Gender differences in sustainable clothing purchase intention

Abstract

Sustainable clothing has been gaining attention worldwide as customers become more aware of the negative impacts of fast fashion on communities and the environment. The present study aims to analyze whether the factors will influence customers’ intention to purchase sustainable clothing and determine whether there is heterogeneity between gender groups in these relationships. A total of 174 respondents participated in the study through a survey link posted on social media. The model was analyzed using permutation tests and bootstrap multi-group analysis. Findings revealed that brand image and self-concept positively affect customers’ intention to purchase sustainable clothing, whereas gender does not change the strength and direction of the relationships between variables. There was a significant relationship between price and sustainable clothing purchase intention for males but not for females. This study provides insights to all those involved in the fashion industry, especially within the sustainable clothing subtype of fashion. Future research should be undertaken to explore further how customers’ intention to purchase sustainable clothing is affected by industry practices such as ethical sourcing and transparent disclosure of supply chain practices, as well as include different groups of customers to better understand the factors influencing customers’ purchase intention towards sustainable clothing.