Sustainability

Sustainability seems to be a complex concept where various aspects are mentioned as important in order to act in a sustainable way. During the interviews, the consumers’ fashion consumption was referred to when asking about what sustainability means for them. As such, attitudes and behaviours with regard to the fashion industry seem to be top of mind for consumers when thinking of sustainability. This was demonstrated by Amanda who mentioned that:

“I think the fashion industry is a very big part of today’s environmental issue. So much is produced and bought to be used a few times and thrown away instead of reused”.

One topic that was mentioned in the interviews was the concept of fast fashion and the implications it has amongst consumers. When asked about sustainable consumption Hanna claims that: “When it comes to clothes, I can absolutely become better. I am still buying a lot of fast fashion since I am not rich”. Accordingly, Emil stated that: “For example, even though I am aware of that stores such as Primark contributes to fast fashion, I am still willing to buy a scarf there when it is cold outside and it only costs 10 SEK”. Thus, consumers seem to be aware of some of the consequences of fast fashion, where brands such as Zara and H&M was mentioned frequently, however since fast fashion is perceived as affordable, consumers still

engage in it. Nevertheless, due to the knowledge about the negative effects of the fashion industry, there are some contradicting consumption behaviours, where the consumer is conscious about the negative aspects of fast fashion but still ends up buying it. This is demonstrated by Albin who said that he could imagine that organic clothing items have a longer lifespan and are better than throwaway pieces. Therefore, he argued that he can motivate himself to buy more expensive clothing that lasts longer. However, even though he had this mindset, he still buys clothes from stores such as H&M because he thinks it looks nice and is cheap.

Connected to attitudes towards fast fashion, a reoccurring theme that was brought up was overconsumption. Hanna stated that: “I really like to have new clothes, but this is something I need to change. I need to buy fewer pieces of clothes in general”. Furthermore, during the interviews, reducing overconsumption was mentioned as an important factor, since the interviewees believed that they personally could make a difference in this regard in order to act more sustainable in their fashion consumption. Emil mentioned that: “For me, sustainability is more about that I think about how long I personally will be able to use the clothes”. This was further brought up by Jakob who claimed that for him it is more about buying fewer pieces that you can use more often. Thinking about the usability and durability of the clothes was further mentioned in relation to special occasions. Hanna claimed that:

” I try to not buy too much stuff. I think about how many times I can use the garment and not just that I need something new because I am going out this weekend. “

Hence, a desire to act more sustainable was identified during the interviews. Even though there are some aspects that the interviewees are thinking of and actions that they are taking in order to act sustainable in their fashion consumption, they still think they could do more. This is demonstrated through the above statement and via Jenny who mentioned that: “I wish that I did so much more, for example, that I consumed more second hand”. Nevertheless, some barriers were identified amongst the interviewees to engage in sustainable fashion consumption. Firstly, there seems to be an overall lack of knowledge about what is sustainable and lack of holistic information. Hanna discussed that she thinks her behaviour would change if she had more knowledge and stated that:

“.... I have heard so many terrifying stories about what happens in the textile industry…

If my knowledge increased, I would get more inspired to change.”

Moreover, Jenny mentioned that there is a lot of information about what is going wrong in the industry but very little information about what you can do on an individual level.

Secondly, it was mentioned in some of the interviews that there are not enough alternatives in the fashion industry to be able to act sustainable. Even though there are some alternatives to buy more sustainable or recycled, consumers still find it time-consuming and difficult. Philip explains that he knows of some brands that are making sustainable clothes but for instance, he has never heard of a sustainable shoe brand. Therefore, he claims that in some segments there are options, but in others, it is hard to find sustainable alternatives. In line with this, both David and Jenny mentioned that there are limited alternatives for office clothes such as a suit, where they both do not know of a good option. Furthermore, David claims that it would be easier and more convenient if the companies take the first step and offer sustainable alternatives and mentions Adidas recycled materials for clothes as a good example.

Finally, some of the interviewees expressed a concern about the intention of companies that are offering sustainable clothes. For example, David expressed concerns about the brands’

authenticity:

“You lose respect for the whole idea when so many companies are greenwashing. For bigger companies, it is more about creating returns than making a difference”.

In line with this, Jakob stated that it is hard for the consumer to know if the sustainability claims are true or not. Even though some companies are branding their products as sustainable, they still appear in newspapers due to bad working conditions etc. which is making it hard to differentiate between brands’ claims and their true intentions. As such, he returns to the discussion of how you need much more knowledge in order to make better decisions.

Another aspect that was mentioned during the interviews was a potential difference in behaviours and attitudes in different generations. When addressing sustainable fashion

information and changing their behaviour accordingly. As such, she stated: “I believe that it is easier for younger generations to take in new information and change their behaviour. It might be harder for older people to change their behaviour. I believe that we are a bit more used to being adaptive.”