Abstract

This study aims to track the progress of consumer awareness of sustainable fashion longitudinally and to investigate any improvement in consumer awareness of sustainable fashion. A survey was conducted in a large state university in the US during the last nine years, and 403 returned questionnaires were kept for data analyses. The results show that consumer awareness of sustainable fashion significantly differs yearly, and there has been an overall improvement. Longitudinally, consumers are more aware of Recycle, Vintage, and Organic in sustainable fashion; their awareness of the connection between Vegan and sustainable fashion has increased dramatically; and they have lower awareness levels of Artisan, Custom, FairTrade, and LocallyMade. The pandemic had a significantly positive impact on consumer awareness of Recycle, Vintage, Custom, Fairtrade, and Vegan. As the first longitudinal study examining consumer awareness of sustainable fashion, this study provides critical implications on the practical business level and sheds light on consumer education. This study also brings further theoretical insight into the sustainable fashion literature, especially by developing the Four-Stage Model of Consumer Awareness of Sustainable Fashion.