Research shows that members of Generation Z want sustainable clothes but buy fast fashion instead

Members of Generation Z say they want their clothes to be sustainable but regularly buy fast fashion, revealing a “glaring gap” between attitude and practice, new research shows.

Nine out of ten people surveyed buy fast fashion and only one in six can name a brand that produces sustainable clothing, the British Academy of Management’s annual conference at Alliance Manchester Business School heard today.

Women are more likely than men to advocate for sustainable clothing, but less likely to actually buy it, the study found.

Four researchers from Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University, surveyed 56 university students aged 18–24 and over 24 and interviewed six brands about sustainable clothing – produced without exploiting workers or animals and using low carbon emissions. The four researchers were: Joan Culver, Glyn Littlewood, Dr Mark Duffy and Joan Watts.

A survey of Sheffield Hallam students found that 63% agreed they were concerned about the social implications of the fast fashion industry, while 48% said they were concerned about the environmental implications. Only 3% of participants said they were not at all concerned about the social or environmental implications.

However, 17% of participants admitted to shopping at a fast fashion retailer weekly, 62% monthly and 11% annually, with only 10% never shopping at a fast fashion retailer. Less than half of those surveyed, 43%, said they think about where and how their clothes were made before buying them.

Five out of six interviewees could not name brands that produce sustainable clothing. All six said price is the main barrier to buying sustainable fashion.

Dr. Duffy told the conference, “Generation Z is increasingly concerned about the planet, 94% believe that action is needed in terms of sustainability and that we need to come together to solve important issues. All participants had a negative view of the term. ‘Fast fashion’ as ‘unsustainable’ , unethical and bad quality’.

“However, a large proportion of those who believe in buying fast fashion show a clear gap between sustainability ideologies and perceived behaviors.”

The survey revealed that the women are in favor of sustainable fashion and are willing to pay more for unethical brands or even abandon unethical brands. While all women reported being willing to pay more for sustainable clothing, men were not. ”

In contrast, men showed a lack of awareness and knowledge about sustainable fashion, but their shopping habits were more sustainable than women, buying fast fashion and getting clothes from more sustainable retailers. But this wasn’t intentional – they chose. These brands were considered trendy and cool.”

The researchers identified six key barriers to purchasing sustainable clothing: lack of price, lack of knowledge, lack of choice, lack of aesthetic choice, skepticism about business transparency and social desirability.

Generation Z consists of those born between 1997 and 2012. The global fashion industry is valued at $300 billion and is expected to reach $360 billion by 2025. This increase in demand for production and consumption leads to environmental pollution, waste accumulation and excessive water consumption. Concerns are growing around the social implications of the global fashion industry, including worker exploitation, child labor and inhumane working conditions. While demand for sustainable fashion reached £6.35 billion in 2019 and is forecast to reach £8.25 billion by 2023, the sector is still expanding significantly from other segments such as the fast fashion market, which is worth $30.58 billion.

---

---

Presented by the British Academy of Management