The Impact of Ethical Concerns on Fashion Consumerism: A Review

Abstract

Ethical and sustainable business practices have become some of the most significant concerns in the highly globalized fashion industry. Firms in this multi-billion dollar industry are taking these concerns seriously, and are carefully monitoring and responding to consumers' actions that can range from expressing displeasure via social media to holding protests or even calling for boycotts of certain brands and firms. In this paper, the first output from a larger project on ethics of fashion, we review the extant literature on the ethical aspects of the global fashion system; and set the stage for further empirical and conceptual work.

The True Cost: The Bitter Truth behind Fast Fashion

“…On the other hand, whilst the price of clothing has been decreasing, the human and environmental costs have been increasing. Consequently, the current fast fashion system based on speed, disposability and price deflation has led to the worst casualties in recent years (Cavusoglu and Dakhli 2016;Ozdamar-Ertekin and Atik 2015;Ozdamar-Ertekin 2016;Siegle 2015). The documentary details these devastating human, social, and environmental costs.…”

The Impact of Ethical Concerns on Fashion Consumerism: Case-based Evidence

“…In our previous paper (Cavusoglu and Dakhli 2016), we reviewed the related ethical fashion literature extensively and organized it under two major streams: environmental and social well-being concerns in the fashion industry.…”

“…In Paper I of this series (Cavusoglu and Dakhli 2016), we discussed the concept of ethical marketing in fashion, presented various ethical issues, and addressed the ethical concerns of consumers and other pressure groups. We argued that companies can be more successful in generating sales, creating a positive brand image, and improving their reputation and loyalty by making ethical and responsible practices a central element of their marketing and communications strategy.…”

Is a New Epoch Possible?

“…Cavusoglu and Dakhli (2017) present empirical evidence on fashion practices that can negatively affect environmental and social well-being. As an extension to their conceptual review paper published in MGDR last year (see Cavusoglu and Dakhli, 2016), the authors explore the linkages of ethical concerns in fashion with corporate image and financial performance, highlighting failures and best practices of several fashion companies.…”