Sustainable fashion: Young consumers at odds with older generations

In France, Italy, Germany, the UK and the USA, young consumers have high expectations about sustainable fashion, but also a unique perception of what it entails, according to a study presented on Tuesday July 2 at the Première Vision Paris show.

The French Fashion Institute (IFM) and Première Vision have surveyed 1,200 consumers aged 18 to 65 in the five countries cited above. The study showed that young consumers’ attitudes are different from those of the population as a whole, and also that attitudes differ between consumers aged 18-24 and those aged 25-34.

Among 18 to 24-year-olds, sustainable fashion is defined primarily in terms of environmental protection, while materials are only a secondary issue. Instead, 25 to 34-year-olds see materials as the primary element of sustainable fashion, ahead of environmental concerns. The two age clusters largely agreed on socially responsible manufacturing and workplace safety, which they ranked respectively third and fourth in their responses.

Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 58.1% of Italian respondents, and 65.7% of UK ones (figures for the other three countries lay between these extremes) bought a sustainable fashion product for themselves in the last 12 months. Among 25 to 34-year-olds, the figures ranged from 46.5% for US respondents to 59.6% for German ones. On a country-by-country basis, these shares were consistently higher than those of the population as a whole. And the same can be said about products purchased for relatives.

What about those consumers who did not buy a sustainable fashion product in the last 12 months? Price was the primary reason given for this by French respondents (by 41.3% of them) and by German ones (39.4% of them). Among UK and US respondents, lack of information was the primary reason, given by respectively 37.4% and 34.5% of respondents. Among Italian respondents, the prevailing reason (for 33.8% of them) was not knowing where to find such products.

The role of second-hand fashion

The relationship between sustainability and second-hand fashion was also explored. In the last 12 months, at least one second-hand item was bought by 54.3% of French respondents (compared to 41.6% a year earlier), by 44.6% of Italians (39.6% a year earlier), by 47.7% of Germans (36.4% a year earlier), by 59.8% of UK respondents (45.8% a year earlier), and by 62.2% of US respondents (55.8% a year earlier).

Buying second-hand items is a much more established practice among younger consumers. In the 18 to 24-year-old cluster, the share of those who bought second-hand items ranged from 66.2% among German respondents to 81.5% among French ones. For 25 to 34-year-olds, the share ranged from 57.6% among Italians to 76.1% among French respondents. In all countries, price was the main motivation for doing so, ahead of sustainability.

Whether the products are new or second-hand, price was the main purchasing criterion for French respondents (for 34% of them) and UK ones (31.2%), while quality ranked first for Italians (37.1%), Germans (33.3%) and Americans (31.4%). The second criterion was style, followed by ethical and environmental considerations, the latter’s share ranging between 9.5% for Americans and 14.6% for Italians. Notably, brand appeal only ranked fifth, and this in all countries surveyed.

“We are dealing with rational consumers who, even if they like a brand, do not trust it blindly, and tend to make their own judgement about product quality,” said Gildas Minvielle, head of the IFM’s Economic Observatory, speaking to FashionNetwork.com.

What do consumers expect from brands? 

When respondents of the various age clusters were asked about the values they chiefly want to embody through their clothes, they answered in different ways. In France, Italy and Germany, they said they primarily choose to dress according to their individual taste, without embodying specific values. UK and US respondents said they are chiefly looking for casual products that match their personality.

In all countries, environmental impact ranked third as a consideration, ahead of promoting ethical and inclusive practices. But this was not the case among young consumers. In France, ethics and inclusivity were the primary criterion for 18 to 24-year-olds, while environmental impact was nearly the leading criterion for 25 to 34-year-olds.

Similar differences in attitude among age clusters were found with regards to expectations about favourite brands. Irrespective of age cluster, respondents from all countries put product quality and sustainability at the top of their expectations list, except in France, where they prioritised accessibility. But younger consumers once again expressed specific preferences. For example, in France, 29.8% of 18 to 24-year-olds expected diversity and inclusion. And 31.8% of 25 to 34-year-olds expected authenticity, in other words consistency between a brand’s narrative and its actual product range.