Tort resit essay 2018 should you be deferred or referred in thi

1. Tort Resit Essay 2018
Should you be deferred or referred in this subject for any reason
the following title should be completed according to the
deadline set by the Law School Office.
Title:
Word Limit: 2000 + or - 10%
‘A further difficulty (in relation to the law of nervous shock) is
the “floodgates” problem. Ordinary physical damage caused by
negligent conduct will by its nature be limited to those within
the range of impact. Psychiatric damage is not so limited, as the
persons not within the range of the impact may be affected. The
courts have been conscious of this problem as they developed
the law and have imposed restrictions on those who can
recover.’
Cooke, J, Law of Tort, 13th edition, 2017, Pearson, page 68.
Discuss the development of the restrictions on those who can
claim for nervous shock.
Chapter 2
Green Brand Strategies in the Fashion Industry:
Leveraging Connections of the Consumer,
Brand, and Environmental Sustainability
Hye-Shin Kim and Martha L. Hall
Abstract With a growing number of major fashion brands

2. engaging in green-
branding initiatives, environmental sustainability is becoming a
management agenda
that is being prioritized among many companies. However, the
research literature is
mixed in assessing the potential of the green strategy. Based on
the schema theory
as the theoretical framework, this chapter offers propositions
that address how to
leverage the interrelationship among the consumer, brand, and
environmental sus-
tainability within the context of green-branding strategies for
fashion. Supported
by the research literature and current movements in the fashion
industry, this chap-
ter explains how consumer receptivity to and decision making
with regard to green
fashion brands are influenced by the relationship between (1)
consumer and environ-
mental sustainability, (2) brand and environmental
sustainability, and (3) consumer
and brand. Consumer acceptance of green brands is dependent
on how consumers
process new green information within the context of the brand
schema. Consumer
motivation and ability to incorporate environmental
sustainability within the brand
schema will influence consumer attitudes toward the green
brand. Also, the perceived
fit between the brand and environmental sustainability as well
as the authenticity of
the business strategy will influence consumer response. In
addition, consumers’ abil-
ity to integrate the fashion brand’s image with environmental
values and the strength
of their relationship with the brand will determine how green

3. brand attributes are ac-
cepted. Industry implications for green branding are discussed
and recommendations
for future research are presented.
2.1 Introduction
According to a survey of 4000 managers from 113 countries, 70
% of companies have
placed environmental sustainability permanently on their
management agendas with
two thirds of the managers noting this as a necessity to be
competitive (Haanaes et al.
2012). Likewise, strategies related to environmental
sustainability are active in the
apparel industry. An increasing number of apparel brands are
placing environmental
H.-S. Kim (�) · M. L. Hall
Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies, University of
Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
e-mail: [email protected]
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015 31
T.-M. Choi, T. C. Edwin Cheng (eds.), Sustainable Fashion
Supply Chain Management,
Springer Series in Supply Chain Management, DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-12703-3_2
32 H.-S. Kim and M. L. Hall
sustainability at the center of their brand strategy (e.g.,
Patagonia, Stella McCartney,
and Loomstate) and are positioned to benefit from the predicted
growth in this market.

4. Furthermore, a growing number of major brands are being
reported in the media
for their initiatives in environmental sustainability (e.g., Ann
Inc., Gucci, LVMH,
Macys, Ivanka Trump). As such, we see a growing commitment
to environmental
sustainability, with companies not only viewing this as a
necessity to their business
practices but also a source of financial profits (Haanaes et al.
2012).
Fashion brands can be considered “green” based on the intrinsic
characteristics
of the apparel product, the process by which the product is
made, and/or their en-
vironmental contributory business practices (Dickson et al.
2009). Long-established
apparel brands, including H&M, Eileen Fisher, and Levi
Strauss, have responded to
consumer and industry-wide interest in environmental
sustainability through inno-
vative and strong branding strategies in product design,
development, and sourcing.
H&M’s Conscious garments offer products from organic cotton,
recycled cotton,
recycled polyester, and vegetable tanned organic leather.
H&M’s goal is to have
100 % of their cotton from sustainable sources (Reduce Waste
n.d.). In addition,
H&M’s closed-loop system allows consumers to hand in
unwanted garments from
any brands at any H&M stores. Closed-loop systems keep
unwanted apparel products
out of landfills, with some companies (e.g., lingerie brands
Wacoal and Bonluxe in
Hong Kong) offering cash incentives for consumer participation

5. (Choi et al. 2014).
Levi’s Water < LessTM products reduce the use of water in the
finishing process by
up to 96 %. According to Levi’s website, the company has made
over 13 million
Water < LessTM products and saved over 172 million L of
water (Levi’s® Wa-
ter 2014). In Patagonia’s Common Threads Program, organic
cotton and recycled
polyester are used in many of their products, efforts are made to
minimize pack-
aging and transportation waste, and quality products are
produced that last a long
time. Urban Outfitters’ Urban Renewal-Vintage line features
original and reworked
vintage pieces and garments (May 2014; “Urban Renewal” n.d.).
Finally, Eileen
Fisher’s Eco Collection line includes classic and well -made
garments that can be
worn a long time and seamless knits that cut down on waste
(“Meet Eileen Fisher”
n.d.). Fashion brands are also considered green with their
support of environmen-
tal causes (Milne 2013). For example, apparel brands who are
members of 1 % for
the Planet (http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org), contribute 1
% of their annual
sales to environmental nonprofit organizations. In addition,
companies routinely
support environmental causes as part of their corporate culture
where sales of the
green brand apparel products indirectly support various
environmental causes. Loom-
state (http://www.loomstate.org) is one apparel company which
actively participates
in multiple local, regional, and international environmental

6. programs. Consumers
purchasing Loomstate T-shirts indirectly support company
participation in beach
cleanup projects, wildlife conservation efforts, and upcycling
projects.
As such, we are witnessing a growing number of big companies
make management
decisions to weave environmental sustainability within their
products and business
operations. In spite of the common practice of the “greening” of
brands, the literature
is mixed in assessing the actual potential of a brand’s green
strategy and its receptiv-
ity by consumers. In the research literature, many studies show
a weak relationship
2 Green Brand Strategies in the Fashion Industry 33
Fig. 2.1 Model of
relationships that influence
green branding
between environmental concern as predictors of corresponding
environmental be-
havior (e.g., Fransson and Gärling 1999; Hiller Connell and
Kozar 2013). Also, a
2013 report published by Landor Associates (Romero and Braun
2013) states that
“U.S. consumers appreciate corporate efforts to be green, but it
is not a key driver in
their purchasing decisions” (p. 1). The report notes that
although being green was a
considered brand attribute, it fell behind other basic brand

7. attributes such as value,
quality, and trustworthiness. Although some evidence shows a
potential disconnect
between consumers and green-branding strategies, there is still
a strong market that
expects companies to consider environmental sustainability
within their business de-
cisions. Cone Communications (2013) reports that 71 % of
Americans consider the
environment when they shop and 45 % of consumers actively
seek out environmental
information about products they buy.
This chapter offers a discussion of the interrelationship among
the consumer,
brand, and environmental sustainability within the context of
green-branding strate-
gies. Using the schema theory, we explain how consumer
receptivity to and decision
making with regard to green fashion brands are based on three
connections: (1) con-
sumer and environmental sustainability, (2) brand and
environmental sustainability,
and (3) consumer and brand (see Fig. 2.1). Consumer
acceptance of green brands is
dependent on how consumers process new green information
pertaining to the brand.
Whether consumers develop positive attitudes toward the new
green attribute or new
green brand extension is dependent on how the green strategy
brand fits into con-
sumer motivation and ability to incorporate environmental
sustainability within the
brand schema, consumer’s perceptions about environmental
sustainability in relation
to the brand, and consumer’s strength of relationship with the

8. brand.
34 H.-S. Kim and M. L. Hall
2.2 Conceptual Background
The schema theory focuses on the importance of the mental
structure or schema of
preexisting ideas or framework that represents one’s
understanding and knowledge
related to particular aspects of an individual’s experience such
as an event, person,
or object (Rumelhart 1980). Based on one’s existing knowledge
framework, schema
also serves as a system for structuring, organizing, and
interpreting new information
(Crocker et al. 1984). Consumers’ schema of brands can include
their knowledge
about brand attributes and their evaluations of the brand. As
such, a schema has an
influential role in how new knowledge is processed and
accepted.
The schema theory has been used as the theoretical base in the
brand management
literature to explain consumer response to brand extensions or
sub-brands where firms
leverage the association of successful established brand’s
category extensions or line
extensions (Chatterjee 2009; Park et al. 1993; Loken and
Roedder John 1993). The
schema theory also explains attitude and belief change and how
consumers evaluate
brands (Park et al. 1993). Specifically, theories of stereotypic

9. change (Crocker et al.
1984), which is grounded in the schema theory, supports the
idea that attitudes and
beliefs change in response to new stimuli that vary in
congruence with an individual’s
existing schema (Crocker et al. 1984; Park et al. 1993). While
schemas can mature
with increasing experience to fit varied experiences, individuals
can be exposed
to information incongruent with the schema in which case
knowledge structures
must be modified to accommodate the incongruent information.
Several information-
processing models (e.g., subtyping, book-keeping, conversion)
have offered insight
into how individuals may integrate existing knowledge with new
knowledge result-
ing in an impression that is meaningful to them (Chatterjee
2009; Gürhan-Canli and
Maheswaran 1998; Weber and Crocker 1983). The subtyping
model suggests that
consumers process new information that does not fit into their
current schema in a
compartmentalized way. For example, if a brand extension does
not share similarities
to the parent brand, consumers will store information
concerning the brand extension
in a separate cognitive category which limits the negative
impact of atypical infor-
mation. The book-keeping model suggests a gradual
modification of schema with a
higher accumulation of incongruent information prompting more
substantial change
(Weber and Crocker 1983). Here, the book-keeping model views
attitude change as
an incremental process triggered by sustained informational

10. influence. Finally, the
conversion model suggests schema to change drastically in
response to extremely
atypical information and remain unchanged in response to minor
differences. Sud-
den changes in brand attributes or introduction of dramatically
atypical information
perceived as being unrelated or contradictory to the current
impressions of the brand
may prompt perceptual changes in brand image.
Within the fashion industry, we see a growing number of green
brands that leverage
the brand equity of the current or parent brand. The schema
theory can also be applied
within the context of firms introducing green attributes within
existing product brands
where consumers must process new information using their own
existing schemata
for the brand. However, the stability of the schemata and brands
and their influence on
2 Green Brand Strategies in the Fashion Industry 35
consumer attitude change may differ depending on the
consumer, their green values,
and perceptions of brands. Using the schema theory as the
conceptual framework,
this chapter offers insight into how consumer response to green-
branding efforts is
moderated by the three important connections among
environmental sustainability,
consumer, and the brand. Based on a literature review of
theoretical and empirical

11. studies, the propositions formulated within the chapter
summarize past studies on
green branding and offer ideas on how consumers process and
respond to green
brands, which will be moderated by their own environmental
sustainability values,
perceptions of fit between the brand and environmental
sustainability, and the strength
of their preexisting relationship with the brand.
2.3 Leveraging the Connection Between Environmental
Sustainability and the Consumer
Consumer attitude toward environmental sustainability, also
known as environmen-
tal or “green” attitude, is a function of individuals’ beliefs,
feelings, and behaviors
related to environmental issues (Schultz et al. 2004; Milfont and
Duckitt 2004, 2010).
Through the years, marketing research has examined consumer
perceptions of green
products and related marketing activities (e.g., Kim and Choi
2005; Kinnear et al.
1974; Roberts 1996; Straughan and Roberts 1999; Gam 2011).
Results from these
studies do not consistently show strong relationships between
attitude and behavior.
While some studies have found environmental attitudes to be
directly linked to en-
vironmentally sound consumption (e.g., Kim and Choi 2005;
Lee 2008, 2009; Van
de Velde et al. 2010), other studies note various factors,
including cost, availability,
and beliefs about the green product itself to serve as barriers to
consumer purchase
(Costa 2010; Chan and Wong 2012; Fransson and Gärling 1999;

12. Grail Research
2011; Hiller Connell and Kozar 2013; TerraChoice 2010).
Several apparel studies
offer evidence that environmental attitude influence intentions
to purchase green
apparel (e.g., Gam 2011; Hustvedt and Dickson 2009; Yoo et al.
2013). Results
from these studies can be supported by Strahilevitz and Myers’s
(1998) findings that
cause-related marketing campaigns for high-involvement
products such as apparel
have a higher likelihood of influencing purchase decisions.
Although several empir-
ical studies examining consumer perceptions of green messages
via apparel product
advertisements or labeling can be found in past literature (e.g.,
Kim and Damhorst
1999; Kim et al. 1997; Stall-Meadows and Davey 2013;
Sonnenberg et al. 2014),
studies that examine consumer perceptions of green fashion
brands are limited. In
one study, Yan et al. (2012) found environmental commitment
to directly influence
attitude toward the brand and intent to purchase the product and
Myers et al. (2012)
found consumer attitude toward a cause and prior brand attitude
indirectly influenced
post brand attitude. Several non-apparel related studies also
point to the direct re-
lationship between environmental attitude and green brand
attitude (e.g., Hartmann
and Apaolaza-Ibanez 2012; Yeoh and Paladino 2013). Although
conclusions con-
cerning green brand attitude and purchase behavior are less
clear, previous studies

13. 36 H.-S. Kim and M. L. Hall
consistently offer evidence that consumers with higher levels of
environmental con-
cern will more likely have favorable attitude toward products or
related company
efforts that support environmental sustainability.
Based on the schema theory, we propose that consumers with
higher environ-
mental attitude will have a predisposition to draw a natural
connection between
environmental sustainability and products and brands. Even if
the brand has no
previous track record with environmental sustainability,
environmentally conscious
consumers will be more willing to incorporate the green
attribute within their current
parent brand schema and thus form a positive response toward
green brands. The
following proposition reflects this idea.
Proposition 1 Consumers’ environmental sustainability value
positively moderates
consumers’ motivation to fit new green brand attributes into the
current fashion brand
schema.
In the case of apparel, sustainable business practices are often
linked to the design
and production processes for products within the same product
line or category. Con-
sumer preference for product-related messages compared to
cause-related messages

14. highlight the importance of green strategies that are linked
directly to the product
(Phau and Ong 2007). Yan et al. (2012) found respondents
favored apparel brands
with explicit information about environmentally friendly
products. Several studies
point to how consumers respond to green strategies in various
marketing contexts
(e.g., promotional messages, labeling, and advertisement).
Hiller Connell (2010)
found lack of concrete knowledge to be a constraint on green
apparel consumption.
Kang et al. (2013) found knowledge of organic cotton apparel
influenced consumers’
attitudes toward the organic product. Cheah and Phau (2009)
found ecoliteracy to
influence attitude toward a wide range of environmentally
friendly products. Borin
and Cerf (2011) note that clear explanations of environmental
impact on labels will
improve consumer evaluations. A study by Cone
Communications (2013) reports
that 85 % of respondents want companies to educate them on
how to properly use
and dispose of products. Chatterjee (2009) found that consumers
were more likely
to purchase green brand extension with higher environmental
impact. This reason-
ing indicates that the ability of the consumer to be able to
understand the evidence
behind the green strategy is critical to the success of a green
strategy. Interestingly,
a study by D’Souza and Taghian (2005) indicates that
consumers who were more
highly environmentally involved tended to be more critical to
green advertisements.

15. When considered within the context of how consumers connect
green strategies
with fashion products and brands, we assume that consumers
with higher levels
of knowledge of product development and production processes
will have a better
understanding of the environmental implications of the green
strategy of the fash-
ion brands. Consequently, consumers’ ability to better
understand the environmental
implications of fashion products will also influence formation
of their environmen-
tal attitude. Working under the assumption that the green
strategy is meaningful,
we propose that consumers with higher product and production
knowledge will be
2 Green Brand Strategies in the Fashion Industry 37
predisposed to recognize and accept the natural connection
between environmental
sustainability and fashion brands. The following proposition
reflects this idea.
Proposition 2 Consumers’ knowledge of product development
and production pro-
cesses of fashion products is positively related to consumers’
ability to understand
how environmental sustainability fits within a fashion brand
schema.
2.4 Leveraging the Relationship Between Environmental
Sustainability and the Brand

16. As consumer perceptions of the relationship between
environmental sustainability
and the green brand are important, green brands must be able to
position themselves
as authentic players in the green brand market. The brand’s
current image within
the consumer market, whether consumers’ see a good fit
between the brand and
green strategy, and how the brand’s environmental strategy is
communicated as
part of their new market positioning are important factors. This
section discusses
how companies can strengthen their green brand strategy
through communication
strategies and aspects of brand image that support its connection
with environmental
sustainability.
A study by Landor Associates (Romero and Braun 2013) show
advertizing and
brand’s own websites to be the most powerful ways to increase
awareness and knowl-
edge of a brand’s environmental practices. Green brand
communication needs to be
an integrated strategy “consisting of deliberate and proactive
actions aimed at the
definition of distinct consumer perceptions” (Hartmann et al.
2005). A successful
green brand must distinguish itself in the marketplace from
other green brands in
such a way so as to be distinctive to consumers. Studies indicate
that consumers
frequently receive green-marketing communication where the
validity of environ-
mental claims are in question, confusing, or unverifiable

17. (Bonini and Oppenheim
2008; Yan et al. 2012). Ng et al. (2014) found a brand’s
credibility to be influential in
green brand perceptions. Sound green branding increases
consumer trust and creates
brand loyalty (TerraChoice 2007). According to Chatterjee
(2009), brand managers
need to discern the perceived value of the green brand extension
and conceive and
maintain an appropriate marketing strategy for maximum brand
equity.
The credibility of a company’s environmental values is
influenced by whether
the new green branding-based knowledge fits into the existing
consumer schema
of the apparel brand. For example H&M’s recent marketing
campaign highlights
the brand’s sustainable apparel collection called “Conscious.”
This H&M collection
of “green” apparel products is built on several environmental
consumer commit-
ments, from textile sourcing to factory working conditions.
Fernandez (2013) notes
that albeit well-intentioned, the Conscious collection is
inherently paradoxical when
compared with H&M global distribution practices of fast
fashion. Fast fashion of-
fers consumers products at lower prices and quality where the
idea is to encourage
frequent purchases while offering consumer gratification with
relatively disposable
38 H.-S. Kim and M. L. Hall

18. products. These types of brand associative incongruities can
become problematic
with green-branding credibility, which may ultimately lead to
misalliances between
consumer schema of brand and green-branding efforts. We
propose that a more ef-
fective brand’s green strategy should be implemented where
consumers’ perceive a
company’s environmental values to be authentic.
Proposition 3 Consumers respond more positively to green
brands with authentic
environmental values and credible environmental business
strategies which influence
perceptions of fit between the green brand strategy and brand
schema.
Effective communication of brand attributes is important to the
successful position-
ing of distinctive and competitive green brands (Hartmann et al.
2005). Aaker and
Joachimsthaler (2000) note the importance of actively
communicating a brand’s iden-
tity and value proposition to customers. Although the
importance of communicating
green brand attributes is noted (Pickett et al. 1995), relying on a
brand strategy that
solely depends on its functional attributes is limiting. Most of
past research liter-
ature relates to the influence of cognitive and rational factors
(e.g., environmental
concern, environmental knowledge) that lead to positive
consumer response to green
strategies (e.g., Hyllegard et al. 2012; Kim et al. 1997; Kim et
al. 2012; Lee et al.

19. 2012).
According to Keller (2013), effective branding goes beyond
communicating per-
formance and rational benefits but also emotional benefi ts.
Indeed, as some studies
show a weak connection between cognitive factors such
environmental concern and
environmental knowledge with purchase behavior (e.g.,
Fransson and Gärling 1999;
Hiller Connell and Kozar 2013), several scholars (e.g.,
Coddington 1993; Hart-
mann et al. 2005) have recommended a need to incorporate
emotional appeals as a
means to build an affective relationship with consumers. In a
study of green posi-
tional strategies, Hartmann et al. (2005) found that
advertisements that combined
both functional attributes and emotional benefits achieved a
stronger brand attitude.
Also, an experimental study by Matthes et al. (2014) found
emotional and the func-
tional and emotional mixed-type ads significantly affected
brand attitude whereas
functional ads only impact brand attitudes when consumers’
green involvement was
high.
For fashion products, there is a fine line between using
cognitive elaboration
versus emotional involvement in consumer decision making.
Decisions related to
fashion products are associated with individual preferences for
and social accep-
tance of design and style as well as evaluation of fit, quality,
and value. Although

20. almost all brands can be identified and described by customers’
emotional response,
emotions can be used to describe consumption behavior of many
fashion brands
in particular. Green fashion brands may better be able to
incorporate their green
brand attributes and emotionally appeal to a customer base that
is accustomed to
identifying brands in an affective way. For example, fashion
designer Stella Mc-
Cartney’s website offers not only informative details of her
green product line but
also evidence of sustainability as part of the brand’s values and
mission. The brand
website offers a strong commitment to sustainability in its
products, product de-
velopment, and co-branding opportunities with Adidas. The
outdoor apparel brand
2 Green Brand Strategies in the Fashion Industry 39
Nau (http://www.nau.com/) positions its brand as embodying
style, performance,
and sustainability and is branded as an environmental lifestyle
company. Similar to
Stella McCartney, Nau’s website also presents a strong
commitment to environmen-
tal sustainability with an informative website that details
sustainability as being part
of the company’s genetic make-up. Nau’s website offers the
brand’s perspective on
sustainable fashion as being intertwined with decisions related
to design and de-
velopment. Whereas Stella McCartney is represented as an eco-

21. chic contemporary
upscale fashion brand, Nau exudes a Zen-like presence of
simplicity and calm.
We propose that consumers are able to better modify their brand
schema with
persuasive communication that leverage both the functional and
emotional appeal
of green brands. As functional appeals may be better evaluated
by consumers with
higher levels of environmental awareness, emotional appeals are
necessary to achieve
a strong brand attitude among the general consumer group.
Consumers are accus-
tomed to developing fashion brand images based on
communication strategies that
incorporate various dramatic and fantastic imagery and
emotions. As such, green
brand communication strategies that emotionally appeal to
consumers and build
affective relationships should be impactful.
Proposition 4 Consumers are able to modify their brand schema
when supported by
marketing communications strategies that incorporate both
functional and emotional
appeal of green fashion brands.
2.5 Leveraging the Relationship Between the Consumer
and the Brand
Branding is a means employed by brands to distinguish their
products from competi-
tors through the creation of awareness and reputation (Keller
2013). Keller (2013)
states, “These differences may be rational and tangible-related

22. to product perfor-
mance of the brand-or more symbolic, emotional, and
intangible-related to what the
brand represents” (p. 3). In the case of brand extensions where
established parent
brand names are used to introduce new products, many studies
have noted the influ-
ential role of parent brands on consumer attitudes toward the
new brand extension
(e.g., Czellar 2003; Pina et al. 2013; Völckner and Sattler
2006). The perceived fit
between the parent brand and extension as well as consumers’
impressions of the
parent brand is influential in the success of the new brand (Pina
et al. 2013; Völckner
and Sattler 2006). The success of any green-branding strategy is
important so as not
to negatively impact the parent brand (Chatterjee 2009). Given
the growing offering
of green brands, many of which may hold negative perceptions
with regard to au-
thenticity, quality, and price competitiveness, parent brand
equity will play a bigger
role in how consumers evaluate green brands. Current customers
are more likely to
consider and favor brands with which they are familiar.
The subtyping model suggests that consumers process new
information that does
not fit into their current schema in a compartmentalized way.
For example, if a
40 H.-S. Kim and M. L. Hall

23. new brand strategy does not share similarities with the brand,
consumers will store
information concerning the new brand attribute in a separate
cognitive category
which limits the negative impact of atypical information. In
their study of green
brand extensions, Kim and Ma (2014) found that consumers who
strongly identify
with the parent brand showed intentions to purchase green brand
extensions even
though they did not develop positive attitudes toward the green
brand extension
itself. As such, in situations where customers are loyal to the
brand regardless of
whether a new green brand strategy does not necessarily relate
to the current brand
or appeal to the customer base, we propose consumers will
respond positively to the
new green brand extensions.
Proposition 5 Positive response to a new green brand extension
may occur based
on the strength of consumers’ schema of the parent brand and
their ability to
compartmentalize the new green information separately from
the parent brand.
2.6 Summary and Industry Implications for Green Branding
In order to maintain a strong …
Journal of Business Research 74 (2017) 162–167
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

24. Journal of Business Research
Staging luxury experiences for understanding sustainable
fashion
consumption: A balance theory application
Jinghe Han c, Yuri Seo b, Eunju Ko a,⁎
a Fashion Marketing, Department of Clothing & Textiles,
Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul
120749, Republic of Korea
b Department of Marketing, Business School, The University of
Auckland, Owen G Glenn Building, 12 Grafton Road, Auckland,
Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
c Department of Clothing & Textiles, Yonsei University, 50
Yonsei-ro, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
⁎ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (J. Han), y.seo
[email protected] (E. Ko).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.10.029
0148-2963/© 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc.
a b s t r a c t
a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:
Received 1 August 2016
Received in revised form 1 October 2016
Accepted 1 October 2016
Available online 24 December 2016
Increasingly, sustainable fashion products consumption (SFPC)
receives attention from both academic scholars
and practitioners. While fashion consumers profess concerns
about sustainability issues, the extant literature
demonstrates a gap between such concerns and actual
consumption decisions and behaviors. This study illus-
trates how marketers can encourage contemporary consumers to

25. become strongly oriented toward sustainable
fashion product consumption (SFPC). Heider's balance theory
and consumer luxury brand experiences explain
and reveal how a state of psychological imbalance causes the
attitude–behavior gap between sustainable fashion
and SFPC behaviors. This report includes new propositions
explaining SFPC that receive support via focus group
interviews and direct observations and post-behavior interviews
of staged shopping trips— each participant was
given money (approx. USD $180) to spend in the two eco-
fashion stores. Developing and staging memorable
consumer-centered experiences that orient consumers toward
SFPC encourages the consumers achieving de-
sired balance states.
© 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc.
Keywords:
Balance theory
Eco-fashion
Luxury experiences
Sustainable fashion
1. Introduction
For decades, fashion companies have been criticized for
unsustain-
able conduct that negatively impacts environmental quality and
human well-being by producing high levels of carbon emissions,
poor
labor conditions, excessive waste, and chemical usage (Luz,
2007). To
address these concerns, some fashion companies are developing
sus-
tainable products and business practices (Jang, Ko, Chun, &
Lee, 2012),
a sustainable or eco-fashion movement (Gwilt & Rissanen,
2011). Sus-

26. tainable fashion lacks a single definition; however, the concept
broadly
refers to a range of corporate undertakings to “correct a variety
of
perceived wrongs in the fashion industry including animal
cruelty, envi-
ronmental damage, and worker exploitation” (Lundblad &
Davies, 2015,
p. 149).
Sustainable fashion's major challenge remains that “fashion cus-
tomers are hungry for goods…Low prices, good design, good
quality
fashion clothing items, coupled with an exciting shopping
leisure expe-
rience on the cheap, mean an increase in purchases, which is
difficult to
reconcile with the idea of looming environmental Armageddon”
(Gwilt
& Rissanen, 2011, p.21). Although fashion consumers profess
sustain-
ability concerns, their actual consumption behaviors poorly
reflect
@auckland.ac.nz (Y. Seo),
such responsibility (Chan & Wong, 2012; Joy, Sherry,
Venkatesh,
Wang, & Chan, 2012; McNeill & Moore, 2015). Consequently,
this
study offers a novel perspective to show how marketers might
educate
contemporary consumers to become more strongly oriented
toward
sustainable fashion products consumption (SFPC).
Specifically, informed by recent applications of Heider's
balance the-

27. ory (e.g., Hsu, Dehuang, & Woodside, 2009; Martin &
Woodside, 2011)
and luxury brand experiences in marketing (Atwal & Williams,
2009;
Pine & Gilmore, 1998), a participatory action investigation
(Ozanne &
Saatcioglu, 2008) investigates young fashion consumers in
South
Korea regarding their SFPC attitudes and practices. Results
support the
proposition that consumers are in constant state of
psychological
imbalance, an attitude–behavior gap, between their
sustainability con-
cerns and their own SFPC. Developing and staging memorable
consum-
er-centered experiences allows marketers to encourage more
positive
SFPC orientations and help achieve a balanced state (Pine &
Gilmore,
1998).
This study makes three major contributions relevant to
sustainable
fashion products. First, this study applies Heider's (1958)
balance theory
to explain the gap between consumers' ethical attitudes and
purchasing
behaviors. Second, the results help to develop a novel
perspective to re-
duce the imbalance by staging memorable experiences. Third,
this study
reports an emic (i.e., first-person) perspective on how fashion
con-
sumers may interpret the staged fashion experiences and how
they ex-

28. perience immediate and long-term impacts on their SFPC
engagement.
http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1016/j.jbusres.201
6.10.029&domain=pdf
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mailto:[email protected]
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mailto:[email protected]
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163J. Han et al. / Journal of Business Research 74 (2017) 162–
167
2. Conceptual background
2.1. Sustainable fashion paradox
Increasingly, academics and practitioners are turning attention
to
ethics, environmental concerns, and sustainability issues
relating to af-
fordable, trend-sensitive, and fast-fashion (Chan & Wong, 2012;
Joy et
al., 2012; Sun, Kim, & Kim, 2014). They strive to determine
how fashion
consumers form evaluative judgments and make purchasing
decisions
about products positioned as eco-friendly or sustainable. On one
hand,
strong evidence suggests a growing consumer concern about
sustain-
ability issues (Kim et al., 2015; Maloney et al., 2014). For

29. instance, a
2014 Nielsen survey of 30,000 people in 60 countries reveals
that 55%
are “willing to pay more for products and services provided
from com-
panies that are committed to positive social and environmental
impact”
(Johnstone & Tan, 2015). Further, evidence suggests growing
consumer
awareness that “individual consumption fosters organizational
produc-
tion, creating an ongoing cycle of appetite, simultaneously
voracious
and insatiable” (Joy et al., 2012, p. 277). Recognizing these
trends, the
sustainable fashion industry seeks to convert fashion consumers'
posi-
tive environmental concerns into actual purchases.
Recent reports indicate that consumers appear reluctant to adopt
sustainable fashion. Many consumers demonstrate inconsistent
pro-
sustainability attitudes and SFPC behaviors. McKinsey and
Company's
2014 global fashion market study finds that fashion consumers
are be-
coming more environmentally conscious, but surprisingly few of
these
consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products
(Keller,
Magnus, Saskia, Nava, & Tochtermann, 2014). Thus consumers
some-
times fail to “walk their talk” (Carrington, Neville, & Whitwell,
2010;
Chan & Wong, 2012; Johnstone & Tan, 2015; McNeill &
Moore, 2015),

30. creating a “sustainable fashion paradox.” In other words,
consumers
share sustainability concerns and expect fashion companies to
show so-
cial commitment; however, they do not exhibit SFPC behaviors
themselves.
Sustainable fashion scholarship postulates various explanations
for
this consumption paradox. One research stream argues that
product-re-
lated (e.g., product design and quality) and store-related (e.g.,
store de-
sign, environment, and convenience) attributes affect SFPC
adoption
(Chan & Wong, 2012). Results imply that fashion consumers
perceive
sustainable products as inferior to fast-fashion in terms of
product and
store attributes (Kim et al., 2014). As a result, consumers are
reluctant
to engage in SFPC. Other research suggests that fashion's very
nature
is to display consumer identity (Thompson & Haytko, 1997) and
fulfill
the “insatiable demand for newness” (Barnes & Lea-Greenwood,
2006,
p. 269). These intrinsic drives to be “fashionable” outweigh
needs to
be socially responsible (McNeill & Moore, 2015). Finally,
young con-
sumers may perceive sustainability and fashion as two separate
con-
structs within their cognitive schemas (Kong et al., 2016). They
may
support sustainability, but consumers categorically separate this

31. value
from their purchases of fashion products (Joy et al., 2012).
Despite the various explanations regarding attitude–behavior
dis-
crepancy in SFPC, a compelling theoretical underpinning is
lacking. Nev-
ertheless, the emerging research concedes that fashion
consumers are
aware of sustainability issues, but they experience various
sociological,
perceptual, and motivational barriers that prevent them from
partici-
pating in SFPC. Therefore, both practitioners and researchers
need a
deeper understanding of the consumer-centric processes and
mecha-
nisms for overcoming barriers.
2.2. Sustainable fashion paradox and Heider's balance theory
Heider's (1958) balance theory postulates that individuals
generally
seek to maintain internal harmony and order among their
attitudes,
values, and behaviors (Dalakas & Levin, 2005; Levin, Davis, &
Levin,
1996; Woodside, 2004; Woodside, Cruickshank, & Dehuang,
2007). Ac-
cordingly, if elements are imbalanced, consumers are likely to
change
their attitudes and/or behaviors to appropriately restore the
equilibri-
um. Indeed, statements such as “my friends' enemies are my
enemies”
and “my enemies' enemies are my friends” illustrate balance

32. theory's
key premise (Dalakas and Levin, 2005, p. 91).
More specifically, Heider (1958) (cited in Woodside, 2004)
explains
that individuals perceive separate entities (e.g., persons,
activities, or
objects) as having unit and sentiment relationships. Unit
relationship
occurs if a perception that two entities belong together exists.
Entities
with positive or negative associations have a sentiment
relationship. If
entities have a balanced state:
the relations among the entities fit together harmoniously; there
is
no stress toward change. A basic assumption is that sentiment
rela-
tions and unit relations tend toward a balanced state. This
means
that sentiments are not entirely independent of the perceptions
of
unit connections between entities and that the latter, in turn, are
not entirely independent of sentiments. Sentiments and unit
rela-
tions are mutually interdependent. It also means that if a
balanced
state does not exist, then forces toward this state will arise. If a
change is not possible, the state of imbalance will produce
tension
(Heider, 1958, p. 201).
Furthermore, units are grounded in cognition and sentiments are
grounded in affection, representing independent theoretical
constructs

33. (Woodside, 2004). When imbalance occurs, individuals try to
eliminate
the tension and resolve their psychological state of imbalance
by chang-
ing their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors (Martin, 2010;
Woodside &
Chebat, 2001).
Heider's theory helps to understand the sustainable fashion
paradox
and SFPC behaviors. Specifically, fashion consumers are the
individuals
of interest. The two separate entities are their general attitudes
toward
sustainability issues (entity 1) and SFPC (entity 2). Informed by
previ-
ous studies (Joy et al., 2012, is a notable exception), these two
entities
form a unit relationship. Fashion consumers perceive that
sustainability
issues and eco-fashion consumption belong together (Chan &
Wong,
2012; McNeill & Moore, 2015). Moreover, the two units display
con-
flicting sentiments. Specifically, fashion consumers have
positive senti-
ments toward entity 1 as evident from previous research
documenting
growing sustainability issue concerns (e.g., Joy et al., 2012;
Keller et al.,
2014). However, fashion consumers simultaneously have
negative sen-
timents toward entity 2 due to their lack of engagement in SFPC
behav-
iors (Chan & Wong, 2012; McNeill & Moore, 2015).

34. Thus, the sustainable fashion consumption paradox reflects a
state of
psychological imbalance for fashion consumers. Proposition 1:
Sustain-
able fashion's attitude–behavior gap is a state of psychological
imbalance.
Assuming the sustainable fashion paradox is a state of
psychological
imbalance, how should marketers to resolve this paradox?
Heider
(1958) suggests that consumers choose from three distinct paths
to re-
store balance. The first alternative is developing negative
sentiments to-
ward sustainability issues. When consumers perceive
sustainability and
SFPC as representing the unit, and they both are unfavorable
entities,
sentiments are no longer in conflict. In the second scenario, the
unit re-
lationship between sustainability and SFPC is broken (Joy et al.,
2012).
Although the sentiments for both entities are in conflict, they
are sepa-
rate, avoiding imbalance. Third, developing a more positive
orientation
toward SFPC and maintaining the unit relationship between
SFPC and
sustainability achieves balance. In this last scenario, both the
unit and
sentiment relationships fit together positively and
harmoniously, re-
ducing or eliminating stress relating change. Among the three
options,
marketers should work toward the third alternative. Reminding

35. fashion
consumers that sustainability and SFPC behaviors are
interconnected
leads to the best outcome. Proposition 2: To resolve the
sustainability
fashion paradox, marketers helps consumers to develop more
positive
SFPC orientations and reinforces the perceived
interconnectedness be-
tween sustainability issues and SFPC behaviors.
Table 1
Participant profiles.
Participant Age Gender Education Monthly fashion
spending (USD equiv.)
PAR
observation
1 30 M Postgraduate $100–$300 NO
2 30 M Postgraduate $400–$500 NO
3 30 M Postgraduate N$100 YES
4 32 M Postgraduate $100–$300 NO
5 26 F Undergraduate $100–$300 YES
6 25 F Undergraduate $100–$300 YES
7 30 F Postgraduate $100–$300 NO
8 31 F Postgraduate $100–$300 NO
9 28 F Postgraduate $300–$500 NO
10 23 M Undergraduate $300–$500 NO
11 35 F Postgraduate $100–$300 NO
12 30 M Postgraduate $500–$700 YES
13 29 F Postgraduate $100–$300 NO
14 26 F Postgraduate $300–$500 NO

36. 15 25 F Postgraduate N$100 YES
16 26 M Postgraduate $100–$300 NO
17 30 F Postgraduate $100–$300 NO
18 25 F Undergraduate $100–$300 YES
19 26 M Undergraduate N$100 NO
20 26 M Undergraduate N$100 NO
21 26 F Postgraduate $300–$500 YES
22 25 M Postgraduate $500–$700 YES
23 23 M Undergraduate $500–$700 NO
24 30 M Postgraduate $300–$500 NO
164 J. Han et al. / Journal of Business Research 74 (2017) 162–
167
2.3. Sustainable fashion and luxury experiences
A focal practice of luxury branding is to foster cult-like unique
brand
cultures by staging memorable consumer experiences (Atwal &
Williams, 2009; Seo, Buchanan-Oliver, & Cruz, 2015). Beyond
superior
functional features, luxury brands deliver sensory experiences
to create
social mystique and aura (Berthon, Pitt, Parent, & Berthon,
2009). Stag-
ing experiences to teach consumers about the social value of
luxury
goods, inspire taste and appreciation (Brun & Castelli, 2013).
The events
cultivate a sense of escapism and personal relevance, and
develop inti-
mate consumer/brand relationships (Kim & Ko, 2012). Thus,
luxury
companies design and stage memorable consumer experiences to
cre-
ate superior customer-perceived value (Wiedmann & Hennings,
2013;

37. Ko, Phau, & Aiello, 2016).
Recent studies draw parallels between sustainable fashion and
luxu-
ry brands. In particular, growing research indicates that
sustainability
issues and luxury branding have complex co-influence
interrelation-
ships (Joy et al., 2012; Beckham & Voyer, 2014). Although
sustainability
concerns remain nascent, they shape consumer perceptions
about luxu-
ry brands and perceived value (Kapferer & Michaut, 2015). On
the other
hand, luxury branding with “concomitant respect for artisans
and the
environment” fosters stronger pro-sustainability values among
young
fashion consumers (Joy et al., 2012). Luxury branding
techniques and
elements can apply to sustainable fashion marketing and vice-
versa.
Interconnectedness between sustainable fashion and luxury
brand-
ing suggest that staging memorable experiences for fashion
consumers
strengthens perceptions of the unit relationship between
sustainability
issues and SFPC, and develops a stronger SFPC orientation.
Given that
staged experiences offer proactive learning and consumer
engagement
(Brodie, Hollebeek, Juric, & Ilic, 2011), sustainable fashion
companies
should consider staging memorable experiences associating with

38. sus-
tainable fashion to strengthen consumer orientation toward
SFPC. Prop-
osition 3: Staging memorable sustainable fashion experiences
fosters a
more positive orientation toward SFPC, while reinforcing the
perceived
interconnectedness between sustainability issues and SFPC
behaviors.
3. Methods
The sustainable fashion literature is nascent—not rich enough
yet to
provide a sound conceptual foundation for investigating how
staged ex-
periences help overcome the sustainable fashion paradox. To
investi-
gate the three propositions, an exploratory study was conducted.
Specifically, the study employed a multi-method participatory
action
research (PAR) investigation (Ozanne & Saatcioglu, 2008)
involving
focus group interviews (FGIs), participant observations, and in-
depth
interviews with South Korean fashion consumers.
PAR, a methodological paradigm within consumer welfare
research,
is “a participatory, democratic process concerned with
developing prac-
tical knowing in the pursuit of worthwhile human purposes”
(Reason &
Bradbury, 2001, p.1). The main purpose of such research is to
develop
knowledge for social action. PAR is an appropriate method for

39. several
reasons. First, action research is particularly useful for
improving con-
sumer welfare (Ozanne & Saatcioglu, 2008). Thus, encouraging
fashion
consumers to behave more sustainably is consistent with the
study's
pursuits. Second, unlike other research traditions, PAR involves
con-
sumers throughout the research process (Ozanne & Saatcioglu,
2008).
The sustainable fashion paradox is a consumer-centric problem
requir-
ing an emic (i.e. first-person) understanding of how consumers
think,
feel and behave (Gwilt & Rissanen, 2011). Moreover, despite
emerging
interest over the last few years, sustainable fashion research
remains
nascent. Accordingly, collaborating with fashion consumers
throughout
the research process offers novel insights into SFPC. Finally,
action re-
searchers seek to develop knowledge that can be applied to
cultivate
“change across individuals, group, and national behaviors and
develop
solutions in collaboration with consumers that are also sensitive
to
their needs and desires” (Ozanne & Saatcioglu, 2008, p.424).
Fashion
consumers are aware of sustainability concerns, but they
encounter var-
ious barriers that prevent them from SFPC behaviors. Thus,
consumers
participating in this action research project may learn to

40. overcome
such barriers.
3.1. Research design
This study focuses on young adult consumers of fashion
products in
Seoul, South Korea. Young consumers tend to be highly
involved in fash-
ion, attracted to trends, and drawn to unique differentiating
products
(Belleau, Summers, Xu, & Pinel, 2007). Furthermore, they tend
to be
the key purchasers of fast-fashion products, a major concern for
sustain-
ability (Joy et al., 2012). The research team was particularly
interested in
developing a deeper understanding of how young consumers
perceive
sustainable fashion, and how they can be encouraged to be more
en-
gaged with SFPC.
Study participants were recruited from a large private university
in
Seoul, South Korea. The sample included 12 men and 12 women
ranging
from 23 to 30 years old, self-identifying themselves as
interested in and
knowledgeable about current fashion trends, and reporting at
least
some familiarity with sustainable fashion. They were not
required to
have prior experience in purchasing sustainable fashion
products.
These criteria reflect the researchers' interest in i ssues relating

41. to bar-
riers preventing SFPC behaviors. Consistent with the PAR
approach, par-
ticipants were informed that the research project's purpose was
to
study how consumers can be encouraged to purchase sustainable
fash-
ion products. Participants were told that their participation
would help
to develop novel solutions for sustainable fashion consumption
prac-
tices (Ko et al., 2013). Table 1 shows brief participant profiles.
A two-stage iterative analysis was adopted to uncover and
explore
the three propositions concerning sustainable fashion
consumption. At
the first stage, twenty-four participants were assigned to four
focus
groups of six people each. Focus groups were interviewed once
from Oc-
tober to November 2015. During the focus group interviews
(FGIs),
broad guidance questions were used to open and facilitate
discussion.
For example, “What do you think about eco-friendly fashion
products
and brands?” These questions were aimed at deriving themes
related
to perceptions about sustainability issues and SFPC, possibly
indicating
a state of psychological imbalance (Proposition 1). Preliminary
findings
indicate that participants perceived sustainability to be an
important

42. 165J. Han et al. / Journal of Business Research 74 (2017) 162–
167
issue in fashion, but they had mixed opinions and feelings about
wheth-
er or not they wanted to engage in SFPC behaviors. Thus, the
FGIs of-
fered initial supporting evidence that the attitude–behavior gap
in
sustainable fashion is a state of psychological imbalance. The
next sec-
tion provides a more detailed discussion of the emergent
themes.
The second stage, explored how staged experiences may restore
psychological imbalances by fostering more positive SFPC
orientations,
while reinforcing the perceived interconnectedness between
sustain-
ability issues and SFPC behaviors (Propositions 2 and 3).
Several PAR ob-
servations were conducted with eight participants from the
initial
sample (Participants 3, 5, 6, 12, 16, 18, 21, and 22), and staged
individ-
ualized sustainable fashion consumption experiences. More
specifically,
two eco-fashion brand stores in Seoul permitted participants to
partake
in an exclusive shopping experience at the stores between
January and
May 2016. Ozanne and Saatcioglu (2008) suggest that research
partici-
pants become valuable co-contributors if their goals aligned
with the re-

43. search objectives (i.e., to create positive social change). Prior to
the
staged visits, participants were informed that the researchers'
goal
was to learn how personal shopping experiences foster deeper
consid-
erations about sustainable fashion consumption.
Next, each participant was given money (approx. USD $180) to
spend in the two eco-fashion stores. One author accompanied
partici-
pants and closely observed their comparison of alternatives and
pur-
chase behaviors. After the shopping, each person participated in
a
semi-structured long interview to question them about their
experi-
ences (McCracken, 1988). Stage two participants were
interviewed
twice—immediately after visiting each store.
The final analysis combined results to determine whether and
how
the staged experiences may develop more positive SFPC
orientations.
During this process, several procedures were undertaken to
ensure con-
sistency and accuracy in interpretations. First, multiple methods
of data
collection were used to compare interpretations, including FGIs,
PAR
observations, and semi-structured interviews. Second, each
researcher
reviewed the data independently (inter-rater agreement was
about
75–80%). Disparities were settled by iterative discussion and

44. achieving
a general consensus on the final themes.
4. Results
4.1. Sustainability in fashion and SFPC
Findings from the FGIs support the proposition that fashion
con-
sumers may experience a state of psychological imbalance
regarding
SFPC issues (P1). Specifically, respondents recognize the
importance of
sustainability considerations, but they have reservations about
purchas-
ing sustainable fashion products.
4.1.1. Attitudes toward sustainability in fashion
Consistent with prior studies (e.g., Joy et al., 2012; McNeill &
Moore,
2015), results show that young consumers perceive
sustainability as an
important issue in the fashion industry. They also recognize
their own
ability to make a difference through their consumption choices.
For in-
stance, one participant notes that fashion companies are shifting
their
purely profit-driven strategy toward considering sustainability
issues
because changing consumer preferences are putting pressure on
the
industry.
Sustainable fashion was not popular at one time, but
environmental
and social issues show growth possibilities…In the past,

45. companies
thought only about profits, but now they need sustainability for
the
brand's image and to fulfill consumer preferences (Participant
21).
Participants noted that they engage in pro-sustainable practices;
however, they do not necessarily purchased sustainable fashion
prod-
ucts. For instance, Participant 3 considers purchasing fashion
products
from a second-hand shop to be more sustainable than buying
eco-fash-
ion products:
I think consumers of used goods contribute to sustainability and
eco-
friendliness. Even eco-friendly and sustainable products are
new.
Recycling unsold items is popular: it's all about the second-
hand
market. There are many second-hand markets like the one on
NAVER (Korean website). Buying from the second-hand market
is
to practice sustainability and seems better to me.
Thus, a key theme emerging from the FGIs is that young
consumers
tend to be aware of sustainability concerns in fashion and they
proac-
tively act to address their concerns. Although informants
describe vari-
ous pro-sustainable consumption practices (e.g., purchasing
second-
hand clothing), they do not necessarily include SFPC behaviors.

46. 4.1.2. Unwillingness to purchase sustainable fashion products
Consumers have various reasons for avoiding SFPC behaviors
(Chan
& Wong, 2012; McNeill & Moore, 2015), but prior research
offers little
about their emic (i.e., first-person) perspectives. Study FGIs
identify
three distinct but interrelated themes describing why consumers
are
unwilling to purchase sustainable fashion products: (1) negative
quality
perceptions; (2) the lack of justification for paying a premium
price; and
(3) the lack of social awareness about the value of eco-fashion
products.
First, participants reveal that they perceive sustainable fashion
to be
inferior in terms of product design and quality characteristics.
Specifi-
cally, many associate eco-friendly products with unattractive
appeals
and limited selections: “I do not purchase sustainable fashion
products
because of their unattractive designs” (Participant 11, aged 35).
“If
their design, quality, and variety improve, I would be willing to
pur-
chase sustainable fashion products” (Participant 21, aged 26).
Further-
more, established preconceptions that eco-fashion products lack
quality dissuade consumers from justifying the price premiums.
“Price
is the most important. I will never buy eco-fashion products if
they are

47. ridiculously expensive” (Participant 1, aged 30). “I do not feel
the
need to buy eco-fashion products. In the case of X brand,
sustainability
intentions are a good principle, but the products are costly and
aesthet-
ically unappealing” (Participant 2, aged 30).
Crucially, FGIs reveal that the nexus of overpriced and poor
quality
perceptions may come from lack of awareness and social capital
surrounding knowledge about eco-fashion rather than actual
product
performance. Specifically, participants note that they have few
opportu-
nities to learn about sustainable fashion through media and/or
con-
sumption experiences. This lacuna negatively impacts their
personal
perceptions of eco-fashion products. “Sustainable fashion
brands do
not organize fashion shows and or advertise to any extent”
(Participant
2, aged 30). As clothing purchase decisions are a tactile
experience,
looking at new products likely is not enough to sway many
consumers.
“Advertisements alone will not encourage sustainability: people
must
use and experience products before they will feel familiar
enough to
buy them” (Participant 15, aged 25).
In conclusion, the emergent themes support P1. Results
demonstrate
an attitude–behavior gap exists in sustainable fashion that

48. creates a
state of psychological imbalance. Specifically, fashion
consumers ex-
press concern about fashion sustainability issues, but they are
unwilling
to engage in SFPC due to established negative …