Buy Fashion Clothing | TogWears

images representing sustainability, and five indicative of luxury. Participants

were encouraged to source their images from online sites,

print advertisements, photo albums, magazines, and the like, and to

consider the implications of their respective choices. At follow-up

meetings, each participant offered a personal narrative describing why

they chose specific images, and what meaning they attached to each

image. We also asked informants to sort their respective images into

three relevant categories of their own devising (e.g. industry-related

activities, advertising, and luxury-defining locations such as Parisian

landmarks). Participants then described how any two of their categories

were more similar to each other than to the third. We conducted

this triad task to probe for deeper meanings and values associated

withchoices.

Table 2 provides a list of images that participants provided. Spiggle

(1994), as well as Thompson (1996), provide a detailed analysis of this

approach, including categorization, abstraction of categories, comparison

of instances within data, and discernment of emergent themes.

Various techniques have been proposed to tap into the subconscious,

where most decisions are made. Heisley and Levy (1991) describe the

importance of visual elicitation techniques, as does Zaltman (1997),

the developer of ZMET. According to Zaltman (1997) 95 percent of

what consumers think and feel is never expressed verbally; mechanisms

that elicit responses are needed. Our participants’ respective responses

to images of their choosing revealed subtle assumptions, desires, and

beliefs; their self-selected and self-interpreted images served their purpose

well.

Fast Fashion, Sustainability, and the Ethical Appeal of Luxury Brands 279

Table 1

List of participants.

Name Country Age Employment

Roxanne Canada 20 Student

Lynn Hong Kong 31 Homemaker

Linda Hong Kong 21 Student

Rita Hong Kong 35 Homemaker

Dave Canada 35 Merchandiser

Wendy Hong Kong 20 Student

Nora Canada 32 Shop assistant

LaraCanada 21 Student

Brendan Canada 30 Sales clerk

Eva Hong Kong 35 Consultant

Leticia Hong Kong 33 Office worker

Alexa Hong Kong 35 Teacher

Catherine Canada 32 Office worker

Rita Canada 20 Student

Cynthia Hong Kong 32 Lawyer

Cathy Hong Kong 33 Office worker

Sheena Canada 30 Shop assistant

Jenny Hong Kong 20 Student

Henry Canada 21 Student

DavidCanada 20 Student

Alicia Canada 25 Grocery store worker

Tania Canada 20 Student

Andrew Hong Kong 20 Student

Ellen Hong Kong 31 Sales assistant

Joanne Hong Kong 20 Student

Melissa Canada 22 Student

Linda Hong Kong 25 Student

Paula Canada 30 Homemaker

Tom Canada 30 Fashion store manager

John Canada 30 Sales manager

Tim Hong Kong 32 Financial officer

Eric Hong Kong 30 Bank teller

TanyaHong Kong 30 Homemaker

280 Annamma Joy, John F. Sherry, Jr, Alladi Venkatesh, Jeff Wang and Ricky Chan

Our overarching finding is that consumers from both Hong Kong

and Canada, while concerned about the environmental and social impact

of their non-fashion purchasing decisions, did not apply such principles

to their consumption of fashion. They talked in general terms of

saving the environment, were committed to recycling, and expressed

dedication to organic food. In the strict fashion context, ethical fashion

refers to “the positive impact of a designer, a consumer choice, a method

of production as experienced by workers, consumers, animals, society,

and the environment” (Thomas 2008: 525). Yet, these very same consumers

routinely availed themselves of trend-led fashionable clothing

that was cheap: i.e. low cost to them, but high cost in environmental

and societal terms. They also exhibited relatively little guilt about fast

fashion’s disposability, seeing little discrepancy between their attitudes

toward sustainability and their fashion choices.

Our finding is unsurprising; other studies have similarly documented

irrational consumer choices that are poorly connected to, or completely

disconnected from, consumer values (Moisander and Personen 1991).

The moral-norm activation theory of altruism proposed by Schwartz

(1973) states that environmental quality is a collective good, and therefore

will motivate consumers to embrace environmentalism in all aspects

of life. The rapid rise of fast fashion implies otherwise. Schwartz’ theory

presumes that consumers will thoughtfully evaluate the life cycle of different

products, and will then select whichever product has the least

environmental load. However, in our study, participants had little overlap

with the “ethical hard liners” (those living entirely in line with their

commitment to sustainability, and thus purchasing only eco-fashion)

discussed by Niinimaki (2010: 152) in her study of eco-fashion in Finland.

Solomon and Rabolt (2004) argue that sustainability is simply not

an attribute that most consumers consider when purchasing clothing.

Table 2

Images.