“Changing behaviours at scale is extremely difficult, and consumers often need help to move from intention to action,” says Clarke. “As much as smart metre companies keep telling us the power is in our hands, to save the world, the fashion industry has the controlling stake in macro-social issues such as global warming, biodiversity and pollution.”
Earlier this year, Zalando published a report on the attitude-behaviour gap, acknowledging people’s “tendency to over-report socially desirable sentiments”. The company found while 60 per cent of survey respondents said transparency is important to them, only 20 per cent actively seek out information as part of the purchasing process; 53 per cent believe ethical labour policies are important, but only 23 per cent investigate what those policies are; 58 per cent believe they should understand the product, including the materials, but 38 per cent regularly check the label for information; and 60 per cent of consumers say repair, second-hand and sustainable disposal are important to them, but only 23 per cent repair their own clothes and 25 per cent regularly buy second-hand.
Hurdles stand in the way for customers, as outlined in the Vogue survey. Respondents referenced cost, availability and access to information as barriers to shopping sustainably. Some brands attempt to tackle these barriers head-on by communicating more openly about pricing, for example, or by encouraging their customers to ask themselves whether each garment is worth not just the money they’ll pay for it, but the environmental and social costs of creating it. But so far, these brands’ efforts are the exceptions, not the rule.
Brands shouldn’t use a lack of behavioural changes as a reason to avoid working towards a more sustainable future. Doing so could backfire, says Kayla Marci, market analyst at retail market intelligence platform Edited, particularly for consumers who cite cost as their reason for not shifting to more eco-friendly brands but may be in a position to spend more down the line. “They may be unable to afford more sustainable businesses at the moment, which risks losing loyal and future customers if these brands don't evolve their processes to be more ethical and environmentally friendly,” she says.
Vogue readers also reported wanting the onus not to be on them, but on brands and governments to drive sustainability. Advocates have long said that it’s policymakers’ responsibility to require the industry to do better because the voluntary approach hasn’t worked. Some efforts are underway, in Europe in particular, that could change the landscape significantly, depending on government uptake. The UK is exploring consumption-based emissions targets, which could encourage people to buy fewer products, including clothes — a path many advocates argue is the only true path to sustainability — while some EU countries are working on mandatory due diligence legislation that could impact what brands are responsible for in their supply chains.
