Comprehending the Consumer Behavior toward Sustainable Apparel

Abstract

This paper comprehensively reviews the extant literature on consumer behavior toward sustainable apparel as a pathway to sustainability. This literature review is based on journal articles from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Through an in-depth systematic analysis of the existing literature, this paper provides an overview of the research topic, sustainable apparel consumption, from a consumer perspective. The systematic literature review reveals five main themes: consumer attitudes, consumer purchases, consumer knowledge, consumer preferences, and consumer influence toward sustainable apparel. Different factors leading to sustainable consumer behavior emerged from each of these themes. Consumer preferences for sustainable apparel encompass various factors, such as preferred materials, styles, designs, and sizes, influenced by personal values, psychological characteristics, cultural backgrounds, socio-demographics, and the availability of options. Factors such as perceived costs, design uniqueness, and cognitive dissonance contribute to shaping consumer preferences in sustainable fashion. By delineating the complex consumer behavior and deliberating the sustainable apparel consumption phenomenon, this study aids in developing future sustainable strategies for apparel industries, considering the driving factors and their impact on consumer behavior and sustainability.