Sustainability and Social Responsibility

An Application of Grounded Theory to Develop a Typology of Sustainable Apparel Consumers

Authors: Elena E Karpova (University of North Carolina at Greensboro) , Farimah Bayat (University of North Carolina at Greensboro)

Abstract

In this study, the authors develop a typology of sustainable apparel consumers based on the analysis of 700+ comments posted by New York Times readers to an opinion article. Grounded theory was used to establish two major constructs that were applied to effectively distinguish between different types of sustainable consumers based on their everyday clothing consumption practices. The two constructs were: willingness or ability to pay for clothes and the importance of appearance. This is the first proposed typology to differentiate between sustainable apparel consumers; it can be used to address the different needs of this important market segment.

Keywords: sustainable apparel consumers, sustainable fashion, grounded theory, typology, willingness to pay, importance of appearance

How to Cite: Karpova, E. E. & Bayat, F. (2022) “An Application of Grounded Theory to Develop a Typology of Sustainable Apparel Consumers”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings. 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13521