up a heated cultural conversation. Jaehee Jung, professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware, can discuss the ways in which this reaction says a lot about where we are as a society. A leading expert on fashion, body image and consumer behavior, Jung studies how the fashion industry shapes – and is shaped by – our expectations of beauty, identity and representation. The ad in question features Sweeney in relaxed, casual pieces aligned with American Eagle’s classic aesthetic. But online reaction has been anything but chill. While many fans praised the actress’s style and confidence, others criticized the campaign for promoting unrealistic beauty standards and lacking diverse representation. Some even called it “pro-eugenics” – an extreme accusation that points to just how charged the conversation has become. With a background in both psychological and cultural aspects of fashion, Jung is available to discuss why this campaign struck such a nerve — and what it means for the future of women’s fashion and branding. To speak with Professor Jung, visit her ExpertFile profile or contact mediarelations@udel.edu.

Jaehee Jung

1 min

Unraveling the Impact of Barbie on Body Image and Self-esteem

Although she had a record breaking opening weekend at the box office, Barbie, the iconic doll that has been a staple in many childhoods, has always had a tumultuous relationship with girls and women around the world. Often seen as the epitome of desired beauty standards, the doll has played a major role in the cultural zeitgeist of the last 64 years since debuting.  Jaehee Jung, professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware, can speak to the impact Barbie has had on body image issues, how it has affected young girls and womens' beauty ideals and even gender roles. She notes that despite more increased diversity in dolls and franchises, this standard of beauty still has a major impact on all these areas of identity.  Jung's research focuses on body image issues and beauty standards in consumer culture. 

Jaehee Jung

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Biography

Jaehee Jung has expertise in fashion psychology and consumer culture; global brand management and marketing with a strong focus on the luxury industry. Much of Jung's work has an international and cross-cultural focus, particularly in the East Asian region. She has done extensive cross-cultural research on appearance, ideal beauty, and body image, which influences consumer consumption of fashion and beauty products. Jung's market research also focuses on consumer perceptions and attitudes toward brands.

Jung has published her multidisciplinary research in peer-refereed academic journals in business, psychology, sociology, health sciences, and consumer sciences. She was invited as a distinguished scholar/professor to universities in South Korea and China where she offered special courses on fashion business and global marketing.

Industry Expertise

Cosmetics and Beauty
Apparel/Accessories
Consumer Goods
Footwear
Jewelry

Areas of Expertise

Consumer Behavior
Beauty Standards
Fashion Studies
Fashion
Luxury Brands
Body Image Issues‎
International Business Practices

Media Appearances

The psychology behind the Stanley Cup obsession

CNN  tv

2024-01-30

Jaehee Jung, professor of fashion and apparel studies, was interviewed live on CNN Max to talk about the cup, which has gone viral thanks to TikTok users.

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Singaporean woman encounters two fatphobic men in Korea: ‘Beauty standards in Singapore are pretty much the same too if not worse’

Yahoo Style  online

2023-05-10

According to a study conducted by Jaehee Jung, a fashion psychology and consumer culture professor at the University of Delaware, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and distorted perception of body image and weight proved more prevalent in South Korea than in the West and China.

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China: Why some think 'small eyes' are not beautiful

BBC  online

2022-01-03

"Despite some variations across different dynasties, more narrow eyes were preferred in ancient China," said Dr Jaehee Jung, a consumer behaviour expert at the University of Delaware.

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Articles

Social media usage and body image: Examining the mediating roles of internalization of appearance ideals and social comparisons in young women

Computers in Human Behavior

2022

There is increasing scholarly interest in the effects of social media use on women's body image. Here, we tested the utility of the Tripartite Influence Model – developed for traditional media influences on body image – in explaining the link between intensity of social media use and body image outcomes in young adult women from the United States (N = 579). The study tested a serial indirect mediation effect linking intensity of social media use and body esteem outcomes via internalization and social comparison, as well as a direct effect between intensity of social media use and body esteem measures. The results broadly supported for the applicability of the model. Internalization of appearance ideals and social comparison, respectively, were significant mediators of the relationship between intensity of social media use and body image outcomes.

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Effects of self‐discrepancy and self‐schema on young women's body image and self‐esteem after media image exposure

Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal

2018

The purpose of this study was to examine how self-discrepancy and self-schema influence the effects of exposure to thin versus nonidealized model images on young women's body dissatisfaction, body anxiety, and self-esteem as an antecedent and moderator. Female college students at a Midwestern university (n = 380) responded to a web-based survey with stimuli that consisted of thin, nonidealized, and no model images in fashion ads. Results indicated appearance self-discrepancy and self-evaluative schema in appearance augmented body dissatisfaction and body anxiety, and decreased self-esteem, whereas motivational schema in appearance reduced body anxiety and improved self-esteem.

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Young women's perceptions of traditional and contemporary female beauty ideals in China

Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal

2018

This study examined cultural standards of the female ideal beauty as perceived by young women in China using a qualitative approach. Twenty‐three female Chinese students enrolled in Donghua University in Shanghai were recruited for focus groups. Being fat and a round face were mentioned as traditional characteristics of female beauty, while contemporary characteristics included a slim body and a small face. Women in contemporary China seem to endorse many Western standards for the female beauty ideal. These standards have been pervasive in media images in the context of rapid and disruptive social change, in particular for changing gender roles for women.

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Accomplishments

Invited Foreign Professor by Business School, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT)

2019

Recipient of the Best Paper Award in Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising for articles published in Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal,

2018

Top Contributor for Fashion Marketing Scholarship, Clothing and Textiles Research Journal

2016

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Education

The Ohio State University

PhD

The Ohio State University

MS

University of Suwon

BS

Affiliations

  • Journal of Global Marketing : Editorial Board

Languages

  • English
  • Korean
  • Japanese (imited working profLiciency)
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