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American Consumer Perceptions of Sustainable Fashion, Fast Fashion, and Mass Fashion Practices
... Finally, fashion has a systemic lock-in to material leakages at every step in the life cycle of a garment. For example, part from material loss throughout production and recycling [96][97][98], a larger proportion of clothes is seen as almost disposableworn for a season or even a day, then discarded or never worn before being discarded [24,99,100]. ...
... Nevertheless, sustainable circularity is also constrained by fashion users' everyday decisions on what clothes to buy, use and dispose. Neither the actual material inputs nor the environmental harms caused by fashion are readily perceivable by consumers and are often not acknowledged by fashion brands themselves [99]. Fashion users, the social and cultural worlds they are part of and the nestedness of the material and non-material parts of their choices all play a vital role in controlling the 'return flow' of usable materials to the system. ...
... Studies on fashion user's relationship with environmental aspects are marginal; however, studies found are agreeing that fashion users do not make decisions based on material sustainability. A study by Palomo-Lovinski and Hahn [99] showed unawareness and disconnection between consumers actions and the environment, Niinimäki [22] explored ways to approach sustainable design from the consumers' view point and found that 'the discussion and evaluation of values should be at the core', and a Swedish study found that clothes are disposed because of their material condition but due to non-material aspects [24]. ...
The fashion and textiles industry, and policymakers at all levels, are showing an increased interest in the concept of circular economy as a way to decrease business risks and negative environmental impacts. However, focus is placed mainly on the material ‘stuff’ of textile fashion and its biophysical harms. The current material focus has several shortcomings, because fashion is a social-ecological system and cannot be understood merely by addressing its environmental dimensions. In this paper, we rethink the fashion system from a critical social-ecological perspective. The driver-state-response framework shows social drivers and ecological impacts as an adaptive social-ecological system, exposing how these interacting aspects need to be addressed for sustainable and resilient implementation of circular economy. We show how current responses to global sustainability challenges have so far fallen short. Our overall aim is to expand possibilities for reframing responses that better reflect the complex links between the global fashion system, culture and creativity and the dynamics of the living planet. We argue that reducing planetary pressure from the global fashion and textiles industry requires greater recognition of the system’s social drivers with more emphasis on the many cross-scale links between social and ecological dimensions. Resilient decisions aiming for sustainable circularity of the fashion industry must therefore pay attention to social activities beyond the industry value chain, not just material flows within it.
... In environmental psychology, the interaction between proenvironmental identity and descriptive norm is a growing area of interest. he theory of normative social behavior suggests that descriptive norm's influence on behavior can be moderated by how well an individual's self-identity aligns with that behavior [63][64][65][66][67] . For instance, individuals who strongly identify as recyclers are more likely to be influenced by descriptive norms in their recycling behaviors 68 . ...
Previous research investigated the impact of psychosocial predictors (e.g. attitude, social and moral norm, perceived behavioral control, intention) on sustainable clothing purchasing. To date, no studies considered whether proenvironmental self-identity moderates the effects of these predictors on behavior. In this study, we adopted an intrapersonal approach and a longitudinal design to assess the moderating role of proenvironmental self-identity in predicting intentions and behaviors, considering gender differences. 250 participants completed an initial questionnaire on the predictors of three sustainable clothing purchasing. A month later, they filled out a second questionnaire to self-assess these behaviors. The results showed that social and internalized norms (moral norms) were notably influential of participants’ intentions. Affective attitude influenced behavior positively, while cognitive attitude had a negative influence. When considering the moderating role of proenvironmental self-identity, significant gender differences emerged. Women with a weak proenvironmental self-identity expressed a higher intention to purchase sustainable clothing when they had high affective attitudes and descriptive norm but low cognitive attitudes. Women with a strong proenvironmental self-identity intended to purchase sustainable clothing when they had high moral norms and cognitive attitudes but low descriptive norm. Man with a weak proenvironmental self-identity and high positive affective attitude increased their future SCP.
... Papers [45][46][47][48][49][50] often analysed empirical data obtained through interviews, surveys and consumer questionnaires. These methods were applied not only to determine consumer preferences, but also explored existing knowledge and attitudes, providing empirical evidence to support initiatives to promote more environmentally friendly purchasing behaviors. ...
Since the late twentieth century, the global fashion industry has been increasingly embracing the business model known as fast fashion. Characterised by rapid production cycles, fleeting trends, low-cost garments and large-scale production, fast fashion seems to meet consumer demand for affordable and trendy clothing. However, its environmental impact as a major polluter poses significant challenges to sustainability and circularity initiatives. This article presents the results of a systematic literature review, exploring the unsustainable consequences of fast fashion, focusing on both demand and supply side, from a geographical perspective. Using a Global North–Global South framework, it explores differences in socio-economic structures, consumption and production patterns, access to resources and environmental impacts. The analysis suggests that a fair and equitable transition towards a sustainable and circular fashion industry will require the links between business, society and nature to be reconsidered, to avoid perpetuating the inequalities associated with the global linear capitalist economy. The findings highlight the importance of both markets and institutions in sustainable growth. In the Global North, the most frequently discussed topics relate to investment and research and development with respect to new technologies or system innovations often with the support of well-structured political guidance. Conversely, in the Global sustainable initiatives tend to be scattered, country-specific and intricately tied to particular socio-economic and cultural contexts.
... Studies show that the clothing residence time, the average number of times a piece of clothing is worn before its disposal, is decreasing , Euromonitor 2016. As a result, clothes are not disposed because of wear and tear but instead the majority of clothing is worn for a handful of times or even just a day, before disposal (Ekström and Högskolan i Borås 2012, Remy et al. 2016, Palomo-Lovinski and Hahn 2020. At the end of a garment's lifecycle, less than 1% of clothing material is recycled into new clothing (Hofvenstam 2016, Wicker 2016, EMF 2017 The fashion industry is aware that if these current global growth trends continue, a growing global fashion industry is likely to require more fossil-fuel based feedstocks, extract more resources from the living world and emit an increasing amount of waste (Sandin et al. 2019). ...
The fashion industry contributes to shaping the state of the planet: impacts of production and consumption of textile fast-fashion are rising, and the growing number of sustainability-oriented actions have not slowed current trends. The industry’s (un)sustainability is mainly researched within two epistemic communities: fashion studies concerned with social sustainability, and circular economy focused on material biophysical and technological aspects of material cycles along the value chain. I argue that this split of social and ecological aspects is the problématique of sustainable fashion, and that the epistemic community of sustainability sciences should turn its attention to fashion.
My aim has been to develop a theoretically informed way of thinking critically about the intertwinedness of social- ecological systems, using fashion as a case study. I combine a social-ecological systems approach with critical realism as a metatheory of transdisciplinarity. My four mixed-methods research papers draw from data and information synthesis, ‘Keystone actor’ and business ecosystem analysis, literature review, analysis and critique of texts that shape theory and praxis in social-ecological systems approaches, and metatheoretic integration.
My thesis provides a better understanding that the depth of fashion’s social-ecological intertwinedness is more than what is observed, studied and experienced. It contributes to a theoretical framework showing why sustainability of fashion needs to be thought of in terms of systems that reflect real connectivity and diversity, supporting fashion industry engagement with intrinsically intertwined material and social dimensions. Bringing attention to this intertwinedness opens up for possibilities and creative thinking for sustainable fashions.
... It is important to recognize that companies exist because they have a customer base, and future research should consider addressing consumer behavior. Stated consumer preferences for sustainable clothing brands do not always translate to consumer purchasing behavior when such product lines are available [69]. ...
Global industries are typically dominated by a few disproportionately large and influential transnational corporations, or keystone actors. While concentration of economic production is not a new phenomenon, in an increasingly interconnected and globalized world, the scale of the impacts of keystone actors on diverse social-ecological systems continues to grow. In this article, we investigate how keystone actors in the global clothing industry engage in collaboration with a variety of other organizations to address nine interrelated biophysical and socioeconomic sustainability challenges. We expand on previous theoretical and empirical research by focusing on the larger business ecosystem in which keystone actors are embedded, and use network analysis to assess the contributions of different actor types to the architecture of the ecosystem. This systemic approach to the study of keystone actors and sustainability challenges highlights an important source of influence largely not addressed in previous research: the presence of organizations that occupy strategic positions around keystone actors. Such knowledge can help identify governance strategies for advancing industry-wide transformation towards sustainability.
Previous research investigated the impact of psychosocial predictors (e.g. attitude, social and moral norm, perceived behavioural control, intention) on sustainable clothing purchasing behaviour. To date, no studies considered whether pro-environmental self-identity moderates the effects of these predictors on behaviour. In this study, we adopted an intrapersonal approach to examine the effects of pro-environmental self-identity on different behaviours and a longitudinal design to assess the moderating role of pro-environmental self-identity in predicting intentions and behaviours, controlling for past behaviour. 250 participants completed a first questionnaire designed to measure the Theory of Planned Behaviour constructs related to three different sustainable clothing purchase behaviours. One month later, the participants completed a second questionnaire in which they assessed their self-assessment of these behaviours. The results showed that for all behaviours, affective attitude influenced behaviour positively, while cognitive attitude had a negative influence. The influence of previous behaviours increased with a decrease in pro-environmental self-identity.
The Fast fashion industry trend has proliferated due to its fast production and affordable prices. However, its negative impact on the climate and environment is significant. Previous research has revealed that Fast Fashion contributes to high greenhouse gas emissions, excessive water usage, water pollution, and the generation of non-biodegradable textile waste. All of these factors harm environmental sustainability. Additionally, the mass production model of Fast Fashion also encourages excessive consumption, creates non-biodegradable textile waste, and increases pressure on natural resources. This study aims to examine the relationship between fashion orientation (FO) and Fast fashion purchase intention (FFPI), as well as their impact on Fast fashion purchasing behavior (FFPB). This research also explores the influence of sustainable clothing consumption attitudes (SCCA) as a moderating factor. Data were collected from 214 respondents through the nonprobability snowball sampling method. The analysis was conducted using the PLS-SEM method. The study's results indicate that FO significantly influences FFPI and strongly correlates with FFPB. Moreover, SCCA moderates the relationship between FFPI and FFPB. These findings imply that to address the negative impact of Fast Fashion on climate change and the environment, changes in FO and FFPI and an increase in SCCA are needed. Education and consumer awareness regarding the negative impacts of Fast Fashion, promotion and support for sustainable clothing brands and products, and implementing policies that encourage more sustainable production and consumption practices are essential steps that can be taken.
The fashion industry is in a state of flux, incongruent with the pace and scale of twenty-first-century consumers. The industry is doing business in a way that is quickly outstripping itself, relying on resources that are disappearing, and dependent on human beings working in unsafe and unfair conditions. The current fashion system relies on constantly providing choice in a short amount of time. This system is reliant on a massive carbon footprint, harming or taking advantage of workers, destroying environments, and which inherently leads to landfills that poison the earth. These practices are short-sighted and in need of change. It is therefore incumbent on those participating in the fashion industry to steer the colossal ship around to support choice, encouraging responsibility, collaboration and kindness, while ensuring physical longevity. This article is a follow-up study that seeks to address the feasibility of a proposed retail and design environment that relies on locality and interaction. The qualitative pilot study examined here focused on women born roughly between 1964 and 1980, also known in the United States as ‘Generation-X’. Women were asked about their understanding of locality, community and sustainability as well as how and what clothing purchases they make. Survey results suggest that women favour a sense of community that emphasizes acceptance, common goals and a learning environment that allows for a non-judgmental interaction and education about sustainable practices. Additionally, the survey supports the proposal of the local retail and design environment.
Prior research on sustainable consumption has addressed a variety of issues yet is characterized by mixed results. Researchers have often treated sustainability as a uni-dimensional construct, overlooking important differences and thwarting a better understanding of consumer response. We demonstrate that consumers perceive the social and environmental dimensions of sustainability as psychologically distinct in theoretically and practically important ways. Specifically, consumers associate the social dimension of sustainability more with affective, short-term, and local considerations and the environmental dimension more with cognitive, long-term, and global considerations. We identify and explore these distinctions in a qualitative pilot study, which subsequently motivated development of three hypotheses. We provide evidence supporting these hypotheses in a series of five studies. Our findings enable a reinterpretation of prior equivocal research, serve as a foundation for future research, and provide guidance for how policy-makers can tailor policy and related communication efforts depending on whether the focal issue is related to social versus environmental concerns.
This study proposes style consumption as a way to foster sustainable apparel consumption. In doing so, we identify explanatory and outcome variables of style consumption and also examine gender differences in these variables. Based on an online survey with 586 consumers, we find that frugal apparel consumption, fashion consciousness, and ecologically conscious consumption enhance the likelihood of style consumption. Style consumption in turn increases environmental apparel purchase and sustainable apparel divestment. The results also suggest significant gender differences both in motivational and behavioral variables included in the model. Specifically, females are significantly higher than males in frugal apparel consumption, fashion-consciousness, and ecologically conscious consumption. The tendency of style consumption, environmental apparel purchase, and sustainable apparel divestment were also higher for females than males. In addition, we find that gender is a significant factor mediating the effect of fashion consciousness and that of ecologically conscious consumption on style consumption. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The phrase “fast fashion” refers to low-cost clothing collections that mimic current luxury fashion trends. Fast fashion helps sate deeply held desires among young consumers in the industrialized world for luxury fashion, even as it embodies unsustainability. Trends run
their course with lightning speed, with today’s latest styles swiftly trumping yesterday’s, which have already been consigned to the trash bin. This article addresses the inherent dissonance among fast fashion consumers, who often share a concern for environmental issues even as
they indulge in consumer patterns antithetical to ecological best practices. Seemingly adept at compartmentalism, and free of conflicted guilt, such consumers see no contradiction in their Janus-faced desires. Can luxury fashion, with ostensibly an emphasis on authenticity, and its concomitant
respect for artisans and the environment, foster values of both quality and sustainability? Since individual identity continually evolves, and requires a materially referential re-imagining of self to do so, we hypothesize that actual rather than faux luxury brands can, ironically, unite the
ideals of fashion with those of environmental sustainability.
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to explore the differences between fast fashion and slow fashion consumers in regards to their consumer decision process stages (i.e. purchase/consumption, post‐consumption evaluation, and divestment).
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative data were collected via focus groups and personal interviews. Participants were recruited through flyers that were posted at various locations, including a college campus, select retail stores, and www.craigslist.com The sample consisted of 38 participants, 22 fast fashion and 16 slow fashion. All participants were female, 18 years of age or older, with a mean age of 21.2 years.
Findings
Three groups of themes emerged. The purchase/consumption themes were buyers’ remorse avoidance, utilitarianism, hedonism, and style/self‐image congruence. The post‐consumption evaluation themes included instant satisfaction vs continued satisfaction and consumer expectation confirmation. Finally, the divestment themes consisted of divestment frequencies, divestment reasons, and divestment approaches.
Research limitations/implications
This study explored the purchase and post‐purchase stages of the Consumer Decision Process (CDP) model. This particular focus on the CDP model, in the context of fast (vs slow) fashion, has not been researched in the past. Additionally, this research adds to the body of knowledge by utilizing the CDP model to understand the differences between fast fashion and slow fashion consumers.
Practical implications
Fast fashion and slow fashion retailers may use this research to better understand their target markets by understanding why they choose to purchase/consume, what influences their post‐consumption evaluation, and how and why they choose to divest their clothing.
Originality/value
Past research has demonstrated the importance of understanding the supply chain and business model aspect of fast fashion. However, no empirical studies have been found that examine the decision‐making process of consumers of fast (vs slow) fashion.
Sustainable practices in clothing have not, thus far, created a significant impact and instead continue to be largely marginalized within the fashion industry. The fashion industry continues to work in an inefficient manner that creates massive waste, exploits workers, and makes it increasingly difficult to make a substantial profit. There is wide disagreement among design environmentalists where energies must be focused to solve these problems. Many believe that consumers are primary instigators in change. Consumers do not understand any of the logistical or practical considerations of clothing design. Designers are, however, responsible for as much as 80 percent of any product that is introduced and have the ability to influence how fabric is sourced and how clothing is produced, cared for, and then discarded. This article explores professional fashion designers’ understanding and awareness of the current best practices in sustainable design. Thirty-five design professionals were surveyed about sustainability in fashion to assess what was missing in their education. The results are interpreted and analyzed as a basis for a new focus on curricula within the American college system and to create lasting and substantive change in the fashion industry.
Policy-makers are interested in cost-effective and socially acceptable ways of encouraging the public to adopt more environmentally-friendly lifestyles. One area which UK policy-makers are focussing on is ‘catalyst behaviour’, the notion that taking-up a new behaviour (such as recycling) may cause people to adopt other pro-environmental behaviours. Yet, evidence for such ‘spill-over’ effects is so far limited, and it is unclear when and how cross-situational motivations (e.g., pro-environmental identity) may predict behaviour and when contextual factors are more important. We report on a postal survey (N = 551) of pro-environmental behaviours amongst the UK public. We assess the influence of pro-environmental self-identify on consistency across a range of behaviours. Pro-environmental values, perceived behavioural control, subjective norm, attitudes, and demographic factors were also measured. Findings show self-identity to be a significant behavioural determinant over and above theory of planned behaviour variables for carbon offsetting behaviour. However, pro-environmental self-identity was only a significant predictor for certain other pro-environmental behaviours; background variables were also important predictors. Limitations of the study, and implications for theory and policy, are discussed.
Marketing ethics and social responsibility are inherently controversial, and years of research continue to present conflicts and challenges for marketers on the value of a socially responsible approach to marketing activities. This article examines whether or not consumers care about ethical behaviour, and investigates the effect of good and bad ethical conduct on consumer purchase behaviour. Through focus group discussions it becomes clear that although we are more sophisticated as consumers today, this does not necessarily translate into behaviour which favours ethical companies and punishes unethical firms. The article concludes by some thoughts on how marketers might encourage consumers to engage in positive purchase behaviour in favour of ethical marketing.
Looking to the future of green marketing, examines the dynamic nature of ecologically conscious consumer behavior. The study also provides a method of profiling and segmenting college students based upon ecologically conscious consumer behavior. Findings indicate that, despite a significant amount of past research attention, demographic criteria are not as useful a profiling method as psychographic criteria. Consistent with past findings, the study indicates that perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) provides the greatest insight into ecologically conscious consumer behavior. Further, the inclusion of altruism to the profile appears to add significantly to past efforts. Additional constructs examined suggest that environmental segmentation alternatives are more stable than past profiles that have relied primarily on demographic criteria.
This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of eco-fashion consumption and consumer purchase decisions while constructing one's self with external symbols, such as appearance, clothing and fashion items. This study approaches sustainable clothing from a grounding in design research and the meanings of material culture. The study uses sociology and social psychology; hence, the meaning of appearance and especially clothing and fashion is understood in a social context. This paper also takes an interdisciplinary approach to eco-clothes as cultural and design objects in a social and sustainable development context, objects that intertwine consumers' ethical attitudes and values and how they construct a concept of 'self' using external symbols. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Recent changes in the business environment have prompted marketing scholars to pay particular attention to sustainability
as a topic of inquiry. Despite the progress made in the study of sustainability, there is a paucity of research on the topic
in premier marketing journals. To address this issue, we focus on marketing-related journals and assess the intellectual structure
of sustainability research in detail. Drawing on social network theory, we perform an extensive co-citation analysis using
multidimensional scaling to examine 76,342 citations made in 1,320 sustainability-focused articles from 36 journals over 51years
(1958–2008). This study specifies that the topics of citizenship behavior, stakeholder theory, corporate performance, and
the triple bottom line are integral sustainability research areas. In addition, the results indicate five required topics
for examining sustainability in the marketing context: external-internal focus, social-environmental emphasis, legal-ethical-discretionary
intent, marketing assets, and financial performance. Supported by the capabilities-based resource perspective, the sustainability-focused
typology and framework advanced provide directed structure for future research.
KeywordsSustainability–Multidimensional scaling–Intellectual structure–Longitudinal analysis–Triple bottom line–Corporate responsibility–Corporate social responsibility–Corporate environmental responsibility–Corporate social performance–Corporate environmental performance–Marketing-finance interface–Bibliometric analysis–Social network theory
Lean supply is closely associated with enabling flow and the elimination of wasteful variation within the supply chain. However, lean operations depend on level scheduling and the growing need to accommodate variety and demand uncertainty has resulted in the emergence of the concept of agility. This paper explores the role of inventory and capacity in accommodating such variation and identifies how TRIZ separation principles and TOC tools may be combined in the integrated development of responsive and efficient supply chains. A detailed apparel industry case study is used to illustrate the application of these concepts and tools.
Packed with full-colour images from contributors such as Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, Edun and People Tree, A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion is a much-needed handbook for both students and professionals in the fashion and textile industries.
Beginning with a reflection on current models of fashion design and production, this book introduces the key issues associated with the production, use and disposal of fashion clothing and gives step-by-step guidance on how to identify and evaluate the potential impacts of a garment during the design process.
Featuring industry perspectives and studio-based exercises, the final five chapters of the book explore a range of ways in which designers can reduce the negative impacts associated with the life cycle of fashion garments. Packed with innovative examples of best practice from international designers and brands, these chapters present each key stage in the life cycle of a fashion garment and explore approaches such as low-impact textiles techniques, mono-materiality, zero waste techniques, upcycling, repair and maintenance techniques and closed-loop design systems.
A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion offers an overview of the following topics: garment design; sourcing and selecting fabrics and techniques; pattern making and toiling; garment construction; distribution; clothing care and maintenance; reuse and re-manufacture; and material recycling; and it also covers the following sustainable design approaches: design for empathy; using mono materials; zero waste techniques; design for durability; engaging with local communities; design for need; reducing laundering; design for repair; upcycling; and design for closed-loop systems.
Laypeople's beliefs about the current distribution of outcomes such as income and wealth in their country influence their attitudes towards issues ranging from taxation to healthcare–but how accurate are these beliefs? We review the burgeoning literature on (mis)perceptions of inequality. First, we show that people on average misperceive current levels of inequality, typically underestimating the extent of inequality in their country. Second, we delineate potential causes of these misperceptions, including people's overreliance on cues from their local environment, leading to their erroneous beliefs about both the overall distributions of wealth and income and their place in those distributions. Third, we document that these (mis)perceptions of inequality—but not actual levels of inequality—drive behavior and preferences for redistribution. More promisingly, we review research suggesting that correcting misperceptions influences preferences and policy outcomes.
Going Global provides a coherent framework for understanding the textiles and apparel industry in the context of the sustainability of supply chain and global sourcing practices. The manufacturing and distribution of textiles and apparel products is a truly global industry, making it crucial that students are aware of the most current political, social and economic developments within the international marketplace. This third edition includes updated discussions of ethics, social justice, and environmental responsibility; trade agreements; and the role and specialization of the world regions and selected countries that are major players in the textile and apparel marketplace. The text examines Europe and the European Union, the Americas and the Caribbean Basin, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia and Oceania with an increased emphasis on China, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
New to this Edition
- Increased coverage of sourcing with two new chapters: Chapter 7, Selecting Locations for Global Sourcing, and Chapter 8, Selecting Vendors for Global Sourcing
- Updated and new case studies in every chapter with added discussion questions to improve critical thinking skills
- Updated data in Part 3 for each country discussed, including current info on politics and economic development, trade agreements and statistics, plus sourcing and sustainability issues in each region
This current text will help students gain a holistic understand of supply chains and global sourcing concepts and practices.
Features
- Includes chapter opening Learning Objectives, "Fun Facts", "Global Lexicon" glossary with key terms, and end of chapter Learning Activities
- Uses Li & Fung's conceptual model of a global supply chain
- An emphasis on sustainability in the context of textile and apparel production, distribution and consumption with current and relevant examples
- Over 150 photos and figures, plus an 8-page color insert featuring important maps in vibrant full color
While sustainability has increasingly attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners, consumer attitudes and behaviors toward sustainable consumption have not yet been elucidated. The decision-making process around sustainable consumption involves diverse and complex considerations including some forms of compromise (tradeoff). In addition, sustainability is a broad and subjective concept, and is not a primary attribute of a product Impacting the choices of consumers. Therefore, it is necessary to apply new methods to overcome the limitations of conventional evidence-based research. This research uses Q and Q-R methodologies to identify consumers' subjective viewpoints toward sustainable fashion and to present socio-demographic differences across segments of sustainable fashion consumers. Study 1 uses Q methodology to interview 26 consumers and to identify four types of decision makers: doubtful egoists, single-minded bystanders, wavering intellects, and opinion leaders. Study 2 uses Q-R methodology to verify the psychological and socio-demographic variables among 328 consumers. The research provides useful suggestions for selecting and approaching target consumer segments in the sustainable fashion industry.
Little research has focused on the specific factors that contribute to the short lifecycle of fast fashion, as well as consumer feelings about the limited lifespan of fast fashion. The present research addresses this gap in the existing research. Thirteen female undergraduate students who are consumers of fast fashion and majoring in design and/or merchandising management have been interviewed. The first objective is to understand the factors that prompt consumers to stop wearing fast fashion apparel. These factors include communicative failure of the garments, including quality issues, fit issues and meaning conflict, as well as boredom. The second objective is to understand how these factors change the feelings of consumers about such items. The findings are explained within the context of the symbolic interaction theory. The third objective is to learn how consumers feel about the limited lifespan of fast fashion apparel. These feelings range from neutral to negative with regards to monetary investment, and positive to negative in terms of social and environmental implications. Based on the findings, a model is developed to describe why consumers purchase fast fashion, stop wearing fast fashion, their perceptions of the social implications, and their coping strategies and justification for fast fashion.
The importance of consumers' role in sustainable consumption is reflected in the vision of the Sustainable Development Education Panel: To educate consumers to make informed consumption decisions, to take responsibility for their actions, and to realize the impact of consumption decisions on future generations. However, educating and informing consumers alone is unlikely to change deeply entrenched unsustainable consumption behaviour. A multi-faceted approach is required – enforcing sustainable development initiatives through legislation, promoting corporate social responsibility programs on the part of business, and (most importantly), supporting communities that engage in sustainable consumption. This study examines the proposition that individuals who identify with their community (i.e. the residential suburb or a locality where identity is understood geographically) are more likely to engage in sustainable consumption. Specifically, it examines how consumption value (i.e. the perceived value of living in a particular residential suburb) contributes to place identity and to environmental attitudes and sustainable consumption behaviour. Structural equation modelling is used to verify the conceptual model using data from a telephone survey of 561 residents from two inner city suburbs in Auckland, New Zealand. The results support the proposition that environmental attitude and sustainable consumption behaviour is enhanced by consumption values through place identity. Residents who enjoy living in their community, value a clean and healthy environment and believe their suburbs are unique tend to develop a stronger identity with their residential suburb, and are more positive towards sustainable consumption. The results have important implications for social marketers, property marketers and city councils who strive to encourage sustainable consumption among its citizens. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The fashion industry has recently heeded the call for sustainability and ethically sound production. There has been, however, a reluctant uptake of these products with many consumers and a seeming conflict with existing ‘fast fashion’ desires in this area. This study explores the attitudes of fashion consumers toward sustainable products, ethical fashion purchasing and their subsequent behaviour. The research applies the developmental theory model to a fashion context, finding fashion consumers can be categorised into one of three groups: ‘Self’ consumers, concerned with hedonistic needs, ‘Social’ consumers, concerned with social image and ‘Sacrifice’ consumers who strive to reduce their impact on the world. These different groups view fast fashion in conflicting ways and subsequent implications for marketing sustainably produced fashion products to each group are thus significantly different. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
E ducation IS an csscntial tool for achicv~ng sustainab~i~ty. People around the world recognize that current economic development trends are not sustainable and that puhl ic awareness, education and training are key to moving society toward sustainabi lity. Beyond that there is little agreement. People argue about the term sustainable development and whether or not it is attainable. Thry have different visions of what sustainable sustatnable development and cducatirrn for susta~ridble de\.elupment. The firs1 focuses on an awarctless and different interpretation>. The hecond is the use of rducatton as a means to encourdge sustdindbil~ty Locally or riationally the effort may be dcsrribed or named In rnany ways. We cannvl expect the ft)nnill educatiort systrrrl. wh~ch tn reality touches children fttr a lradion of tliclr lives, to teach people everylhlng abuui 111 ing, working, and go\enllng In a It is curious to note that while we have difficulty envisioning a sustainable world, we have no difficulty detailing what is unsustainable in our societies.
The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive understanding of young consumers' attitudes, perceptions and behavioural intentions towards the consumption of environmentally sustainable textile and apparel products. A total of 701 responses were collected from students attending large universities in the US, South Korea and China. An extended model of planned behaviour was developed and tested based on structural equation modeling approach. The results indicate that consumers' product knowledge, perceived consumer effectiveness and perceived personal relevance significantly affect young consumers' attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, thereby affecting purchase intentions for environmentally sustainable textiles and apparel. The research findings will benefit both environmental and economic enhancement efforts among policymakers, educators and industry professionals, enabling them to formulate strategies to ensure better communication with consumers to promote desirable consumption behaviour.
Purpose
– The aim the present study is to investigate the consumption practices of fast fashion products. During the introductory stage of this phenomenon, most academic literature has focused its attention on structural and industrial aspects of the fast fashion phenomenon. Now that the phenomenon has been present as a part of individuals’ daily lives for some years, the time is ripe for taking a closer look at consumers’ standpoint.
Design/methodology/approach
– The qualitative technique of focus groups was chosen to carry out the research study within Italian consumers. The decision to exploit this methodology was largely guided by the exploratory purposes of this study and by the willingness to analyze the phenomenon of fast fashion and the consumption practices by adopting a social perspective.
Findings
– Results of the exploratory study show an overview of the phenomenon of fast fashion from the standpoint of the consumers and especially of the way they “live” fast fashion and integrate these products in their consumption practices.
Originality/value
– The study reveals a new perspective of analysis (consumers’ standpoint) to the phenomenon of fast fashion not previously investigated and suggests useful ideas to guide the strategic levers and communications through which fast fashion companies can identify their own evolutionary path.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how consumers dispose of fashion products and how it might be possible to increase sustainable consumption of textiles.
Design/methodology/approach
– Increasing volumes of textiles are being produced, purchased and disposed of in landfill sites, which affect the environment. Research has identified the influences in increased purchase behaviour and the tendency to keep clothing for a shorter time. The primary research, undertaken in three stages, is an exploratory examination of the experiences of UK consumers and charity shops managers. Focus groups and key informant interviews were undertaken to achieve the objectives.
Findings
– This qualitative study identifies consumers' lack of understanding of how this behaviour affects the environment and key informant interviews explore how clothing can be re‐used and recycled. The conclusions assess what can be learnt from the data and offer suggestions for future research.
Originality/value
– The paper is a new area of research which has global implications.
Purpose – The aim is to contribute to a better understanding of ethical fashion consumption. Even though consumers demand more ethical responsibility from companies, it is debatable if consumers would sacrifice their own personal needs to support ethically produced clothing. Design/methodology/approach – Focus groups are conducted in the UK and Germany in order to elicit consumers' beliefs and attitudes towards ethical issues in the fashion industry and its effect on purchase behaviour. Questionnaires are administrated to verify the outcome of the focus groups. Findings – The findings from this research demonstrate little evidence that ethical issues have any effect on consumers' fashion purchase behaviour. When it comes to fashion purchase, personal needs motivate consumers primarily to buy garments and take precedence over ethical issues. Research limitations/implications – Only a specific age group between 18 and 26-years-old is interviewed. Both research methods are undertaken in the area of Manchester, England, and the area of Frankfurt, Germany, which perhaps limits the meaning of the results. Practical implications – Consumers feel that they are often unable to make an ethical choice. Therefore they do seem to need more information to allow them to make better ethical judgements and there is a role for ethical fashion companies to communicate this more effectively. Originality/value – This research paper gives insight into ethical fashion purchasing behaviour among UK and German consumers and provides information to improve the potential of ethical fashion.
Purpose
This paper seeks to address the complex nature of fast fashion buying through case studies with a supermarket, department store and own brand label. The phenomenon of fast fashion raises questions about traditional approaches to sourcing and buying, which are addressed here.
Design/methodology/approach
Case studies were compiled with companies managing fast fashion, alongside other purchase and retail activities, namely a supermarket, department store and specialist fashion chain.
Findings
Reveals the buying practices for fast fashion, namely, a combination of global and local suppliers, a leagile approach is typical; trust is an important factor in the supplier‐retailer relationship to ensure fast delivery at an agreed quality; and integration of key internal activities and processes to facilitate the speed of buying decisions that may be required.
Originality/value
Gives insight into the factors affecting buying behaviour for fast fashion.
This article seeks to address the branding and marketing of ecofashion or ethical fashion, juxtaposing the experiences of today's, often confused, fashion consumers, against the promotional methodologies used by, sometimes equally confused, fashion brands. Looking at the rise of ethical fashion, this article takes into consideration the factors that have influenced this. In addition, the lifestyle and societal indicators that effect consumer behavior in relation to purchasing ecofashion are also investigated. Further to this theoretical discussion, this article concludes with a reflection on today's practical manifestations of the branding and promotion of ecofashion, and the challenges ahead that both fashion brands, and consumers, face in the continuation and sustainability of ecofashion.
Studies of green consumer behaviour, in particular purchasing and disposal, have largely focused on demographics and/or socio-demographics, with mixed and frequently contradictory results. To move the debate forward, we investigated a wide range of 40 sustainability activities with 78 consumers, who placed each activity on a matrix according to perceived effort and perceived difference to the environment. Patterns both across respondents and between certain pairs of activities were identified, and we suggest that this model increases our understanding of how consumers view sustainable activities. Marketers can use this information to consider marketing strategies that positively influence consumers' perceptions of such activities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
It has always been assumed that consumer education serves the purpose of empowering people in their consumer role. This paper reviews the conventional understanding of consumer education and empowerment and then suggests an alternate approach. The argument is made for consumer education that helps people find their inner power and social potential to challenge the status quo, to change the system from a holistic perspective. Consumer empowerment of this type is totally self-sustaining. Once learned, it cannot be unlearned. This form of sustainable consumer empowerment is the preferred direction for the future of consumer education.
This study examines the consumer behaviors and preferences towards different kinds of extensions in fast fashion brands (FFBs). The study identifies six factors, including brand loyalty, involvement, perceived quality, self-image, brand concept consistency and product feature similarity, which may affect the consumer behaviors towards brand extensions. An evaluation model was constructed. A questionnaire survey was conducted with a sample size of 304 respondents. Questions were focused on the respondents attitudes towards the general FFBs as well as their preferences towards different brand extensions. The study includes statistical analyses to examine the data. The study examines the hypotheses and offers managerial insights.
This paper considers the ethical purchasing of what is described as conscious consumers. Conscious consumers remain a ‘work in progress’, and present a complex mix of behaviours; while seeking ethical alternatives, other social and economic forces impact on their behaviour (e.g. family, convenience, price) such that positive ethical choices are not always made. Examining ethical consumption in this way reveals the ‘competing priorities, paradoxical outcomes, and the nature of compromises reached in real decision processes’. We identify two areas of theory relevant to the conceptualization of such consumers, flexibility and dissonance theory. A qualitative study of participants identified as conscious consumers was undertaken. As anticipated, the participants revealed a range of often contradictory behaviours regarding their ethical purchases. The relevance of flexibility and dissonance theory to their behaviour is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The State of Fashion
- Imran Amed
- Achim Berg
- Sara Kappelmark
- Saskia Hedrich
- Johanna Andesson
- Marttine Drageset
- Robb Young
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Drageset, and Robb Young. 2017. The State of Fashion 2018. New York: McKinsey
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Almost 90% of Americans Don't Know There's Scientific Consensus on Global Warming
- Ruairi Arrieta-Kenna
Arrieta-Kenna, Ruairi. 2017. "Almost 90% of Americans Don't Know There's Scientific
Consensus on Global Warming." Vox, July 6, 2017. https://www.vox.com/science-andhealth/2017/7/6/15924444/global-warming-consensus-survey.
The Consumption Side of Sustainable Fashion Supply Chain: Understanding Fashion Consumer Eco-Fashion Consumption Decisions
- Chan
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Chan, Ting-yan, and Christina W.Y. Wong. 2012. "The Consumption Side of Sustainable
Fashion Supply Chain: Understanding Fashion Consumer Eco-Fashion Consumption
Decisions." Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management 16 (2): 193-215.
https://doi.org/10.1108/13612021211222824.
How Customers Perceive a Price Is as Important as the Price Itself
- Sandeep Heda
- Stephen Mewborn
- Stephen Caine
Heda, Sandeep, Stephen Mewborn, and Stephen Caine. 2017. "How Customers Perceive a Price
Is as Important as the Price Itself." Harvard Business Review, January 3, 2017.
https://hbr.org/2017/01/how-customers-perceive-a-price-is-as-important-as-the-priceitself.
Report D3.1.1.1: Field Report Consumer Survey
- Kristian S Nielsen
- Wencke Gwozdz
Nielsen, Kristian S., and Wencke Gwozdz. 2017. "Report D3.1.1.1: Field Report Consumer
Survey." Mistra Future Fashion and Copenhagen Business School.
http://mistrafuturefashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Nielsen-and-Gwozdz-Fieldreport-Consumer-Survey.pdf.