What is cool? Operationalizing the construct in an apparel context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to operationalize the ubiquitously used concept of “cool,” specifically considering its meaning to Generation Y consumers of apparel. Using Churchill's rigorous scale generating method, the authors generate items, pre‐test, and the test with a sample ( n =265) of college students. Design/methodology/approach – Researchers specify the domain of the cool construct, conduct item generation, collect data through a pre‐test to purify the measures and then collect data from a large sample to assess reliability and validity of the measures and construct. Findings – Results of exploratory factor analysis reveal a six‐factor solution; a confirmatory analysis shows that cool is a multi‐dimensional construct reflected in two second‐order factors that this paper labels hedonic and utilitarian cool. These factors are reflected in five first order factors: singular, personal, aesthetic, quality and functional cool. Originality/value – The study provides a valuable insight into cool concept as being a multidimensional construct, operationalizing a scale to measure cool.