Your Gadgets Are The New Gucci: How Tech Became a Fashion Flex

Once upon a time, tech was all about specs and utility—processors, battery life, how many tabs you could have open without your laptop begging for mercy. But according to Varun Grover, Distinguished Professor at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, tech has undergone a serious glow-up. It’s no longer just functional; it’s fashionable.

“Most of the time when we talk about technology, we’re talking about utility,” said Grover, who also holds the George M. and Boyce W. Billingsley Endowed Chair in Information Systems. “But today, this marriage of utility and aesthetics is unique.”

Think Apple Watches, TikToks and VR headsets—all shaping culture as much as they serve function. In his latest study published in Information Systems Research, Grover unpacks how IT (information technology, not the creepy clown) has become fashionable, and what that means for how we buy, use, and flaunt our gadgets.

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Form Meets Function (and FOMO)

Miniaturisation has made tech more wearable and, let’s be honest, more Instagrammable. From smartwatches that track your sleep cycles to VR goggles that double as futuristic headgear, today’s devices aren’t just tools—they’re personal style statements.

“You cannot have a technology that’s fashionable unless it has something novel in it,” said Grover. And in the tech world, novelty is twofold: design and function. Whether it’s an ultra-sleek design or a feature you didn’t know you needed, the next big thing is usually the next beautifully designed thing.

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Fashion’s Fast Burn

Unlike your average gadget, fashionable tech enjoys an explosive rise—think viral hype, celebrity endorsements, and TikTok unboxings galore—before it falls out of favour as quickly as it arrived. Sound familiar? That’s fashion.

Grover’s study also found that when something becomes widely adopted and flaunted by high-status individuals (celebrities, influencers, your effortlessly cool coworker), people start to see it as fashionable. And once something aligns with your self-image, you’re sold—even if it doesn’t actually do much more than the last version.

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Looks Over Logic? Sometimes, Yes.

In a survey of 200+ consumers, Grover’s team found that if a device is seen as fashionable, people are less concerned about how functional it is. “There is a segment of society that is very sensitive to fashion,” Grover explains. “So optimising on utility and sub-optimising on aesthetics will probably not maximise your market penetration.”

But beware—fashion is fickle. Brands can throw influencer campaigns and launch parties at a product, but there’s no guarantee it’ll catch on. “Things can go viral or not go viral,” Grover said. “And companies like to be in control… but fashion doesn’t play by those rules.”

In short: style sells, but only if it vibes with the moment.