Prioritising sustainable garment choice among high-volume fashion consumers

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is addressing the negative environment and social impacts of the fashion industry that has emerged as a major societal challenge in the last century; however, people continue to over-consume and over-waste textile products in the form of fashion garments. More research is required to understand how fashion consumption connects with perceptions of sustainability and sustainable action by individual consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper surveys 501 Australian and New Zealand consumers, on their fashion purchasing habits, and the role of sustainability in their fashion consumption behaviour.

Findings

The study found a relationship between higher levels of garment consumption and increased focus on sustainability in fashion choices. This finding is significant, as it suggests that fashion over-consumers are still mindful of the sustainable impacts of their consumption, and are motivated towards reducing that impact, despite not reducing their volume of consumption.

Originality/value

The study indicates the importance of a continued focus on transparency and traceability of fashion products in Australasia, as some over-consumers use this information to make better choices in the purchase situation, as opposed to acting on a general call to reduce consumption.

Citation

McNeill, L.S., Potdar, B. and McQueen, R.H. (2024), "Prioritising sustainable garment choice among high-volume fashion consumers", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 875-889. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-11-2022-0229