Young Consumers’ Perceptions of Sustainable Clothing: Empirical Insights from Chinese Post-90s’ College Students

The scale of environmental and social impacts from global apparel production and consumption makes sustainability increasingly important in the contemporary business environment. This study explores the Chinese young consumers’ perceptions of and attitudes toward sustainable clothing. Specifically, the study aims to answer the following two research questions: (1) How Chinese college students view and feel about sustainable clothing in terms of their perceived risks, and (2) How their sustainability knowledge, their personal values, and perceived risks impact their attitude toward and willingness to buy sustainable apparel products. The study results based on data collected from 381 Chinese post-90s’ college students demonstrate that apparel sustainability knowledge strongly and positively predicts consumer attitude and willingness to buy. The study also reveals that consumer attitude and willingness to buy are significantly predicted by personal values and consumer perceived risks toward sustainable clothing. The study provides valuable baseline information for the Chinese textile and apparel industry and global sustainable textile and apparel marketers.