Sustainability in the Apparel and Textiles Industry: A Conceptual Paper Addressing Previous Findings and Areas of Future Research

This paper embraces the theme of the 2012 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference: Marketing Dynamism & Sustainability: Things Change, Things Stay the Same, with a specific focus on the sustainability movement within the apparel and textiles (AT) industry. As part of this paper, sustainability as it pertains to the AT industry is addressed, including both social and environmental issues in the production, distribution, and consumption of apparel and textile goods. The paper also presents previous research findings examining consumers’ knowledge of and attitudes towards these issues, including an analysis of the relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and apparel-purchasing behavior. Finally, the paper notes barriers to sustainable apparel-purchasing behaviors and concludes with a discussion regarding areas for future research.