Fashioning Green Words and Eco Language: An Examination of the User Perception Gap for Fashion Brands Promoting Sustainable Practices

Abstract In today’s marketplace, dominated by business models predicated on continual consumption and globalized production systems creating major environmental and social impact, the contradiction between the socio-economic importance of fashion and its inbuilt obsolescence through its increasingly fast fashion cycle represent a significant problem. Given that fashion consumption appears set to grow with each new generation of consumers, the need to provide a regulatory system for sustainable fashion and to communicate that effectively appears to be essential. Located in Hong Kong, this paper reviews the role of fashion user perceptions toward popularly used words adopted by fashion brands intended to stimulate sustainable behaviors. It is based on research findings determining how users make sense of this complex discourse and the impact on consumption practices. Findings are presented from over 100 on-street surveys and six focus groups with Hong Kong-based participants to determine their understanding of green language used in sustainable fashion brands promotions. Findings suggest confusion and lack of engagement, yet an interest in taking action. Hence, the question of how to devise and communicate sustainable fashion messages using the most effective and understood key words in brand messages is critical in terms of moving people from awareness to advocacy impacting on fashion consumption in a future circular economy.