Building a Runway to Subjective Happiness: The Role of Fashion Modeling Classes in Promoting Seniors’ Mental Well-Being

Abstract

This study focuses on senior citizens who are participating in fashion modeling classes. Modeling classes are one of the most prominent educational leisure activities that has recently garnered the attention of the elderly population. The effect of flow experience in modeling classes on perceived happiness in life was considered. Since the activities related to modeling classes are related to fashion and appearance, the mediating roles of confidence in fashion and appearance satisfaction were included as hypotheses. Survey data of 168 women aged 50 years or older were analyzed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS and SmartPLS. Flow experience was found to have a positive effect on subjective happiness, confidence in fashion, and appearance satisfaction. However, confidence in fashion had a significant impact on appearance satisfaction but not on subjective happiness. Appearance satisfaction also had a significant effect on subjective happiness. Appearance satisfaction had a significant mediation effect from flow experience to subjective happiness, but confidence in fashion did not have significant influence in the process. However, the serial multiple mediation effect through confidence in fashion and appearance satisfaction was detected to be significant from flow experience to subjective happiness. The results are expected to help establish the direction of leisure education programs for seniors and bring progress to the research agenda on the impact of fashion confidence and appearance satisfaction on senior citizens.