Sustainable fashion is often promoted as a solution to the environmental harms of fast fashion, yet it remains financially inaccessible to many socio-economic groups. While ethical consumption is framed as an individual’s responsibility, the prohibitive costs of sustainable clothing largely favours wealthier consumers (McNeill & Moore, 2015. Lower-income communities who have financial barriers and limited access to eco-friendly products often rely on fast fashion, despite its environmental and social consequences (Joy et al., 2012). This research examines how economic privilege provides greater access to sustainable fashion and also explores its sociological impacts, particularly in reinforcing class divisions.
Through a review of literature surrounding sustainable fashion, this research explores the structural inequalities in its accessibility. Previous research highlights how green consumption functions as a status symbol, with ethical fashion marketed primarily to wealthy demographics (Henninger, Alevizou, and Oates, 2016). Furthermore, sustainability policies and corporate initiatives often overlook affordability, which creates barriers to ethical consumption. (Boström & Micheletti, 2016). This research shows that current sustainability narratives do not just fail to address these disparities but also aggravate them by placing the false moral responsibility on consumers rather than trying to bring systemic change.
The findings emphasise the need for inclusive policies that bridge the accessibility gap, ensuring that sustainable consumption is not a privilege. This research aims to contribute to discussions on climate justice, consumer inequality, and the sociological consequences of greenwashing within the fashion industry (UNEP, 2023).
References
Boström, M. and Micheletti, M. (2016). Introducing the Sustainability Challenge of Textiles and Clothing. Journal of Consumer Policy, [online] 39(4), pp.367–375. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-016-9336-6.
Henninger, C.E., Alevizou, P.J. and Oates, C.J. (2016). What Is Sustainable fashion? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: an International Journal, 20(4), pp.400–416.
Joy, A., Sherry, J.F., Venkatesh, A., Wang, J. and Chan, R. (2012). Fast Fashion, Sustainability, and the Ethical Appeal of Luxury Brands. Fashion Theory, [online] 16(3), pp.273–295. doi:https://doi.org/10.2752/175174112X13340749707123.
Just Style (2024). The ethical dilemma of shopping at Primark: a closer look. [online] Just Style. Available at: https://www.just-style.com/analyst-comment/ethical-dilemma-shopping-primark/ [Accessed 22 Feb. 2025].
McNeill, L. and Moore, R. (2015). Sustainable fashion consumption and the fast fashion conundrum: fashionable...: EBSCOhost. [online] Ebscohost.com. Available at: https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=b57e014b-1fbb-40b4-b34f-8d1aa889f058%40redis [Accessed 22 Feb. 2025].
UNEP (2023). Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain. [online] Available at: https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/sites/default/files/2023-12/Full%20Report%20-%20UNEP%20Sustainability%20and%20Circularity%20in%20the%20Textile%20Value%20Chain%20A%20Global%20Roadmap_0.pdf.