Sustainable fashion: to define, or not to define, that is not the question

Figures & data

Figure 1. A feminist critical realist social-ecological systems approach to fashion as system. Note: This figure is based on a conceptual framework of linked social–ecological systems first introduced by Berkes, Colding, and Folke (2002). It illustrates the connections between ecosystems, knowledge (as seen in how we manage things), and institutions and indicates how to effectively deal with these connections to enhance resilience and adaptability.

Table 1. Recurring and prominent keywords from 66 identified definitions can be grouped into five themes.

GOOD FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET – 24 articles
aspects of social and environmental sustainability a sustainable and socially responsible fashion incorporates one or more aspects of social and environmental sustainability sweatshop-free labor conditions…environmentally friendly processes…not limited to tangible products but also has extended to services, behaviors, and ideas. no harm done to people or the planet use of clothing for purposes, which are beyond utilitarian needs, including “identity making,” and are achieved without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs less socially and environmentally harmful products beneficial to society and the environment in production and consumption activities centers on sustainability values, such as good working conditions and reducing environmental destruction fair trade principles with sweatshop-free labor conditions; that does not harm the environment products produced using ethical processes or fabrics, or reduction/reuse fewest possible adverse effects on human beings, other living creatures, and the planet Earth less damaging to people and/or the planet. maintain economic growth (constant production of new types of attire) without depletion of resources or damage to the environment benefit, or at least do not harm, our environment and society in their production and consumption processes supportable indefinitely in terms of human impact on the environment and social responsibility produced by neither damaging the environment nor the people made of recycled materials, vintage fashion, fashion with organic materials, fashion that considers animal care, handicraft fashion, custom-made fashion, locally produced fashion, and fashion that abides by fair trade encompasses fair trade principles with sweatshop-free labor conditions; that is not harmful to the environment or workers defined here using a “climate justice” vision of sustainability that considers both social and environmental impacts. produced under fair conditions,…It has also something to do with the materials out of which the clothes are produced. not merely about environmental, social and ethical benefits, but their extrinsic and intrinsic (psychic, physical, psychic/physical) values must be factored in as well the relationship in a more harmonious and holistic way that decenters the satisfaction of human needs as the driving force behind sustainable fashion and relocates attention and action in protecting all resources both human and material—involved in the production design and consumption processes including the promotion and acceptance of contested concepts such as responsible consumption, consumption reduction, voluntary simplicity, and sustainable lifestyles by essentially attempting to turn passive stakeholders into active publics.
BASED ON THREE PILLARS − 14 articles
paying attention to the three pillars (economic, social, and environmental perspectives) in their business operations companies need to take severe considerations of these three main areas do not compromise the ecological and socio-economic conditions of all people ecological integrity, social quality and human flourishing reflects social values for environmental preservation, economic growth, social contribution, human wellbeing, and future development environmental protection, but also the social and economic viability of the environmental protection use environmentally, economically, and socially preferable processes addressing social, economic, and environmental issues have minimal impact on the society, economy, and environment as a whole three key areas: social equity, ecologic stability, and economic viability seeks to create positive economic, environmental, and social impacts. minimize negative environmental, social, and economic effects driven by social, cultural, economic, and environmental concerns.
DEPENDENT ON QUANTIFICATIONS − 2 articles
good performance measures on sustainability and accurate measurements and estimates on the level of attained sustainability includes design, materials and processes that are, in a measurable way
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT − 7 articles
environmental sustainability apparel produced using environmentally friendly manufacturing processes with minimum environmental harm upon disposal profoundly related to the environmental factors impact on the environment has led to a shift toward more sustainable options minimize the negative impact on the environment. developed through an eco-design approach…that relate to a product’s environmental impacts causes little or no environmental impact
A BUSINESS CONCERN − 19 articles
a series of corporate commitments aimed at redressing a variety of perceived fashion-industry wrongdoings materials to the longevity of garments and their potential reuse corporate efforts to correct a variety of perceived wrongs in the fashion industry refers to a range of corporate undertakings to “correct a variety of perceived wrongs in the fashion industry” ethically and ecologically sound production and consumption practices based on real demand correct a variety of perceived wrongs in the fashion industry reducing the environmental impact of garments, while calling for attention to a complementary approach in sustainable fashion: that of enabling a decrease in the enormous amount of garments in circulation purchasing sustainably produced fashion items externalities and inequities created by the fashion industry create apparels that have relatively fewer externalities eco-material preparation, sustainable manufacturing, green distribution, green retailing, and ethical consumers sourcing of materials, suppliers, labor conditions, chemical, energy and water usage, transport and, recently, attention to post-consumer waste replacing traditional cycle (fabrication, use and dispose) with reuse and recycling the management of material, information and capital flows sustainable fashion is instead framed primary around “meaning making” as oppose to “product making.” as fair trade, clothing production showing respect for the environment clothing production that practices human and environmental rights, protects workers, and provides fair compensation, values the circular economy, combines different aspects, such as social attitudes and values, adequate selection of marketing campaigns and advertising, different industrial processes, and very importantly, the adoption of new behaviors by consumers ecofashion, secondhand fashion, reverse logistics, reuse and recycling.

Table 2. Exploring article focus areas and their impact on sustainable fashion definitions.

Publication year	Number of articles	Focus area				Numberof clear definitions	Definitions distribution based on articles’ focus area
		Social (Soc)	Environmental (Env)	Social AND Environmental (S&E)	Social-ecological (SES)
		[non-material]	[material]		“systemic”		Soc	Env	S&E	SES
2008	3	1		1	1
2010	2		1	1
2011	1		1
2012	3	1	2
2013	3	1			2
2014	5	2	1	1	1	1			1
2015	10	4	3	1	2	3	2			1
2016	8	5	1	1	1	4	2	1	1
2017	26	6	14	6		5	3	2	1
2018	30	14	3	9	4	9	6	1	2
2019	33	19	4	9	1	6	2		4
2020	40	25	8	5	2	12	7	3	1	1
2021	54	34	13	5	2	15	12	2	1
Jan-April 2022	23	15	7	1		9	7	1	1
Total	241	127	58	40	16	65	41	10	12	2

Note. The table outlines various focus areas that articles may explore in relation to sustainable fashion and how these areas impact the incidence and understanding of sustainable fashion definitions. The 241 articles are categorized based on the focus of their abstracts. Articles focusing on both social and environmental aspects without having the system approach are categorized social-ecological.

Figure 2. Sustainable fashion according to the articles in review. Note: A selection of recurring and prominent keywords from the identified definitions are grouped into five themes in the center circle. Recurring and prominent keywords are found in Table 1.

Table 3. Distribution of articles across five WoS Research categories and their top keywords.

Web of Science Research Areas	All research areas	Social sciences	Technology	Arts & Humanities	Life Sciences & Biomedicine	Physical Sciences
Number of articles found	241	114 (95 in Business & Economics)	74 (46 in Science & Technology - Other Topics)	48	3 (All in Environmental Sciences & Ecology)	2
Top key words	Fashion	Fashion	Sustainable	Fashion	Fashion	Fashion
	Sustainable	Sustainable	Fashion	Sustainable	Sustainable	Sustainability
	Design	Consumers	Design	Design	Values	Bacterial
	Consumers	Consumption	Chain	Ethics*	Consumption	Biotechnology
	Consumption	Social	Supply	Consumer	Design	Cellulose
	Social	Behavior	Clothing	Textiles	Address	Chemistry
	Clothing	Ethical	Product	Social	Altruistic	Dyes
	Product	Marketing	Industry	Circular	Biospheric	Fiber
	Value	Environmental	Management	Garment	Clothes	Green
	Chain	Value	Brand	Recycled	Compassion	Industrial*
	Supply	Design	Social	Responsibility	Consumer	Ionic
	Ethical	Clothing	Textile	Activism	Costumizing	Liquids
	Behavior	Business	Theory	Behavior	Creative	Natural
	Marketing	Fast	Consumer	Business	Curricula	Regeneration
	Environmental	Theory	Marketing	Craft	Curriculum	Waste
	Textile	Production^a	Consumption	Education	Description
	Brand	Brand	Economy	Environmental	Education
	Business	Responsibility	Green	Technology	Egoistic
	Industry	Apparel	Circular	Waste	Entrepreneur
	Theory		Analysis	Future	Entrepreneurial
Keywords overlap		16 of 20	15 of 20	9 of 20	7 of 20	3 of 20

Note. ^aIndicates where a research-category keyword is close but not identical to the keyword in the “all research areas” top 20.

Figure 3. Timeline of responses to fashion’s undesired impacts. Note: The table contextualizing publication of academic papers with policy responses to global environmental changes, media reporting, and launches of industry-sustainability initiatives. The categories for “Fashion industry sustainability initiatives” are adopted from Palm and Cornell (n.d). The “general sustainability” category is not interchangeable with the articles’ “social-ecological” category.

Berkes, F., J. Colding, and C. Folke, Eds. 2002. Navigating Social-Ecological Systems: Building Resilience for Complexity and Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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