Over the last few years, efforts to address chronic overconsumption, ultra-fast fashion, and insane clothing wastage have improved, but arguably, not at a rate fast enough to make a significant impact.
We’ve all heard about the rise of fashion’s attitude-behaviour gap, whereby people claim to care about sustainability and support sustainable initiatives despite their behaviours displaying the complete opposite. 53% believe it is essential to buy from brands with ethical labour policies, but only 23% have investigated their policies themselves. 60% of consumers say repair, second-hand and sustainable disposal are essential, while only 23% repair their clothes, and only 25% regularly buy second-hand. Something isn’t working, and I have an idea of what it is.
The attitude-behaviour gap is a type of cognitive dissonance, a mental conflict in which one’s beliefs don’t align with one’s actions. In the moment, cognitive dissonance can cause discomfort, stress, and anxiety, leading people to rationalize their decisions, avoid conversations about specific subjects, or hide their beliefs or actions from others. There is no doubt that people are sympathetic to our current climate struggles. Still, factors like price sensitivity, convenience, and social pressures contribute to this widening gap between what we believe and what we do. The first step is acknowledging what our problems actually are:
Problem 1: What exactly is sustainability?
Ask this question to 10 people, and you’ll receive 10 different answers. There are at least six different types of sustainability: consumer responsibility, economic sustainability, environmental sustainability, legislative, cultural, and social sustainability. If people don’t know the type of sustainability they want or should support, even meaningful initiatives start to look like greenwashing, and all trust is eventually lost.
Problem 2: The social conundrum
According to Unilever 83% of people think TikTok and Instagram are good places to get advice about how to live sustainably. While 78% say social media is the information source most likely to encourage them to act more sustainably. And yet, social media intensity has been linked to impulse purchasing, materialism and the spread of misinformation. What’s the point in posting pictures of piles of clothing waste washing up on shores when it only results in sympathy and not changed behaviour?
This is where fashion psychology comes in.
In my course, ‘Fashion Psychology for Sustainability,’ I discuss behaviour change interventions like goal priming and nudging, insights on specific social media strategies that can reduce the attitude-behaviour gap, as well as tips on how to normalise sustainable consumption for men to address the grossly under-reported eco-gender gap.
By applying these interventions, brands and consumers alike can finally begin to align their values with their buying behaviours.
Are you ready to explore the psychology that drives sustainability? Join our course to deepen your understanding and become part of a movement transforming fashion for good*.
(*the first part of lesson one is now free to check out)
