Sustainable Fashion Consumption: Understanding Consumer Motivation

Strategic Insights -

Sustainable fashion consumption can be promoted only by understanding the motivation behind consumers' decision to purchase sustainable clothing, according to a study published in the Journal of Innovation & Knowledge. The research, conducted by Rosa Maria Dangelico and colleagues at the Polytechnic University of Bari, explored the determinants of consumers' purchasing intentions for sustainable clothing items, such as underwear and jackets made with biobased and recycled materials. The study involved 768 Italian consumers and found that factors such as sustainable fashion knowledge, availability of sustainable garments, influence of celebrities and influencers, and environmental concerns significantly affected purchase intentions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that sustainable fashion knowledge, availability of sustainable garments, influence of celebrities and influencers, and environmental concerns significantly affected purchase intentions for sustainable clothing items.
  • The level of visibility and skin contact associated with the products and the type of sustainable materials used influenced purchase intentions.
  • Gender and age also significantly influenced purchase intention.
  • The study concluded that purchase intentions and their determinants vary based on the levels of visibility and skin contact associated with the products and the type of sustainable materials used.
  • The research provided several contributions to the theory and managerial implications.

Statistics:

  • 768 Italian consumers participated in the study.
  • The study involved two clothing items with different functions, characterized by different levels of visibility and skin contact (underwear and jacket).
  • The study used the SEM technique to test a conceptual framework based on data collected through a questionnaire.
  • 10(5):100764 is the journal article ID.

Sources:

  • Consumer behavioral intention for sustainable garments: do materials used and the level of garment's visibility and skin contact matter?. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 2025,10(5):100764.
  • Rosa Maria Dangelico, Valerio Schiaroli, Luca Fraccascia, Department of Mechanics, Mathematics, and Management, Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy.
  • Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, published by Elsevier.