67% of boomers deny the harm of fast fashion to ease guilt

Despite growing awareness of environmental destruction, consumers continue to justify buying fast fashion, new research by Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), has found.

Consumers use a range of psychological strategies to justify this to themselves and others, says Bodo B. Schlegelmilch, Professor Emeritus of Global Marketing Strategy at WU.

The study focuses on how people across different countries, age groups, and education levels justify unsustainable purchases, identifying key psychological strategies they use to resolve internal conflict. These include denial of responsibility, denial of injury, and the metaphor of the ledger, the belief that one good deed can offset a bad one.

Although 36% of people claim to have bought sustainable fashion during their last apparel purchase, the global market share for sustainable fashion remains below 5%. This mismatch suggests that consumers are often not as green in practice as they are in principle.

Boomers, in particular, overwhelmingly use denial of injury (67.9%)—suggesting a lower level of concern about the harm caused by fast fashion. Millennials (27–42) most commonly employ denial of responsibility (42.5%), while Gen Z (26 and under) are more likely to use the metaphor of the ledger (28.1%) or appeal to higher loyalties (25%) to justify purchases.

Interestingly, consumers with higher levels of education were more likely to use neutralization techniques to justify fast fashion purchases—highlighting that awareness alone does not necessarily lead to sustainable behaviour.

/ENDS

For more information, a copy of the report, or to speak to the researcher, contact Thomas Willis at BlueSky Education on thomas@bluesky-pr.com or call +44 (0)1582 790 706.