{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T05:16:57Z","timestamp":1788412617553,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>As pets increasingly function as family members, emotional companions and resources for identity expression, pet-related fashion consumption has expanded from pet clothing to human\u2013pet co-fashion, in which owners and pets present a coordinated style relationship. Yet the mechanism linking pet attachment to co-fashion purchase intention, and the boundary condition shaping this link remain unclear. Drawing on survey data from 565 consumers with current or prior pet ownership experience, this study examines pet attachment, human\u2013pet relational identity, fashion involvement, pet fashion product purchase intention and human\u2013pet co-fashion purchase intention through mediation and moderation analyses. Pet attachment was positively associated with both purchase intentions, and human\u2013pet relational identity partially mediated these associations. Pet attachment and relational identity were more strongly associated with co-fashion purchase intention than with pet fashion product purchase intention. Fashion involvement negatively moderated the relationship between relational identity and both purchase intentions, indicating that the positive association weakened as fashion involvement increased. By conceptualising human\u2013pet co-fashion as co-consumption that externalises relational identity, this study clarifies how human\u2013pet relationships are expressed through fashion consumption.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16091544","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T08:31:13Z","timestamp":1788251473000},"page":"1544","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["How Pet Attachment Is Associated with Human\u2013Pet Co-Fashion Purchase Intention: The Roles of Relational Identity and Fashion Involvement"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-8431-8051","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yuechun","family":"Ding","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Art and Design, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lixian","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Fashion Design and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China"},{"name":"Silk and Fashion Culture Research Center of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1179","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2011.07.031","article-title":"Moderators of the self-congruity effect on consumer decision-making: A meta-analysis","volume":"65","author":"Bosnjak","year":"2012","journal-title":"Journal of Business Research"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"411","DOI":"10.1086\/209080","article-title":"Dimensions of consumer expertise","volume":"13","author":"Alba","year":"1987","journal-title":"Journal of Consumer Research"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"543","DOI":"10.2307\/352019","article-title":"Pets, families, and the life course","volume":"50","author":"Albert","year":"1988","journal-title":"Journal of Marriage and the Family"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"619","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.109.4.619","article-title":"The relational self: An interpersonal social-cognitive theory","volume":"109","author":"Andersen","year":"2002","journal-title":"Psychological Review"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"367","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2021.11.037","article-title":"What motivates consumers to buy fashion pet clothing? 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