Signaling Sustainability: Exploring Consumer Perspectives on Communicating Apparel Sustainability Information

Abstract

The fashion industry is characterized by unsustainable production and consumption. However, a consistently noted barrier to sustainable and responsible apparel consumption is a lack of consumer knowledge. A potential solution to mitigate this barrier is to use apparel labeling to signal the sustainability of an item to consumers. Thus, the purpose of this study is to employ signaling theory to explore the aspects of sustainability that resonate with consumers and why, the modes of communication preferred by consumers, and how such information would affect their apparel consumption decisions. In-depth interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of twenty participants. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of three emergent themes related to communicating information about sustainability that were used to structure the interpretation: Its Importance is Relative, Signal Mode vs. Message, and Increasing the Interest Level. Overall, participants preferred simple, yet detailed messages on apparel labels to communicate aspects of an apparel item’s sustainability. Ultimately, such labeling signals sustainability to consumers, enabling them to differentiate between sustainable and unsustainable apparel.

“Eco‐style” perceptions: The interplay of different sustainability cues and fashion styles in consumers' fashion brand attitudes

“…Furthermore, while this study employed cues that were pretested according to sustainability perceptions, the sustainability cues may have evoked skepticism based on their subtle and short application (Lee et al, 2020; Sigurdsson et al, 2022; Williams & Hodges, 2022). Despite the relatively high scores on the perceived sustainability of the stimuli in the manipulation checks, the use of supplementary measures to control for credibility perceptions may have improved the study design.…”

“…Furthermore, while this study employed cues that were pretested according to sustainability perceptions, the sustainability cues may have evoked skepticism based on their subtle and short application (Lee et al, 2020;Sigurdsson et al, 2022;Williams & Hodges, 2022).…”

“…The sustainability‐centric communication of consumer products not only influences consumer attitudes but also affects their perceived value of brands (Castagna et al, 2022; Lee et al, 2020; Williams & Hodges, 2022). Across product categories, brand value is conceptualized according to three dimensions: emotional, social, and functional (Bai et al, 2016; Dabas & Whang, 2022; Jung & Jin, 2016).…”

“…This is especially relevant when information cannot be easily accessed otherwise or when it is not visible to individuals. In this way, using sustainability cues as a signal has been shown to positively affect consumer attitudes toward sustainable goods (Dunham, 2011; Rathee & Milfeld, 2024; Sigurdsson et al, 2022; Williams & Hodges, 2022). Such cues may even evoke affective perceptions of product qualities (Cowan & Guzman, 2018; Gong et al, 2020; Wagner et al, 2018).…”

“…In fashion consumption, brand relationships and attitudes have been found to be influenced by brand value perceptions, namely, emotional, social, and functional values (McNeill & Venter, 2019; Miller et al, 2017; Williams & Hodges, 2022). Although various studies have indicated a perceived conflict for consumers between sustainability and fashionability, which negatively influences brand value dimensions (Henninger, 2015; Wang et al, 2023), other studies have concluded that sustainable properties may actually add value to the brand (Lee et al, 2020; Park & Lin, 2020; Rathee & Milfeld, 2024).…”