PurposeVintage has been a growing trend in clothing recently, leading to major fashion brands launching collections inspired by vintage pieces or luxury haute‐couture houses digging into their archives to revive past designs. Yet, as this market develops, little is known about the profile of the consumer and the motivations to purchase vintage. This paper aims to explore the veracity of a number of assumptions relating to vintage consumption, equating it to the consumption of used, previously owned clothes by nostalgic prone, environmentally‐friendly or value‐conscious consumers.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach including structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed in this research using data collected from 103 women (screened on past second‐hand purchases). Vintage clothes were defined as pieces dating back from the 1920s to the 1980s. Second hand clothes were defined as modern used clothes.FindingsThe results show that the main antecedents to vintage consumption are fashion involvement and nostalgia proneness as well as need for uniqueness through the mediation of treasure hunting. In contrast, second‐hand consumption is directly driven by frugality. Eco‐consciousness plays an indirect role through bargain hunting. In essence, the thrill of the hunt is present for vintage and for second hand consumption. Yet, while vintage consumers shop for a unique piece with history, second‐hand consumers shop for a unique piece at a good price. Additionally, the main characteristics of vintage fashion consumers are a higher level of education and higher income whereas age is not directly related to the purchase of vintage pieces.Originality/valueThe paper discusses the relevance of second‐hand stores repositioning as vintage based on vintage and second‐hand consumers' profiles. Also, the need to educate consumers on the role of second‐hand consumption in a pro‐environmental lifestyle is highlighted.

The market for green products is expanding worldwide in a variety of industries, such as food, fashion and cosmetics. However, there is little research about consumer behaviour regarding green fashion and beauty, or consumers' knowledge of green labels and certifications. This article explores these issues through a qualitative research approach, using in-depth interviews and focus groups. Results suggest that consumers do not understand the meaning of all terms and labels used to describe and guarantee green products, such as, for example, eco-labels on organic cosmetics. Regarding the motivation of consumers for consuming eco-fashion and green beauty products, protection of the environment is not a priority. Respondents' motives for purchasing these products appear to be egocentric and related to health. Also, such purchases constitute a 'license to sin': they relieve the guilt of non-environmentally-friendly behaviors. Lastly, motivation for consuming eco-fashion is based on self-expression (mainly a North American motivation) and status display (mainly a continental European motivation). For several continental Europeans, purchasing green products appears to be a new form of conspicuous consumption.

Consumption of luxury goods is morphing into a diverse proposition where consumers are actively adopting new roles: besides buyers and users, they are sometimes becoming sellers of luxury branded products. This paper examines meanings and values attached to the process of selling luxury goods. To investigate this issue, eighteen women who had previously sold luxury branded items were interviewed. The findings demonstrated that the act of selling luxury goods challenges and shapes conventional meanings attached to luxury: Firstly, there is an alteration to the symbolic value of the item. The process around selling strips luxury items down to the object of a financial transaction hereby empowering the consumer. Secondly, consumers who sell luxury items engender change in their social role. For some, the act of selling used luxury items enabled a perceived higher social status, and for others it contributed to the boosting of their role as a sustainable consumer.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide the results of an exploratory study comparing attitudes of young fashion conscious consumers towards ethical fashion in Canada, France and the UK. Design/methodology/approach – The methods used in this research were qualitative with a mix of interviews and focus groups and a new application of a visual method widely used within design and fashion environments, the mood board. The study is based within the contrast of a growing trend towards sustainability and the rise of fast fashion where consumers are increasingly demanding cheaper items. The research is also grounded in cross-cultural research where the comparison of data emanating from different cultures and languages presents specific dilemmas for researchers. Findings – Results indicated that there were notable differences in the perception of ethical fashion between the respondents from these three cultures. In the representation and appeal of this fashion segment, in terms of its perceived availability, the transfer of meaning connected with the observation of higher price points and in the use of ethical purchases in the fashion arena as an offset or redemption for unethical behaviour in other contexts. Originality/value – The originality of this paper lies in the innovative use of the visual qualitative methods which contributes to the debate concerning the research methods associated with cross-cultural research and extends the restricted body of literature which compares cultural attitudes in this area by offering key insights into the complex issues surrounding ethical fashion consumption.

Ethical consumerism and family consumer decision-making, including the influence of children in this area, are spheres of consumer behaviour in which a substantial amount of academic research has already been undertaken. However, the crossover of these two areas is as yet under-researched, as well as the level of pester power parents are subjected to from children aged 3 and under. This paper uses qualitative methods to investigate the issues surrounding the ethical consumer decision-making process with families who have children aged 3 years old or under. This research found that the motivation to pursue an ethical lifestyle varied across the sample, but the emergence of an 'inheritance factor', where parents are awakened to ethical issues because of the birth of their child, was prominent. Other issues that transpired from this research include the prominence of ethical trade-offs in consumer decision-making, ethical choices as normalizing behaviour and finally the presence of pester power in the ethical context. Ethical consumerism strongly emerged as an integral part of the parent's identity construction, especially for the mothers as they struggled to adapt to their new roles. Further research delving into the role ethical choices have on identity construction and the parental response to pester power would be a valuable addition to the overall context of this research