Sustainable fashion: current and future research directions

TLDR

Sustainable fashion research is fragmented across management, with no comprehensive synthesis, and the field is evolving, necessitating a representative overview. The paper aims to synthesize sustainable fashion research to identify societal impact opportunities and guide future studies. The authors conducted a systematic literature review of 465 sustainable fashion papers published from 2000 to June 2019. The review reveals that sustainable fashion research is largely split between pragmatic and radical change approaches, identifies seven cross‑disciplinary streams, and uncovers knowledge gaps to guide managerial decision‑making.

Abstract

Purpose The sustainable fashion (SF) literature is fragmented across the management discipline, leaving the path to a SF future unclear. As of yet, there has not been an attempt to bring these insights together or to more generally explore the question of “what is known about SF in the management literature and where could the SF field go from there?”. The purpose of this paper is to bring together the field to identify opportunities for societal impact and further research. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted from the first appearances of SF in the management literature in 2000 up to papers published in June 2019, which resulted in 465 included papers. Findings The results illustrate that SF research is largely defined by two approaches, namely, pragmatic change and radical change. The findings reveal seven research streams that span across the discipline to explore how organisational and consumer habits can be shaped for the future. Research limitations/implications What is known about SF is constantly evolving, therefore, the paper aims to provide a representative sample of the state of SF in management literature to date. Practical implications This review provides decision makers with insights that have been synthesised from across the management field. Originality/value This review identifies knowledge gaps and informs managerial decision making in the field, particularly through serving as a foundation for further research.