Consumers and the Sustainability Transition in the Fashion Industry: Evidence from Empirical and Theoretical Insights

Over the last years, the fashion industry has come under increasing scrutiny for its environmental, social, and economic impacts. This doctoral dissertation focuses on sustainable fashion, specifically investigating the role of consumers in driving the shift toward more responsible consumption models. Structured around three research articles, the thesis aims to 1. provide an overview of the state of the art of recent academic literature on consumers and sustainable fashion through a systematic literature review; 2. explore the antecedents to sustainable fashion purchase intention through a quantitative study based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and 3. understand consumer trade-offs between sustainable and conventional product attributes in the choice of a durable garment using a discrete choice experiment. Adopting an interdisciplinary and methodologically diversified approach, the dissertation offers a nuanced understanding of consumer dynamics regarding sustainable fashion products and practices. The findings contribute valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and fashion industry professionals.