The mechanism of fashion consciousness influencing Gen Z’s Willingness to continue using slow fashion apparel in a sustainable context
- 1Wuhan Textile University, School of Fashion, Wuhan, China
- 2Academy for Forging a Strong Sense of The Zhonghuaminzu Community and Advancing the Sinicizationof Religion in China, Wuhan, China
Abstract
To explore the mechanisms underlying Gen Z consumers’ willingness to continue using slow fashion apparel, this study constructs a conceptual model based on SOR theory. The model considers personal and social fashion consciousness as stimulus variables, aesthetic, emotional, social, and green values as organism variables, and willingness to continue using as the response variable. Data were collected through a questionnaire based on a 7-point Likert scale, yielding 311 valid responses. SPSS and JASP were used to assess reliability and validity and examine direct and mediation effects. The results indicate that personal fashion consciousness, social value, and green value are all significantly and positively associated with willingness to continue using slow fashion apparel. Personal fashion consciousness is positively associated with perceived aesthetic and emotional values, whereas social fashion consciousness is positively associated with perceived social and green values. Furthermore, social and green values mediate the relationship between social fashion consciousness and willingness to continue using slow fashion apparel. However, the mediating effects of aesthetic and emotional values are not significant. This study suggests that in the context of sustainable consumption, value-related factors may better explain long-term use behavior than aesthetic experiences alone. These findings suggest that slow fashion brands should support individual expression and sustainability-related meanings and enhance Gen Z consumers’ perceptions of green and social value, thereby encouraging continued use of slow fashion apparel and promoting sustainable fashion development.
Related
- Caregivers’ willingness and factors influencing uptake of the malaria vaccine among under-five children at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda
- Promoting sustainable fishing: from the perspective of Fisheries Funding Mechanism under the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
- Perceived GenAI competency and university teachers’ intention to continue using generative artificial intelligence: Extending the technology acceptance model
- The mouse oocyte Balbiani body reassembles in growing follicles to continue organelle selection and upon dispersal influences nuclear position
- Machine learning and spatial regression approaches to estimating willingness to pay for ecosystem services in Jakarta and Taoyuan
BibTeX
@article{zhu2026mechanism,
title = {{The mechanism of fashion consciousness influencing Gen Z’s Willingness to continue using slow fashion apparel in a sustainable context}},
author = {Jiayu Zhu and Anding Liu},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357599},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357599},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The mechanism of fashion consciousness influencing Gen Z’s Willingness to continue using slow fashion apparel in a sustainable context
AU - Jiayu Zhu
AU - Anding Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/03
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357599
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357599
AB - To explore the mechanisms underlying Gen Z consumers’ willingness to continue using slow fashion apparel, this study constructs a conceptual model based on SOR theory. The model considers personal and social fashion consciousness as stimulus variables, aesthetic, emotional, social, and green values as organism variables, and willingness to continue using as the response variable. Data were collected through a questionnaire based on a 7-point Likert scale, yielding 311 valid responses. SPSS and JASP were used to assess reliability and validity and examine direct and mediation effects. The results indicate that personal fashion consciousness, social value, and green value are all significantly and positively associated with willingness to continue using slow fashion apparel. Personal fashion consciousness is positively associated with perceived aesthetic and emotional values, whereas social fashion consciousness is positively associated with perceived social and green values. Furthermore, social and green values mediate the relationship between social fashion consciousness and willingness to continue using slow fashion apparel. However, the mediating effects of aesthetic and emotional values are not significant. This study suggests that in the context of sustainable consumption, value-related factors may better explain long-term use behavior than aesthetic experiences alone. These findings suggest that slow fashion brands should support individual expression and sustainability-related meanings and enhance Gen Z consumers’ perceptions of green and social value, thereby encouraging continued use of slow fashion apparel and promoting sustainable fashion development.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -