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The purpose of this study was to understand how fashion‐oriented females in two different countries evaluate three use‐oriented product–service systems (PSS): clothing consultancy, renting and swapping. A mixed‐method approach was utilized, including focus group interviews and a questionnaire. Both countries exhibited a higher level of interest in use‐oriented PSS schemes than product‐oriented offerings. Positive evaluations of use‐oriented PSS included the ability to reduce excess consumption via smarter purchasing, becoming more knowledgeable about personal style and fit, and enhancing creativity with items already owned. Participants also positively evaluated the ability for some PSS concepts to satisfy their desire for change and social support or interaction as well as to save money and increase product satisfaction. Negative evaluations included lack of trust in the provider related to issues such as quality, maintenance and hygiene of shared goods as well as skepticism about the business model's viability. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Clothing products remain important in today's consumer culture, but the sustainability of that consumption is questionable, as it often leads to excess waste. The purpose of this study was to explore the drivers of clothing waste, and to investigate the influence of demographic factors and personal attributes on disposal frequency. An online survey was conducted to over 500 men and women in the US from three different generational cohorts. The survey investigated fashion trend sensitivity, shopping frequency, quality and price consciousness as well as demographic factors, utilizing 5‐point Likert scales. On the basis of literature, seven hypotheses were developed. Correlational analysis, independent t‐test and one‐way analysis of variance were conducted to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that fashion trend sensitivity, fashion shopping frequency, higher incomes, younger age groups and being female are all positively correlated with frequent clothing disposal. Interestingly, quality consciousness was positively correlated to frequent clothing disposal, while price consciousness was negatively related to clothing disposal frequency. This study contributes to the literature by providing a more specific examination of the drivers of frequent clothing disposal and providing empirical evidence to support previous exploratory studies.

Over-consumption has been identified as one of the major challenges facing sustainability in the fashion industry (Armstrong et al. 2015). Consumers keep purchasing fashion items more than is needed, which generate more wastes. This is especially true with the rising popularity of fast fashion. Consumers are now able to purchase more fashion products that are being used for a shorter period at a relatively lower cost. Although the fast fashion strategy makes it easier for consumers to purchase apparel products with a higher frequency, it also creates pressure for some consumers to follow the fast-changing trends. Because of trying to keep pace with the ever-changing fast fashion trends, many consumers continuously purchase the latest fashion products, which may exceed their needs or even their financial capacity and suffer ownership burdens.