Knowing better, but behaving emotionally

Abstract

The recent growth in fashion consumption has its roots in increasing manufacturing volumes, as well as the current business logic behind the fashion industry. The fast manufacture-use-disposal model is core to the business of fast fashion, and material throughput in the system is now faster than ever. Such a business model rides on unsustainable choices by consumers and fast consumption models to remain alive and well. This chapter builds a framework to enhance understanding of the complex interplay between designing, manufacturing and consuming in contemporary society. It addresses the attitude-behaviour gap in the fast fashion consumption field and illustrates what lies behind current fashion consumption practices through recent research findings. While revealing several emotional reasons behind fast fashion consumption, this chapter also offers alternative ways to fulfil fashion needs in a more sustainable manner. Even though consumers know how to behave ethically, the emotional allure of fast fashion is hard to fight against; nevertheless recent research findings show that there are some opportunities to change the current fashion model towards a slower version by focusing on creativity, values and emotions. Central to transforming the fashion system towards sustainability is understanding the emotional side of fashion consumption and offering sustainable ways to fulfil consumers’ emotional and ever-changing needs in the fashion field.