Table 1
Overview of Research Methodology.
| COMPONENT | DETAILS |
|---|---|
| Review Type | Integrated-Narrative Literature Review (INLR) (Whittemore & Knafl, 2005) |
| Purpose | Synthesise empirical and theoretical studies on eco-labelled fashion and consumer behaviour; enable rich qualitative insights and theoretical framing for both academic and general audiences. |
| Databases Searched | EBSCO, ProQuest, Scopus, Google Scholar, JSTOR and Web of Science |
| Search Keywords Strategy | A systematic Boolean search was conducted to identify relevant literature at the intersection of eco-labelling and fashion consumer behaviour. The search combined three main conceptual groups of keywords using Boolean operators:
The search was applied across article titles, abstracts and full texts to ensure comprehensive coverage. |
| Inclusion Criteria |
|
| Other Strategies | Snowballing Technique – Iterative review of reference lists from relevant articles that meet the inclusion criteria |
| Rationale | Ensures high-quality, contemporary and focused literature sample that captures the intersection of eco-labelling and consumer behaviour in fashion. |
Figure 1
Integrated Theoretical Framework. (1) Elaboration-Likelihood Model (ELM) (2) Signalling Theory (3) Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Author’s own work, based on Ajzen (1991), Petty and Cacioppo (1986) and Spence (1978).
Figure 2
Literature Search and Screening Process for Included Articles.
Table 2
Summary of Articles Included in the Integrative Narrative Review.
| AUTHORS & YEAR | ARTICLE TITLE | STUDY DESIGN | KEY INSIGHTS/THEMES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspers, 2008 | Labelling fashion markets | Conceptual – Literature Review | Explores the implementation of ethical and environmental labelling in fashion markets, highlighting how such systems can simplify consumer decision-making and reduce administrative burdens for firms. |
| Atilgan, 2017 | Eco-labelling Applications in the Textile & Apparel Sector in Turkey | Conceptual – Literature Review | Discusses eco-labelling structures relevant to Turkish textile firms, emphasising regulatory alignment with the EU and the growing necessity of eco-labels in response to consumer demand. |
| Behre & Cauberghe, 2025 | Signalling sustainability in online fashion consumption: The role of credibility induced by certification labels | Quantitative – Experimental Research | Explores how third-party certification labels enhance perceived credibility and influence purchase intentions in online fashion, highlighting the role of additional product information and message focus. |
| Blas Riesgo et al., 2022 | Does Sustainability Matter to Fashion Consumers? Clustering Fashion Consumers and Their Purchasing Behavior in Spain | Quantitative – Choice-based conjoint analysis | Investigates consumer behaviour for sustainable fashion, within the Spanish market, highlighting price as the dominant purchase driver and identifying clusters of consumers with varying sustainability engagement, illustrating the attitude–behaviour gap. |
| Byrd & Su, 2020 | Investigating consumer behaviour for environmental, sustainable and social apparel | Quantitative – Research Survey | Demonstrates that consumers are interested in sustainability and social labelling but have limited knowledge of brand practices and label validity, highlighting information gaps and the importance of clear labelling. |
| Chang et al., 2025 | Influence of green information on environmental awareness: a case study of clothing tags | Quantitative – Research Survey | The visual design and presentation of green information on clothing tags, rather than textual content alone, drives environmental awareness, highlighting the importance of visual cues and tag design in influencing consumer perception. |
| Cho et al., 2024 | The interaction effect of fashion retailer categories on sustainable labels: the role of perceived benefits, ambiguity, trust and purchase intention | Quantitative – Research Survey | Consumer perception and purchase intention are influenced by retailer-level sustainable label strategies, with specific labelling and dedicated sustainable product categories reducing ambiguity and increasing trust. |
| Clancy et al., 2015 | Ecolabels as drivers of clothing design | Qualitative – Interviews & Literature Review | Ecolabels focus on ecological production criteria but have limited influence on the clothing design process; designers’ sustainability expertise is narrow, and broader guidance is needed to integrate sustainability effectively. |
| Das et al., 2025a | Designing Labels with a Lasting Impact: How Eco-labels Influence Purchase Behavior and Lifetime Extension of Clothing | Quantitative – Research Survey | Eco-labels guide sustainable behaviour and extend clothing life; traceability tags, care instructions and quality/hygiene indicators are most effective, with label design influencing repair, maintenance and second-hand usage. |
| Diekel et al., 2021 | Life Cycle Based Comparison of Textile Ecolabels | Quantitative – Comparative Life Cycle Assessment | Assesses strengths and weaknesses of seven textile ecolabels; highlights coverage gaps in life cycle phases and environmental aspects, emphasising the limitations consumers face when relying on labels for sustainable choices. |
| Dreyer et al., 2016 | Consumers’ understanding and use of textile eco-labels during pre-purchase decision making | Quantitative – Research Survey | Examines consumers’ understanding and use of textile eco-labels; highlights partial environmental awareness, limited label comprehension and price/availability as barriers, underscoring the need for targeted consumer education. |
| Feuß et al., 2022 | The interplay of eco-labels and price cues: Empirical evidence from a large-scale field experiment in an online fashion store | Quantitative – Field Experiment | Investigates how eco-labels interact with price cues in online fashion; highlights that eco-labels increase purchase probability, with effects strengthened by higher price premiums and that discount effects depend on price context. |
| Gam et al., 2014 | Socially Responsible Apparel Labels: Effects on Fashionable Shoppers | Quantitative – Research Survey | Examines how socially responsible labels influence apparel shoppers; finds that fashion-oriented consumers are more likely to read SR labels, engage with SR apparel and intend to purchase, highlighting the role of consumer segmentation. |
| Goswami, 2008 | Is the urban Indian consumer ready for clothing with eco-labels? | Quantitative – Research Survey | Investigates urban Indian consumers’ interest in eco-labelled clothing; identifies a positively motivated segment and profiles it demographically and psychographically, illustrating market potential and consumer segmentation. |
| Hamlin & McNeill, 2023 | Marketing Tactics for Sustainable Fashion and the Circular Economy: The Impact of Ethical Labels on Fast Fashion Choice | Quantitative – Experimental Design | Examines how ethical point-of-sale labels influence fast-fashion consumer evaluations; finds that ordinal ethical ratings affect purchase intention through heuristic processing rather than conscious ethical evaluation, highlighting limits of complex labels in fast-fashion contexts. |
| Henninger, 2015 | Traceability the New Eco-Label in the Slow-Fashion Industry?—Consumer Perceptions and Micro-Organisations Responses | Mixed Methods – Interviews and Surveys | Investigates consumer and micro-organisation perspectives on eco-labels in the UK slow-fashion sector; highlights perceptions of traceability and standardisation and the emerging role of eco-labels in shaping consumer understanding and business strategies. |
| Hyllegard et al., 2012 | Socially Responsible Labeling: The Impact of Hang Tags on Consumers’ Attitudes and Patronage Intentions Toward an Apparel Brand | Quantitative – Research Survey | Examines consumer responses to hang tags communicating social responsibility; highlights the influence of message content, explicitness and logos on attitudes and purchase intentions. |
| Hustvedt & Bernard, 2008 | Consumer willingness to pay for sustainable apparel: the influence of labelling for fibre origin and production methods | Quantitative – Experimental Auction | Explores how fibre origin, type and production method influence consumer willingness to pay; highlights the role of local and organic labelling in shaping perceived value. |
| Hustvedt & Bernard, 2010 | Effects of social responsibility labelling and brand on willingness to pay for apparel | Quantitative – Experimental Auction | Examines how labour-related labels and brand cues affect consumer willingness to pay; highlights the interplay between social responsibility information and brand recognition in shaping purchasing behaviour. |
| Jayasooriya & Ranasinghe, 2023 | The Role of Country-Specific Gate-to-Gate Ecolabels: Case Study for Sri Lankan Clothing Industry | Conceptual – Case Study | Explores the development of country-specific ecolabels in the Sri Lankan clothing industry, highlighting the importance of localised certification for competitive advantage and sustainability signalling. |
| Kang et al., 2013 | Environmentally sustainable textile and apparel consumption: the role of consumer knowledge, perceived consumer effectiveness and perceived personal relevance | Quantitative – Research Survey/Structured Equation Modelling | Examines consumer-side factors influencing sustainable textile and apparel consumption, emphasising knowledge, perceived effectiveness and personal relevance as key drivers of attitudes and purchase intentions. |
| Kim et al., 2025 | Consumer Perceptions of Digital Clothing Labels and Their Influence on Brand Green Value | Quantitative – Research Survey | Explores how digital clothing labels affect consumer perceptions of brand sustainability, highlighting the role of technological expertise and green transparency in shaping brand green value. |
| Koszewska, 2011 | Social and Eco-labelling of Textile and Clothing Goods as Means of Communication and Product Differentiation | Conceptual – Literature Review/Theoretical Analysis | Explores the role of social and eco-labelling as communication tools in the textile and clothing sector, highlighting consumer recognition and expectations regarding ethical and sustainable products. |
| Koszewska, 2021 | Clothing labels: Why are they important for sustainable consumer behaviour? | Conceptual – Editorial/Literature Review | Discusses the critical role of eco-labels and their various typologies in guiding sustainable choices, emphasising the complexity of the clothing life cycle and the need for transparent, reliable information to support informed consumer behaviour. |
| Laitala & Klepp, 2013 | Environmental and Ethical Perceptions Related to Clothing Labels Among Norwegian Consumers | Qualitative – In-depth Interviews | Explores how Norwegian consumers interpret fibre content, care, size and country-of-origin labels, highlighting misconceptions and the indirect influence of labels on perceived environmental and ethical implications. |
| Lou & Xu, 2024 | Consumption of Sustainable Denim Products: The Contribution of Blockchain Certified Eco-Labels | Quantitative – Research Survey/Conjoint Analysis | Examines how consumers make trade-offs for sustainable denim, highlighting the limited but strategic role of eco-labels, with emerging technologies like blockchain certification preferred for communicating sustainability. |
| Ma et al., 2017 | Perceived ease of use and usefulness of sustainability labels on apparel products: application of the technology acceptance model | Quantitative – Research Survey/Various Statistical Analyses | Investigates how consumers interact with sustainability labels, showing that perceived usefulness and ease of use shape purchase intentions and highlight the role of labels as influential decision-making tools. |
| Perry & Chung, 2016 | Understand attitude-behavior gaps and benefit-behavior connections in Eco-Apparel | Qualitative – In-depth Interviews | Delineates the disconnects between environmental attitudes and actual eco-apparel behaviour, revealing how emotional, product and economic benefits shape purchasing, usage and disposal practices. |
| Rahman & Kharb, 2022 | Product Choice: Does Eco-Labeling Play an Important Role in Apparel Consumption in India? | Quantitative – Research Survey | Explores how Indian consumers balance eco-labels with fit, comfort and style, highlighting generational differences and showing that sustainability is often secondary to physical and aesthetic preferences. |
| Ratnaparkhi & Deole, 2022 | Significance of Eco-Labeling in Textile and Clothing Product for Green Environment | Conceptual – Book Chapter | Examines the role of eco-labels in promoting environmentally friendly textile and clothing production, highlighting their potential to guide sustainable consumption and support the green industry. |
| Rese & Baier, 2024 | Rental clothing box subscription: The importance of sustainable fashion labels | Quantitative – Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis | Investigates how subscription box type, consumer traits and sustainable labels influence rental fashion choices, revealing that sustainable labelling boosts willingness to pay, especially for self-curated boxes and highlighting opportunities for circular economy messaging. |
| Ritch, 2015 | Consumers interpreting sustainability: moving beyond food to fashion | Qualitative – Phenomenological Interviews | Explores how UK consumers navigate sustainability in fashion, revealing confusion around environmental claims, scepticism about price premiums, but strong ethical motivation to avoid exploitative production. Highlights the use of heuristics in decision-making and the potential for retailers to leverage sustainability for competitive advantage. |
| Ritch, 2020 | Experiencing fashion: the interplay between consumer value and sustainability | Qualitative – Phenomenological Interviews | Reveals how working mothers interpret and enact sustainability in fashion consumption, with labels influencing perceived value. Shows that sustainability practices fluctuate depending on information, guidance and practical support. |
| Ritch, 2021 | Consumer interpretations of fashion sustainability terminology communicated through labelling | Qualitative – Interpretivist Interviews | Analyses how consumers decode sustainability terminology on fashion labels and the resulting influence on consumption behaviour. Reveals that misunderstandings of sustainable claims create scepticism toward pricing, though participants remain concerned about broader sustainability impacts. |
| Timmons et al., 2024 | Fashion, fast or slow? Effects of binary and graded eco-labels on sustainable clothing purchases | Quantitative – Randomised Experiment | The study tested how binary and graded eco-labels shape sustainable clothing choices using a simulated online store with 1,200 consumers. The graded eco-score produced the strongest shift toward sustainable items, doubling exclusive sustainable purchases without increasing overall consumption volume. |
| Turunen & Halme, 2021 | Communicating actionable sustainability information to consumers: The Shades of Green instrument for fashion | Conceptual – Instrument Development | Introduces the Shades of Green (SoG) instrument to translate sustainability information into actionable guidance for consumers. Highlights a structured method for communicating environmental and social impacts across a product’s life cycle, enhancing decision-making and company-consumer clarity. |
| Van der Merwe et al., 2013 | Consumers’ knowledge of textile label information: an exploratory investigation | Quantitative – Face-to-Face Survey | The study evaluated South African consumers’ understanding of textile label information and revealed strong recognition of basic label elements but weaker knowledge of synthetic fibres and specific care symbols. It highlighted that practical use of label information remained limited, indicating a need for education that builds applied label-reading |
| Williams & Hodges, 2022 | Signaling Sustainability: Exploring Consumer Perspectives on Communicating Apparel Sustainability Information | Qualitative – In-Depth Interviews | Researchers delved into how consumers recognise and interpret sustainability cues on apparel labels. Participants expressed a preference for simple but sufficiently detailed messages, noting that clear signals help them distinguish genuinely sustainable garments from less responsible options. |
| Zhang et al., 2025 | The new fashion for sustainable consumption: would you buy carbon-label textiles? | Quantitative – Structural Equation Modelling | The study mapped how carbon labels, a specific type of eco-label, shape consumer purchase intentions, revealing that climate concern strengthens these effects, whereas price sensitivity dampens them, with many consumers still reluctant to pay a premium. |
| Ziyeh & Cinelli, 2023 | A Framework to Navigate Eco-Labels in the Textile and Clothing Industry | Conceptual – Framework Development | The authors designed a classification framework that distinguishes textile eco-labels by their assessment methods and performance levels to improve clarity and harmonisation. They demonstrated that this structure helps standardise terminology and supports more transparent, comparable sustainability communication across labels. |
| Žurga & Forte Tavčer, 2013 | Green Consumerism, Recognition and Consideration of Eco Labels at Textile Purchase | Qualitative – Literature Review | The authors synthesise evidence showing that although consumers express environmental concern, eco-label confusion, low understanding, and misleading claims undermine sustainable textile purchases. They conclude that the rapid growth of diverse labels has reduced their clarity and effectiveness, limiting their role as behavioural policy tools. |
| Žurga & Forte Tavčer, 2014 | Apparel Purchasing with Consideration of Eco-labels among Slovenian Consumers | Quantitative – Research Survey | The study shows Slovenian consumers focus far more on fibre composition than eco-labels, display low eco-label knowledge and are unwilling to pay more than a 10% premium. It concludes that awareness, trust and standardisation of eco-labels must improve because self-identified eco-conscious consumers still lack actual understanding. |