A Systematic Framework for Evaluating Sustainability in the Textile and Apparel Industry

Abstract

This study analyzes how sustainability research in the textile and apparel industry is structured and argues that technological innovation—while essential for sustainable transformation—cannot generate meaningful impact when pursued in isolation. Its effectiveness depends on alignment with environmental assessment, ethical and institutional mechanisms, and circular strategies. A review of 133 publications (2020–2024) examining titles, keywords, abstracts, and conclusions identified these four thematic axes as the core framework shaping current research. Findings show that technological innovation is the most extensively addressed dimension, yet its industrial and policy influence remains limited when not connected to standardized assessment tools, governance systems, or consumer use-phase behaviors. When the four dimensions operate collectively, technological advances achieve stronger empirical validation, institutional coherence, and circular-system integration. By addressing a key gap in prior literature—which has typically examined these dimensions separately rather than as an integrated system—this study clarifies how their coordinated interaction conditions sustainability transition pathways. The integrated framework provides a theoretical basis for understanding constraints and mediators within sustainability transitions and suggests that future research and policy should adopt system-level strategies that intentionally strengthen linkages across the four dimensions to accelerate sustainable transformation.