Integrating personal and pro-environmental motives to explain italian women’s purchase of sustainable clothing

Abstract

Despite increased knowledge of the impact of clothing production on the environment, the general public still has a low intention to purchase sustainable clothing. The present study analyzed the psychosocial predictors of Italian women’s intention to purchase sustainable clothing, proposing an integration of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) approaches. Participants (N = 286) filled in a self-report online questionnaire, measuring Italian women’s intention to purchase sustainable clothing, as well as TPB variables, such as subjective norm, attitude, and perceived behavioral control, and VBN variables, such as egoistic and biospheric values, awareness of consequences, and personal norm. Results of structural equation modeling showed that the TPB + VBN integrated model predicted women’s intention to purchase sustainable clothing. Personal norm and attitude were the strongest predictors of intention. Mediation analyses showed the indirect impact of the VBN chain (from values to moral norm) on intention. Discussion focusses on the psychosocial dimensions that public policy, non-governmental organizations, and clothing companies should consider when promoting the purchase of sustainable clothing.