Italian shoppers are picking and choosing when it comes to sustainable fashion, favouring biobased jackets but turning away from recycled underwear. The type of garment, the material, and how much consumers know about sustainability all shape buying decisions. Even influencer promotions do little to change minds, a new study has found. The findings highlight that eco-friendly fashion isn’t automatically embraced, and brands must rethink how they encourage adoption.
- Unexpected resistance to recycled fabrics emerged even where sustainability was emphasised, exposing contradictions between consumer attitudes and industry narratives.
- Knowledge and environmental concern proved decisive drivers of intention, suggesting informed consumers behave differently from those with lower awareness.
- Influencer promotion showed negative or insignificant effects depending on the garment type, suggesting overexposure or distrust in endorsements.
- The study ‘Consumer behavioural intention for sustainable garments’ by Valerio Schiaroli, Rosa Maria Dangelico and Luca Fraccascia has been published appeared in the Journal of Innovation & Knowledge.
THE STUDY: The research, led by scholars from Sapienza University of Rome, University of Rome Tor Vergata and Polytechnic University of Bari, examined how consumers evaluate sustainable garments made from biobased and recycled materials. Using structural equation modelling, the team tested responses from 768 Italian participants across four scenarios: biobased jackets, biobased underwear, recycled jackets, and recycled underwear. The authors emphasised that comparisons remain under-researched, and their work addresses this gap.
- Data were collected through an online survey administered via Qualtrics between March and September 2023, targeting Italian consumers across demographic groups.
- The study applied structural equation modelling to test behavioural predictors including concern, knowledge, availability, and influencer impact.
- Results revealed that garment type, visibility, and material used significantly affected intention to purchase, with notable differences across categories.
- The research contributes to filling a literature gap by directly comparing consumer responses to biobased and recycled garments.
WHAT’S AT STAKE: The findings identify critical considerations for the fashion industry as it seeks wider adoption of sustainable materials. Italian consumers displayed contrasting intentions depending on whether garments were jackets or underwear, recycled or biobased. These differences underline the risks brands face in promoting sustainable lines without accounting for product category. The results suggest that strategies must account for multiple interacting factors, from product type to consumer awareness, to align intentions with sustainability goals.
- Biobased jackets attracted interest, while recycled underwear faced strong resistance, suggesting risk of rejection if marketing fails to segment carefully.
- Consumer awareness and environmental concern strongly influenced responses, showing educational campaigns remain vital for sustainable market adoption.
- The findings expose structural risks for fashion brands that apply uniform sustainability messaging without adapting to product category differences.
- Influencer endorsements produced negative effects for jackets and were insignificant for underwear, while availability showed a significant negative effect for biobased garments.
WHAT THE DATA SHOWS: Statistical analysis confirmed that environmental concern, knowledge, and demographics strongly shaped behavioural intentions, while availability and influencer impact showed limited or even negative significance. Gender and age played noticeable roles, with women and younger consumers generally more open to sustainable options. Differences between product categories emerged clearly, showing how visibility, intimacy with the body, and material type collectively influenced consumer evaluation of sustainable garments.
- Statistical modelling validated the role of hypotheses across scenarios, with some predictors proving consistent and others varying sharply by garment type.
- Availability showed a significant negative effect for biobased garments, contradicting assumptions that easier access always drives sustainable fashion adoption.
- Influencer endorsements showed negative impacts for jackets and no significant effect for underwear, reflecting scepticism towards garment-specific promotion strategies.
- Women and younger groups expressed higher purchase intentions compared with men and older consumers.
WHERE THINGS STAND: The study presents Italian consumer sentiment towards sustainable fashion, showing selective acceptance shaped by garment visibility, fabric type, and product function. Jackets, especially when made from biobased materials, attracted more favourable responses, while underwear using recycled fabrics faced resistance. Consumers also revealed scepticism towards promotional pushes, underscoring a cautious climate where sustainable fashion gains traction selectively, depending on garment type, material, and consumer segment.
- Biobased jackets were the most positively received product, showing alignment between innovation and consumer acceptance.
- Recycled underwear triggered the lowest acceptance, highlighting perceived discomfort or concerns tied to intimate garment categories.
- Recycled jackets earned mixed reactions, signalling partial openness tempered by ongoing hesitation.
- Consumer caution extended beyond product attributes, signalling a marketplace where enthusiasm for sustainability competes with hesitation and selective acceptance.
