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J Consum Policy (2016) 39:417–439
DOI 10.1007/s10603-016-9330-z
O R I G I N A L PA P E R
Educating for Sustainable Fashion: Using Clothing

Acquisition Abstinence to Explore Sustainable
Consumption and Life Beyond Growth
Cosette M. Joyner Armstrong 1 & Kim Y. Hiller Connell 2 &

Chunmin Lang 3 & Mary Ruppert-Stroescu 1 &
Melody L. A. LeHew 2
Received: 18 August 2015 / Accepted: 30 May 2016 /

Published online: 20 July 2016
# Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016
Abstract This paper reports outcomes from a research study whereby fashion-oriented
students experienced life where the ability to acquire new clothing was removed. Students
volunteered to participate in this experiential learning challenge, titled the Fashion Detox: to
abstain from clothing acquisition for 10 weeks and reflect about the experience. This learning
experience was characterized by barriers to sustainable consumption, chief among them a
range of temptations prompted by inescapable merchandising and marketing strategies, com-
pulsive tendencies, and envy of those who could consume with impunity. Students also
indicated many benefits to abstaining from acquisition, such as creativity and self-regulation.
This teaching and learning experiment has important implications for the challenges faced by
* Cosette M. Joyner Armstrong

cosette.armstrong@okstate.edu
Kim Y. Hiller Connell

kyhc@k-state.edu
Chunmin Lang
cmlang@lsu.edu
Mary Ruppert-Stroescu
mary.ruppert-stroescu@okstate.edu
Melody L. A. LeHew
lehew@k-state.edu
1
Department of Design, Housing, & Merchandising, Oklahoma State University, 434A Human
Sciences, Stillwater, OK 74078-6142, USA
2
Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design, Kansas State University, 321 Justin Hall,
Manhattan, KS, USA
3
Department of Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising, Louisiana State University, 125 Human
Ecology Building, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
418 C.M. Joyner Armstrong et al.
educators who must engage fashion-oriented students in sustainability topics and how these
may be navigated.
Keywords Strong sustainable consumption . Clothing consumption . Acquisition abstinence .

Degrowth
In 2011, many online shoppers were surprised to find the message, BDon’t buy this jacket,^
emblazoned on the homepage of outdoor retailer Patagonia’s website. The company’s
controversial position was a risk in an era of fast fashion, but was part of a stand to
encourage more responsible consumption behavior (Lancaster 2011; Simon 2013). The
company’s website argues that today’s culture is marked by a type of abundance that is
materially rather than socially oriented, fostering a perception that the things that really
matter in life (relationships, delicious food, art, etc.) are not enough (Patagonia n.d.). Indeed,
most clothing acquired in the Western world today is for reasons other than the need for
warmth and protection. The acquisition of things, especially fashion goods like clothing, has
become recreational and often replaces social engagement altogether, leading to greater
discontent and unhappiness among consumers (Briceno and Stagl 2006; Fletcher 2008;
Max-Neef 1995).
A major pitfall associated with this culture of intense clothing acquisition is that the production
of clothing and textiles (TC) is environmentally and socially harmful; and as consumers engage in
rapid consumption, this creates unsustainable levels of pollution and contributes to a manufactur-
ing system rampant with human rights violations, among other social concerns. TC manufacturing
creates nearly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Zaffalon 2010) and 17–20% of global
industrial water pollution is generated from textile dyeing and finishing processes alone (Simlai
2013). Furthermore, according to the Council for Textile Recycling (2014), each consumer in the
USA discards approximately 32 kg of solid TC waste annually, and the volume of post-consumer
waste increased by 40% between 1999 and 2009 (EPA 2010).
The TC industry also faces many social challenges, such as labor issues, including forced
labor, low wages, excessive work hours, discrimination, health and safety hazards, and abuse
(Dickson et al. 2009), prompted by an economic system that demands low prices, fast turn,
and high profits. Young consumers are particularly attracted to a high volume of low quality
and low cost clothing (Bhardwaj and Fairhurst 2010), which are manufactured via lower-cost
manufacturing (Joy et al. 2012; Shaw et al. 2006), for which the labor force is largely
comprised of women and children who earn the lowest wages (Gardetti and Torres 2013).
Other social concerns surround the unrealistic standards of beauty perpetuated by the fashion
industry, placing significant emotional and financial pressure on women to pursue these
standards, which can have negative effects on body image and self-esteem (YWCA 2008).
Though the TC industry appears to be evolving for sustainability in some respects, the
environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the field will remain unresolved until
the pace and scale of clothing production and acquisition contracts (Fletcher and Grose
2012).
Alexander (2012) recently posited that developed nations are entering an era in which
economic growth no longer renders benefits but instead wreaks havoc on a variety of fronts:
environmental, social, cultural. Therefore, Alexander and numerous other scholars advocate
for planned economic contraction, termed degrowth, which has significant implications for
consumption and the achievement of well-being. Not only will this require a slowing and
Educating for Sustainable Fashion: Using Clothing Acquisition 419
reduction of production and consumption, it will also prompt the exploration of methods to
satisfy human needs and achieve happiness via non-material means (ibid), akin to what
Patagonia has advocated.
Institutions of higher education in the West have admittedly been designed in the likeness of
an economic system poised for unlimited growth (Haigh 2008; Orr 2004), making it a
problematic environment to transform for the aims of sustainable development, as movements
such as UNESCO’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development seemed to implore
(UNESCO 2003). In fact, some of the most educated cultures in the world have left the most
indelible footprint (McKeown 2006; Orr 2004). Though all academic disciplines must move
toward transformation to ensure the well-being of future generations, disciplines that are
fundamentally oriented to the design and marketing of products and services via fashion-
oriented instruments carry a unique burden, as any effort to draw awareness to or increase
knowledge about the destruction that results from industry practice seems diametric. In the TC
industry, for instance, reducing clothing acquisition may appear counterproductive to the
notion of fashion and growth economics.
Professionals in fashion-oriented fields like TC are the gatekeepers of marketing messages,
product designs, material choices, sourcing practices, and more; all of which have a significant
impact on consumer choice and decision making. If these realms of consumer experience are
to be transformed through new behavior, like sustainable consumption, the gatekeepers must
be prepared to lead. If education is to foster such change agents for sustainable development
(ACPA 2008), education must include personal engagement with new ideas and behavior, and
many authors have argued for the reframing and redevelopment of curricula in the TC
discipline to this end (Armstrong and LeHew 2011; Dickson and Eckman 2006). How to go
about this remains theoretical.
The purpose of this study was to experiment with one approach to such engagement, in an
effort to better understand how young learners in a fashion-oriented discipline respond to an
imperative like degrowth. The central research question in the study was: What characterizes the
student learning experience during acquisition abstinence? Understanding how these particular
students experience this type of challenge may better light the way for future curriculum and
pedagogical transformation in the same or similar disciplines. This paper reports on an experien-
tial learning opportunity, termed the Fashion Detox, during which students were asked to abstain
from clothing acquisition and reflect about the experience for 10 weeks.
Experiential learning has long been cited as a common pedagogical approach to teaching
sustainability concepts, as it emphasizes personal and active engagement with and reflection
on a real world problem that is inherently complex (Svanström et al. 2008), especially in
regards to learning about consumption (Grauerholz and Bubriski-McKenzie 2012). An envi-
ronment of degrowth will require reduced acquisition of clothing and related items; and rather
than didactically communicating this, students in this case were allowed to draw their own
conclusions and reflect on their lessons learned. What happened next was both concerning and
hopeful from an educator’s standpoint. This project highlights the challenges educators will
face when attempting to engage fashion-oriented students to think about sustainability. The
project also punctuates the importance of specific curricular priorities. Importantly, student
participants pointed toward potential alternative methods and positive consequences associated
with meeting human needs with fewer environmental consequences in a fashion context,
which may provide a stepping off place for future pedagogical strategy. The following
provides the background for the study, including a review of the concept of degrowth as well
as the drivers and barriers associated with sustainable clothing consumption. This review is
followed by an explanation of methods, a discussion of the findings, and implications for

sustainable fashion education.
Literature Review
Strong Sustainable Consumption and Degrowth
Recognition of the environmental, social, economic, and cultural challenges resulting from
prolonged patterns of unsustainable consumption has resulted in public advocacy for both
strong sustainable consumption (sSC) and economic degrowth. According to Lorek and Fuchs
(2013), sSC assumes that sustainability is dependent on changes in levels of consumption and
sSC Breaches beyond consumption as an economic activity taking place in markets based on
monetary values and stresses non-material contributions to a good life^ (p. 43). Therefore,
from the sSC perspective, human needs and contributions to quality of life should always
frame decisions regarding the consumption of goods and services.
The degrowth movement also focuses on the Bgood life,^ emphasizing economic contrac-
tion and social equity (Alexander 2012; Schneider et al. 2010). Degrowth scholars argue that
conventional economic growth policies are Bsocially counter-productive, ecologically unsus-
tainable, and uneconomic^ (Alexander 2012, p. 349) and that these policies undervalue well-
being, with the social and economic costs outweighing the benefits (Diener et al. 2010; Lane
2000; Layard et al. 2008). Instead, through planned economic contraction, they advocate for
downscaling both production and consumption that benefits both the environment and human
well-being (Alexander 2012; Schneider et al. 2010). Rather than a continued focus on
traditional macroeconomic principles (i.e., increased GDP), economic policy should be re-
envisioned and focused on the goals of environmental sustainability, eliminating poverty, and
decreasing inequalities (Alexander 2012).
While degrowth scholars consider the perpetual economic growth of our current market-
based system as an obstacle to sustainability, others argue that economic growth need not to be
in conflict with sustainable development (Hinterberger et al. 2008; International Energy
Agency 2015). Increased economic growth creates the opportunity for even more financial
investment in the development of sustainability, which may actually accelerate the transition to
a sustainable society. In fact, it is argued sustainable development must include all three
interconnected elements: economy, society, and environment; that these cannot be considered
separately (Giddings et al. 2002; Hellstrand et al. 2009; Herrmann 2014). Economic develop-
ment enhances society by reducing poverty and enhancing well-being. However, the challenge
is for development to not put undue strain on eco-systems nor to over-consume scarce natural
resources (Giddings et al. 2002). The Bcurrent development model places unsustainable
pressures on the natural resources … and causes increasing frequency and intensity of natural
and humanitarian disasters^ (Herrmann 2014, p. 154) calling attention to the need for sSC and
degrowth initiatives.
Barriers to Reduced Clothing Acquisition
Both sSC and degrowth emphasize the need for reduced acquisition of consumer goods,
including clothing and textiles. Downscaling acquisition of clothing is a complicated task in
the Western world. Research consistently demonstrates that pro-sustainability attitudes
frequently do not translate into pro-sustainability behavior, including sustainable clothing

consumption—resulting in the frequently referenced attitude-behavior gap (Bamberg 2003;
Hiller Connell and Kozar 2012a, b; Mainieri et al. 1997; Nordlund and Garvill 2002; Oskamp
et al. 1991; Scott and Willits 1994). The following section provides an overview of literature
examining this apparent gap before focusing more specifically on how psychological and
social variables drive clothing consumption while simultaneously inhibiting clothing acquisi-
tion abstinence.
Attitudes (the positive or negative evaluations of the qualities of an object or behavior) are a
significant driver of consumer behavior (Schiffman and Kanuk 2009). Research focused on
various aspects of sustainable clothing consumption suggests that consumers generally report
attitudes of concern about the state of the natural environment (Butler and Francis 1997;
Hustvedt and Bernard 2010; Kim and Damhorst 1998; Kozar and Hiller Connell 2010, 2013).
For example, 80% of participants in a study by Kozar and Hiller Connell (2010) asserted that
humans are severely abusing the natural environment and almost 70% agreed that if human
behavior and other events continue on the present course, society would soon experience a
major ecological disaster. Research also indicates that consumers are concerned about human
rights and other social sustainability issues related to the production of TC (McNeil and Moore
2015).
Despite consumer concern about the natural environment and sustainability issues, current
engagement in sustainable clothing consumption behaviors remains low (Butler and Francis
1997; Goworek et al. 2012; Hiller Connell and Kozar 2010, 2012a, b; Kim and Damhorst
1998; Koszewska 2013; Kozar and Hiller Connell 2013). Butler and Francis (1997) reported
that only 10% of respondents consistently factored the environment and sustainability in
clothing consumption decisions. Additionally, among the participants in Hiller Connell and
Kozar (2012a), only 25% stated that, for environmental reasons, they were frequently trying to
reduce the amount of clothing they purchased. Koszewska (2013) found only 16.3% of
consumers considered social and environmental criteria when acquiring new clothing.
Therefore, considering consumers’ pro-sustainability attitudes yet limited commitment to
sustainable clothing consumption behaviors, it is evident that a gap exists between attitudes
and behaviors. Given this gap, scholars have sought to identify the external and internal
variables that propel and constrain behavior (Billeson and Klasander 2015; Mainieri et al.
1997; Sisco and Morris 2015). At the external level, Hiller Connell (2010) cites inadequate
access to environmentally preferable clothing, insufficient information about sustainable
clothing consumption, and social norms as barriers. Similarly, Billeson and Klasander
(2015) identify convenience as a barrier to acquiring sustainable clothing. Fast fashion is
much more readily available to consumers, and acquiring sustainable clothing typically
requires more time and effort. At the internal level, barriers to sustainable clothing consump-
tion behaviors include limited knowledge about sustainable clothing consumption, attitudes
and beliefs about sustainable clothing consumption, personal resources and priorities, and
clothing consumption behaviors and preferences (Hiller Connell 2010; Hill and Lee 2012;
Hines and Swinker 1996; Kang and Kim 2013). For example, a recent survey revealed that US
adult consumers have very limited knowledge about environmental issues related to TC
production and consumption (Reiter 2015), and Billeson and Klasander (2015) assert that
the knowledge barrier was the most significant internal obstacle to the acquisition of sustain-
able clothing.
Despite all of the above-mentioned barriers that largely relate to clothing purchasing
behavior, in the case of reduced acquisition, these barriers are less relevant. For instance, it
does not require special knowledge to reduce acquisition nor does it require a consumer to
have access to specific retailers. Therefore, the roadblocks hindering consumers from engaging
in reduced clothing consumption are distinct. In determining mechanisms most effective for
encouraging consumers to reduce their clothing acquisition, we must first understand what
factors drive them to consume.
Drivers of Clothing Consumption
Generally, literature organizes drivers of consumption behaviors into three (sometimes over-
lapping) categories: individual, social, and cultural (Holt 1995; Wilk 2002; Zukin and Maguire
2004). All three motivators are relevant to clothing consumption, contributing to the difficulty
of reduced clothing consumption and helping us understand pathways to encouraging reduced
consumption.
At the individual level, we consume goods and services in order to meet needs—both
innate and acquired. Innate needs, also referred to as physiological, are needs considered
necessary to maintain life, including food, water, air, and shelter. However, we also have many
other, acquired psychogenic needs—needs that are generally psychological in nature and that
we learn via culture (Schiffman and Kanuk 2009).
Innate needs met through clothing consumption include protection and warmth from the
natural environment and extreme weather such as cold, heat, sunlight, etc. On the other hand,
acquired needs met through clothing consumption include the need for entertainment
(Featherstone 1991) and the need to self-express and decorate our bodies. Therefore, the
consumption of goods, including clothing, ensures we remain healthy and happy (Wilk 2002).
In terms of the social drivers of consumption, although consumption remains an activity we
must engage in to meet certain needs, as society has evolved, consumption has become an activity
we more often use to define social status, power, and class. This perspective, first proposed by
Thorstein Veblen in his seminal work, The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899), is what has led the
Western world to be predominantly a culture of conspicuous consumption (Firat et al. 2013). As
argued by Wilk (2002), social drivers of consumption emphasize and maintain the roles of social
groups because, BFree of fixed social positions, people now consume competitively, endlessly
trying to acquire status by emulating those with more wealth and power^ (p. 6). This is echoed in
Bourdieu’s Theory of Class Distinction (1979), a theory of social stratification. According to
Bourdieu, the manner in which we choose to present ourselves communicates our status in
relation to others. Social classes acquire aesthetic preferences and, through socialization, teach
those preferences to children. Therefore, aesthetic dispositions (including clothing styles) are
internalized at a young age and guide human behavior.
In Western cultures, it is not difficult to see how social-class consumption drives many
aspects of clothing acquisition. There is prestige and status associated with particular clothing
brands and labels. Although we may physiologically need a pair of shoes to protect our feet
from the heat or cold, social factors are driving individuals to, for example, purchase a closet
full of designer shoes. Similarly, the average US consumer owns seven pairs of jeans, and
demand for designer denim has increased dramatically in recent years (Cotton Cotton
Incorporated 2013). Although jeans can fulfill innate, utilitarian needs for consumers, the
volume of jeans owned by many consumers and the willingness to pay premium prices support
the assertion that consumption is also a socially driven process.
Finally, consumption is also culturally driven. Consumption is a symbolic behavior partially
driven by our desire to communicate aspects of ourselves through products (McCracken
1986). We use consumer products to represent who we are or who we want to be because
culture has attached socially constructed meanings to goods (Firat et al. 2013). Therefore,
within the context of clothing, consumers are frequently driven to consume because of the
cultural meanings attached to clothing and because it is possible to communicate our affilia-
tions including our religion, gender, interests and hobbies, schools and other organizations, etc.
Additionally, clothing is interwoven into many cultural practices. Therefore, we may consume
clothing to feel integrated into a cultural traditional (Eicher et al. 2008).
In light of these drivers of clothing consumption and barriers to sustainable clothing consump-
tion, proposed concepts such as strong sustainable consumption and degrowth are, at present,
largely theoretical ponderings that have not been implemented at any meaningful scale. The water
is murkier when considering how one may design learning experiences to connect young con-
sumers to these potential realities, knowing the complexity of the challenge. It was the chief aim of
this study to experiment with an approach used to engage future professionals in this scenario,
illuminating the student experience as they personally engage with these ideas.
Methods
Sustainability challenges are inherently complex. The attitude-behavior gap imbued by per-
sonal values, beliefs, needs, socio-cultural forces, past experiences, etc. is difficult to capture
via quantitative measurement. Therefore, taking an experiential learning approach to this
experiment was considered ideal for its capacity to allow the learner to gain real lived
experience in a scenario and to illuminate their emergent reflections on learning. The capacity
to observe these reflections offered important contextual understanding about the experiment,
and therefore, a qualitative approach was taken to data collection and analysis.
Experiential Learning
A key goal of sustainability education is to develop change agents who graduate prepared to
make a positive impact on the world (ACPA 2008). Experiential learning is a common
pedagogical approach cited often in the sustainability education literature, as it prompts
personal and active engagement with complex, real world problems (Svanström et al. 2008).
Further, traditional approaches to teaching and learning are most often outcome-based en-
deavors, operating on the assumption that there are some elements of consciousness that are
fixed, and therefore, learning is easily measured by counting the number of new ideas acquired
from a fixed point. This assumption is inherently flawed, and experiential learning embodies
an alternative epistemological orientation (Kolb 1984). Kolb (1984) drew upon theories of
constructivism from theorists such as John Dewey and Jean Piaget to articulate a theory of
experiential learning that more realistically views ideas as unfixed and iteratively developed
and redeveloped through experience, in which the process of adaptation trumps a clearly
defined outcome. In sum, the emphasis is on the individual’s skill and knowledge development
that morphs from the process organically, the integration of learning occurring across a variety
of situations, many of which may occur outside the formal classroom. The focus is on one’s
adaptations in the experience over a span of time. Following are implications of this theoretical
approach for teaching and learning:
& The learner must be willing to be actively involved in and reflect on an experience.
& The experience must require the deployment of critical thinking, decision making, and
problem solving skills. Here, the learner can, through real practice, independently make
observations that stimulate new and/or revised learning.
& The learning is self-directed, iterative, and shapes a personal conceptualization or recon-
ceptualization of what is important about what is learned (ibid).
In the current study, students volunteered to participate in the learning experience and were asked
to practice an implication of degrowth, reduced consumption, by not acquiring new clothing or
related fashion items for a 10-week period and regularly reflect about the experience. This allowed
students to experience a condition outside the formal classroom over a period of time. The Fashion
Detox process was completed independently, and students were able to reflect and take action at
their own pace. Data revealed a rich reconceptualization about the learning process.
As reduced consumption must be internally motivated (DeYoung 1996), this experiential
approach was thought to be preferable to didactically communicating issues of excess con-
sumption (Grauerholz and Bubriski-McKenzie 2012). In a study by Hiller Connell and Kozar
(2012b), students who completed a course about the globalization in the clothing and textile
industry evidenced a substantial knowledge increase about the social and environmental
impacts associated with industry practice, but this knowledge had no significant positive
relationship with the students’ clothing acquisition behavior. Taking an experiential approach
to student learning about sustainability and a qualitative approach to inquiry may provide a
more holistic picture of this learning context.
In a previous study, Wu et al. (2012) studied the blog posts of consumers of all ages and
levels of fashion interest that participated in an online community that supported clothing
consumption reduction, which resulted in a rich understanding of the motivations for voluntary
simplicity. Another study by Grauerholz and Bubriski-McKenzie (2012) required students to
spend a week refraining from hyper consumption, only purchasing essentials and prompting
students to reflect on how they define Bessential^ and on the experiment of abstinence for a
short period. The current study takes a similar but more focused approach, exploring complete
abstinence from clothing acquisition but in a temporal context and engaging young (Gener-
ation Y) consumers who are generally more involved in fashion trends (Birtwistle and Moore
2007; Law et al. 2004) and exhibit a penchant for a quantity-over-quality approach to clothing
purchases (Bhardwaj and Fairhurst 2010).
This study was based upon the assumption that high levels of fashion-oriented consumption
increases demand for trendy and inexpensive clothing, leading to greater use of raw materials,
energy, water, and chemicals that pose a threat to environmental sustainability and sustainable
development. The researchers utilized qualitative data analysis techniques to analyze the blog
entries collected in order to characterize the student experience.
Sample
Recruitment of participants occurred at three universities in the Midwestern United States to which
the researchers had intimate access. Purposive sampling was utilized, and while not intended to
produce generalizable data, is often employed in qualitative research to obtain a rich description of
behavior associated with an important group of subjects who possess special characteristics
(Creswell 2013). The researchers introduced the project to Generation Y students, individuals born
between the years 1977 and 1994 (Noble et al. 2009), in their courses in the textile and clothing and
interior design undergraduate programs at each of the three universities. Extra course credit, not
exceeding 5% of the total points for the course, was offered in each of the courses as an incentive for
participation.
Promotion of the opportunity for students to participate in the experiential learning activity
of the Fashion Detox occurred at the start of a semester. Initially 112 students started the detox.
However, by the end of the 10-week period, 97 participants (Table 1) had completed blogs for
all of the weeks and were included in the study. Analysis of the demographics of the
participants indicates that almost 97% of the participants were female, 82% were Caucasian,
and approximately 92% were a traditional college age (18–23 years old). Sixty-one percent of
the participants were clothing merchandising/marketing students, 17% were in clothing design,
and the rest of the participants were in either interior design or other majors.
Data Collection
Prior to initiating the detox, participants also completed a 68-item questionnaire that included three
scales: Material Values (MV) (Richins and Dawson 1992), Use Innovativeness (UI) (Price and
Ridgeway 1983), and Fashion Leadership (FL) scale (Goldsmith et al. 1993). The intention of
collecting this data was to gain a richer understanding of the participants in terms of these three
variables. Each scale included Likert-type response categories from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7
(strongly agree). The MV scale measures the importance of acquisition and ownership of material
goods to an individual, the UI scale measures variety seeking in product use, and the FL scale
measures the extent to which an individual learns about and tries new fashions earlier than average.
Table 1 Demographic summary of Fashion Detox participants (N = 97)
Frequencies
Demographics Mean Std.dev. N %
Gender 1.97 .174

Male (1) 3 3.
Female (2) 94 97
Age 3.14 .946
Less than 18 (1) 0 0
18–19 years old (2) 23 24
20–21 years old (3) 48 49
22–23 years old (4) 18 19
24–25 years old (5) 5 5
26 and older (6) 3 3
Ethnicitya n/a n/a **
American Indian or Alaskan Native 1 1
Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 0 0
Asian or Asian American 10 10
Black of African American 5 5
Hispanic or Latino 2 2
Non-Hispanic White 80 82
a
Respondents were permitted to select all that applied
At the initiation of the project, participants received an orientation by the researchers that defined
parameters to the Fashion Detox, which included refraining from acquiring clothing and related
items (e.g., accessories, shoes) for 10 weeks and writing weekly reflections on the Fashion Detox
blog (http://thefashiondetox.wordpress.com/). The participants committed to complete abstinence,
including the acquisition of second-hand items as well as gifts. They were also instructed to write a
weekly blog post reflecting on their experience. To ensure depth in the entries, the researchers
provided guidelines for each week’s reflection during this orientation. For the first blog, researchers
asked the participants to reflect about their current shopping habits and motivations for accepting the
challenge. During weeks 2 through 9, the participants were asked to write about how they were
feeling, how the challenge was affecting their creativity, temptations they were facing, and strategies
they were utilizing to refrain from acquiring new articles of clothing. The final blog asked
participants to summarize and discuss the lessons they learned during the challenge. After the
orientation, the researchers did not provide any other feedback or assistance during the challenge,
other than periodic reminders to post.
Data Analysis
The data analysis approach in this study was twofold: conducting a quantitative analysis to
understand a little more about the participants and a qualitative analysis to understand the
student experience during the challenge. Though not a mixed methods study in the classical
sense, utilizing both approaches undoubtedly provided a more holistic understanding about the
study. The MV, UI, and FL attributes of the detox participants gathered in the pre-detox survey
were quantitatively analyzed. After evaluating scale reliability through Cronbach’s standard-
ized alpha (and achieving values above .8 for each scale), summed mean variables were
calculated for each of the scales, followed by analysis of descriptive statistics and frequencies.
The blogging element of the study by the 97 participants produced nearly 1000 blog posts,
generating rich qualitative data. This data was inductively analyzed, which is ideal when one is
building theories, concepts, or hypotheses with the data, rather than testing them. Often the intent
in this approach is to define a theory that describes the data, rather than the other way around
(Creswell 2007; Merriam 1998). The researcher is ultimately offering their personal interpretation
of the emergent patterns of the study, using a constructivist approach to knowledge (Stake 1995).
The final product of this qualitative research study was a rich description or holistic perspective on
a student experience (Creswell 2007; Merriam 1998; Stake 1995).
To begin the inductive coding of the data, data were organized into a classification guide
(an Excel file) by blog post (i.e., Week One, Week Two, etc.) and by individual participant.
Then, the classification guide was imported into NVivo10 qualitative data analysis software for
evaluation and identification of common themes. The use of the classification guide allowed
the researchers to observe the power of each theme across the sample, the frequency of each
theme over time, and a tool to assure consistent analysis among researchers.
Researchers utilized an inductive method of analysis, identifying emergent themes around a
central research question: What characterizes the student learning experience during acquisition
abstinence? After reading through the data several times, it emerged that this experience could be
categorized into two primary aspects of experience: barriers to acquisition abstinence and the
benefits gained during the abstinence period. Next, a long list of tentative codes was assembled
under each of these two primary categories, first using the dominant language used by participants,
then referencing the literature to better understand the phenomena. Then, utilizing NVivo, the codes
were assigned to data selections until the greatest portion of data was covered. Finally, the codes
were aggregated into overarching themes. Triangulation (Kimchi et al. 1991) of the data analysis
was accomplished by engaging two researchers in the coding process. Data validity was confirmed
when themes were repeated in the data. Finally, once the data codes were administered, the data was
sorted by blog post (e.g., by week), which allowed the observation of theme frequency over time.
Two universities participated in the detox during the first semester the project was launched and
the third university participated in the second semester. Little is known as to how the bloggers may
have interacted with each other at each university or virtually, but after the detox was complete,
some statistics on the blog site were available through Wordpress. During the semester the project
was launched, the blog site received 733 posts from bloggers, and those posts received 1761 total
views yielding only four comments and only 27 outside visitors to the site. During the second
semester, the challenge continued with one university, and 356 posts were published by bloggers on
the site. Those posts received 825 views yielding only two comments, though the number outside
visitors to the site jumped to 407. Due to the low number of comments, it is assumed that virtual
interaction between bloggers was minimal, at best. Further, this jump in outside visitors to the blog
site from the first to the second semester may have been due to the first semester’s students sharing
information about their experience with others, who then visited the site. Another possibility is that
when the website was made public via college-level publicity channels like flyers or digital flat
screens in building hallways or newsletters at the three participating universities, this made it easier
for others to hear about it and visit the site. Some of the total views were also likely fellow bloggers,
though it is impossible to distinguish. The researchers did not attempt to track the impact or
influence of viewing others’ blog posts on the detox experience or to gauge the impact of the site on
outside visitors, but this may be an interesting point for future research.
Results
This section outlines the outcomes of the study, beginning with an overview of the findings
from the pre-detox survey. This is followed by the results from the study’s qualitative data.
Survey Findings
From the analysis of the questionnaire completed by the participants at the start of the study, it is
evident that they scored high on all three variables of materialism, use innovativeness, and fashion
leadership (see Table 2). Therefore, the detox participants, as a group, can be described as valuing the
acquisition and ownership of material goods, seeking variety in product use, and being quicker than
average to learn about and try new fashions. This provides valuable insight into the participants as it
suggests fashion is an important component in their lives. It is also important to the participants to
acquire things—most likely including clothing. This information suggests it could be challenging for
these individuals to abstain from purchasing new clothing for an extended period of time.
Table 2 Summary of scales and descriptive statistics
Variable Mean Std.dev. Min Max
Material values 4.21 .81 2.11 6.33

Use innovativeness 4.10 .88 1.94 6.00
Fashion leadership 5.10 1.26 1.67 7.00
Motives
This section outlines the major outcomes (barriers and benefits) that characterized the learning
experience of students who committed to this experiential learning opportunity (see Table 3).
Interestingly, there were far more references to Benefits (1000+) during this experience
Table 3 Barriers encountered and benefits gained during Fashion Detox
Theme % of Definition Frequency of theme

sample over 10 weeks
Barriers Temptation (C) 90 (87) An emotional response to external cues from a Decreased
variety of fashion marketing and/or merchan-
dising sources (e.g., pins, online marketing,
store displays, marketed seasonal change,
holidays/promotions) prompts perceived need
for newness.
Compulsion (I) 76 (74) An internal cue for newness/change in the Increased
wardrobe, prompted by past habitual shop-
ping behavior.
Consumption 54 (52) A feeling of envy toward those who can shop Decreased
Envy (S) and acquire new things with impunity.
Unmet Clothing 41 (40) A need to replace garments that are worn out or Stable
Needs (I) garments needed for specific.
events/situations (e.g., sporting events,
sorority, sudden weather changes, work).
Retail Therapy 28 (27) A negative emotional response when the habit of Stable
Withdrawal (I) shopping is withdrawn.
Relapse 26 (25) Breaking the Fashion Detox rules and the Stable
subsequent regret experienced in the
post-consumption phase.
Appearance 25 (24) A preoccupation with personal appearance Stable
Consciousness brought on by wearing something multiple
(S) times, wearing something that is out of style,
not keeping up with everyone else, etc. This
often includes comparison to others.
Benefits Creativity 93 (90) Creativity is stimulated in the wardrobe, finding Stable
new and different ways to mix and match old
clothing, redesign, etc.
Self-Regulation 91 (88) Self-regulation is enhanced, increasing perceived Gradual increase,
self-control, reduction of shopping addiction, spiked during
anticipation of less impulse shopping. final blog
Monetary savings 80 (78) Cost savings from lack of spending on clothes. Stable
Reflection 69 (67) Personal reflection about what is important in Stable, spiked
life, clarity about needs versus wants, during final
reduction in trend chasing, focus on quality blog
not quantity, etc.
Product life 61 (59) Greater use or renewed use of garments already Stable
extension owned, something they had forgotten about or
still have the tags on.
Total N = 97
I individual, S social, C cultural

compared to the Barriers (600+), though there were a greater variety of barriers discussed than
benefits.
Participants articulated that they were motivated to partake in the research study for a few
primary reasons. In addition to the pursuit of 5% extra credit in their courses, some were
motivated by creativity from constraint, being forced to mix and match items they already
owned, many of whom noted an abundance of clothing and related items:
I am determined to stretch my creative side and get some use out of all those garments
hanging in my closet with the tags still attached!
A desire to step back and better understand what was important in life, and specifically, the
difference between wants and needs motived some participants:
There are so many people out there that are so much worse off than I am, and I take what
I have for granted every day of my life… this process will really make me appreciate
what I have…
Others accepted the challenge because they were curious to see if they could complete the
challenge while others recognized the detrimental and compulsive nature of their shopping
habits or that they simply desired to explore other ways to meet their emotional needs:
The last thing I reminded myself before officially deciding to do the Fashion Detox was
to try something new and challenging. And there’s no better way to find out what a girl’s
made of than to tell her she can’t shop, am I right?
I accepted this challenge to rebel against my shopping habits/cravings, and to see what
happens during and after the detoxing. I am challenging my self to change…
Finally, some participants noted that the challenge would force them to save money it:
I thought this would be a good way for me to really see where my money goes and how
much I really do spend on apparel and accessory items.
Most participants, generally, recognized early in the experience that their consumption
habits were wanting, and they accepted the challenge to address some area of concern.
Barriers
Notable among the barriers that manifested across the participants’ accounts was evidence of
individual, social, and cultural levels of experience (noted in Table 2), illustrating the primary
drivers of consumption (Holt 1995; Wilk 2002; Zukin and Maguire 2004). At the individual
level, participant challenges included: an internal yearning for new and different things
(Compulsion), an inability to satisfy specific clothing needs (Unmet Clothing Needs), and
an emotional deflation resulting from the removal of recreational shopping and purchasing
(Retail Therapy Withdrawal). On a social level, participants experienced feelings of jealousy
(Consumption Envy) and inadequacy (Appearance Consciousness) while comparing them-
selves to others. On a cultural level, one of the most frequently cited challenges noted by study
participants (89%) was distress generated by a multitude of seemingly inescapable prompts
characteristic of the fashion system: marketing and social media, merchandising, imposed
seasonal changes, holidays, etc. (Temptation). As a result, some participants (24%) admitted
breaking the rules to make a purchase (Relapse), sometimes completing this transaction with
little premeditation.
Participants (76%) frequently cited Compulsion (described as an internal drive for some-
thing new), describing the Bthrill,^ as one participant put it, associated with the regular
acquisition of new garments and how abstinence made this habit more noticeable. Participants
also noted boredom, frustration, or general discontent with their current wardrobe and a desire
for something fresh. One participant exclaimed, BI have worn almost all of my clothing and I
am SICK of it!^ Interestingly, the frequency of this theme increased across the 10-week period,
indicating that the further away from the last purchase the more pronounced the internal drive
to consume:
This is starting to get a lot harder for me. When I go through my closet I am liking less
and less of what I see. I have started feeling that I really need something new… There
are a ton of clothes that I do not like any longer and I need to start going through them…
[and] once I go through and get rid of some things, I will want to replace them.
This whole not shopping thing is really making me sad! Even if it’s just a new ring or
necklace, I just want something new!! I am really anxious lately, because neither my
closet or my jewelry box is growing! I feel like I’m missing something in my life!
These participants punctuate the addictive component of fashion shopping and acquisition,
satiated only by the repeated highs achieved through newness.
Unmet Clothing Needs, such as the need to replace damaged or worn out garments, also
frustrated some participants (53%). Participants noted the need for specific types of clothing
that they did not own or had left at their parents’ house, required for sudden weather changes,
job interviews, football games, weddings, or costumes for Halloween. Though a small number
of participants broke their commitment to the Fashion Detox for such purposes, others became
creative by borrowing or repurposing.
Some participants (27%) described a seeming emotional hangover brought on by absti-
nence (Retail Therapy Withdrawal). Participants often utilized shopping as a way to temper
their stress level or to ease boredom or as a reward for hard work. Alternatively, some sought
out new activities to satisfy these needs during abstinence.
On the social level, over half of the study participants (52%) experienced some degree of
jealousy and anxiety in their relationships with others (Consumption Envy):
This challenge has left me feeling very frustrated. My roommate comes home, almost on
a daily basis, with new clothes or shoes and she always wants to show them to me.
Normally, I would be thrilled to see all of it, but not so much anymore.
What has happened with this challenge is I hate my friends. Just kidding. But, watching
them click away and online shop and punch in their credit card numbers to receive their
magical gift of fashion goodies in the mail is extremely irritating!
Interestingly, the participants mentioned this theme less and less over the 10-week period,
representing a little over 20% of all blog post comments in the first half of the challenge
decreasing to 5% or less during the latter weeks.
Over half the study’s sample were members of a sorority, a social organization primarily for
undergraduate female students in the USA. Many of these participants would discuss sorority
shopping trips or life in the sorority house where shopping was a common activity. Further, the
three universities participating in the study are located in a part of the USA where football
culture dominates, and many participants discussed their unrequited impulse for new game-
day attire. Specifically, at the start of the project, one of the universities changed football
conferences—moving to a conference with very different practices regarding clothing at
football games. Many participants discussed how difficult this was, as they felt left out while
others purchased items to comply with the new dress code:
Now being a part of the [new football conference] the view of what should be worn to
games has changed. The look of the southern schools at football games is very
sophisticated. At some schools, the girls even wear dresses with heels. People are no
longer just wearing t-shirts and jeans to games.
I saw a couple other girls purchasing [colors] clothing, for the [football conference]
games of course, and I was so jealous! I barely have any [color] clothing and I don’t
have any [color] really, so I wanted something, anything. I felt like I needed it.
Similarly, some participants (24%) became preoccupied with their personal appear-
ance when making comparisons to others (Appearance Consciousness). Participants
commented on their displeasure with wearing an item multiple times, wearing something
out of style, or simply not being able to keep up with everyone else, as one participant
described, BI’m wearing the same old clothing everywhere I go… so I feel like everyone
is judging me.^
Finally, at the cultural level, most participants (89%) described an array of seemingly
unavoidable temptations: fashion marketing and merchandising strategies, such as social
media, online ads, email marketing, store displays, etc.:
I receive emails from my favorite stores with coupons attached… also feel like I am
noticing these sales and new trends being displayed even more, now that I am not
allowed to enjoy them.
Because of my past online shopping experiences, advertisements for Urban Outfitters
and Asos are always popping up on my computer… I ended up browsing some
websites, which probably wasn’t a good idea, but I resisted the temptation to purchase.
Though references to this theme were mentioned less frequently as the detox period
continued, at some point, much of their surroundings seemingly became a cue for
shopping, from football games and cooler weather to in-store Christmas music.
Participants utilized a variety of mechanisms to cope with temptation; some forthrightly
plotting the end of the Fashion Detox, making shopping lists, putting items on layaway, or
saving their money specifically for a splurge. Others implemented strategies to reduce external
prompts altogether, like deleting their web browser bookmarks, unsubscribing from retailer
emails, avoiding shopping areas, or refusing to partake in social activities that involved
shopping.
Benefits
Throughout the learning experience, students were consistently positive in regards to

their abstinence, cataloging the many monetary as well as personal payoffs. Notably,
though many were eagerly anticipating the reinstatement of their freedom to shop, most
left the experience proclaiming a stronger sense of Creativity (92%) as well as Self-
Regulation (90%).
Most participants discussed how their consumption abstinence had prompted them to
venture into the dark corners of their closet to rediscover items seldom or never worn.
Participants explored new and different ways to restyle their old clothing, some using
accessories and even cosmetics to put a new spin on existing outfits. Interestingly, though
many complained about the variety of temptations via websites and social media, some used
social media sites for wardrobe inspiration:
This challenge has impacted my creativity by embarking on the journey through my
closet… I’m finding things that I completely forgot I had and it’s like Christmas!
Mixing my colors, patterns and textures to create completely different outfits has been
really fun and I get fulfillment out of it and am able to avoid my urge to splurge on new
clothing and accessories.
I have pinned [on Pinterest] hundreds of new looks and I am finding ways to make the
pieces in my closet work differently and adapt to the new looks…
Other participants were more hands-on, redesigning garments, or sewing new items from old
materials. Though some expressed reluctance to be creative, those who engaged in these types of
activities noted how it satisfied the craving for newness and change. Many mentioned a sense of
pride when they craftily put together a fantastic outfit and received compliments from others. It
was also clear that some participants were becoming more confident in their own personal style:
Things I never thought I would think to do for clothing I’m trying. For example, like
making my own clothes! My house has a sewing machine and I bought fabric …over the
summer… one of the girls showed me how and now I have made a headband and skirt!
I have been trying to take out my anxiety on being creative with fashion… It makes me
feel more adventurous with my style but confident at the same time… What makes me
feel best is when someone gives me a compliment about the way I am dressed, and that I
did a good job at changing my unique style.
The other most powerful theme was Self-Regulation (90%), an improved sense of self-
control. Many students noted the amount of impulse purchasing they had been partaking in
prior to acquisition abstinence and their improved ability to resist this type of behavior, as one
participant explained, BI never really understood how dependent I was on clothing items and
how pathetic that is… It’s a horrible addiction!^
Importantly, students discussed a developing ability to weigh their options and consider needs
versus wants. Many felt they were able to make smarter decisions about clothing purchases. Even
those who were making lists of things they wished to purchase when the detox ended commented
that the list was not that long and was more strategic. Pride, a sense of accomplishment, and self-
confidence were common outcomes expressed by students, a result of newfound restraint. Interest-
ingly, references to this theme increased gradually over the 10-week detox period and spiked
significantly during the final blog when participants discussed lessons learned:
At this point in the detox, I feel extremely proud of myself. I feel confident now in my
ability to only purchase what I need and not what I want. The challenge of the fashion
detox has made me not only feel good about myself, but I also feel good about it around
others! I now understand and see how we are influenced by those around us, and I have
been trying to teach my friends really how effective this detox is.
I really want to continue this cautious attitude of buying things and really ask myself if I
need to item before I purchase it or if there is something in my closet that is similar to it.
I want to force myself to only buy pieces that will be able to last longer than one
season…more staple items that I can keep in my closet for a while. This detox has really
helped me see the importance in that and made me realize I want to continue being
careful with my shopping habits in the future!
Additionally, other participants described outcomes such as Reflection (69%), which was
described as a new level of clarity about what was important in life and how material goods
may detract from this, as one participant noted, BI realized how much I spend and think about
spending daily.^ Some talked about coming to terms with themselves, more clearly identifying
what is a need versus want. Participants commented on how material things were just not as
important, having developed a newfound gratitude and appreciation for what they already had.
Some described a shift in focus from quantity to quality. Others recognized how preoccupied
they had been with how others viewed them and the pressure to comply with trends and other
social norms, as one participant explained, BNot every day has to be a fashion show. As long as
I feel comfortable and confident in the clothes that I am wearing, then that is all that matters to
me.^
Finally, participants also noted another important by-product of the Fashion Detox, the
Product Life Extension (60%) they were experiencing with their current wardrobe, noting
greater use of their overall wardrobe as well as the rediscovery of items they had forgotten
about, some of which may have still had the tags attached.
Discussion and Conclusion
This paper reports outcomes from an educational experiment whereby students were asked to
explore life as a consumer in a condition where material acquisition of fashion goods was limited,
an implication of strong sustainable consumption (sSC) and degrowth. Students from fashion-
oriented disciplines, textiles and clothing (TC) as well as interior design, were invited to participate
in an experiential learning opportunity, termed the Fashion Detox: to abstain from clothing
acquisition for 10 weeks and reflect about the experience via a blog site. The results of the detox
project have implications for fashion-oriented academic disciplines that attract young learners who
are highly involved in fashion and the growth-oriented underpinnings of this industry that promote
the superfluous consumption of things. These disciplines must transform their pedagogical ap-
proach to prepare society to confront the imperatives of strong sustainable consumption and
degrowth to prepare future graduates to lead industry and consumer change, but little insight is
currently available as to how to go about this or what may happen when these concepts are
broached to this audience. It was the chief aim of this study to illuminate this learning experience for
the purpose of discerning potential implications for sustainable fashion education.
While abstaining from clothing acquisition, study participants encountered a number of
barriers that originated from individual, social, and cultural realms of experience (see Table 3).
At the individual level, participants were confronted by an internal yearning for new and
different things, an inability to satisfy specific clothing needs, and an emotional deflation
resulting from the absence of recreational shopping. Many of the participant comments support
themes that characterize a psychological pattern that intrinsically includes clothing acquisition,
illustrating precisely the human tendency to utilize clothing to meet non-fundamental needs,
some of which include seeking entertainment (Featherstone 1991) to cope with boredom or
stress. On a social level, participants experienced feelings of jealousy and inadequacy in
regards to their relationships with others. On a cultural level, one of the most frequently cited
barriers to reduced consumption noted by study participants was distress generated by a
multitude of seemingly inescapable prompts from the fashion system: marketing and social
media, merchandising, seasonal changes, holidays, etc., persuading a number of participants to
break the detox rules to make a purchase. On the other hand, student participants also reported
experiencing a number of beneficial outcomes; creativity and greater self-regulation, chief

among them.
Undoubtedly, the barriers embodied in the experience of these participants illustrate the
many roadblocks to sustainable consumption epitomized by the prevailing industry model,
especially for those who have become involved in it. The quantitative analysis of the pre-detox
survey confirmed that these participants valued the acquisition and ownership of material
goods, sought variety in product use, and were more apt to learn about and try new fashions.
Fashion was central to their lives. Consequently, in the qualitative data of the study, participants
described a preoccupation with or a self-proclaimed addiction to, clothing acquisition. This
preoccupation has become innate via a number of individual, social, and cultural catalysts (Holt
1995; Wilk 2002; Zukin and Maguire 2004); the consumer’s behavior now seemingly embed-
ded in the fashion system. Clothing is a powerful tool by which we manage our appearance and
affiliate with others like us (Firat et al. 2013), the acquisition of which has become competitive
(Wilk 2002), a substantial barrier to sustainability. This system of appearance management and
competition is reinforced and the sustainability barriers compounded by the fashion industry’s
preoccupation with unrealistic standards for attractiveness (YWCA 2008). Study participants
demonstrated all of these barriers in their lived experience.
These barriers to sustainable consumption that characterized the learning experience have
implications for the challenges educators will face as they attempt to engage students, who are
more involved in fashion, in sustainability topics. Chiefly, it is challenging to teach about
sustainability when it is in direct opposition to the consumer culture surrounding these students.
One of the most important aspects of this culture, as articulated by student participants, includes the
principles by which fashion goods are marketed and merchandised for excess, one of the most
challenging barriers of clothing acquisition abstinence in this study. Notably, TC academic
programs predominantly enroll young female students, the most heavily marketed segment of
the population (Fletcher and Grose 2012). The students’ subsequent admissions of addiction and
compulsion associated with clothing consumption was concerning to the researchers—underlying
the consumption orientation engrained within Generation Y consumers (Noble et al. 2009). Though
not all students began the challenge with an admission of addiction, many at least felt a void from
not being able to shop. Any educator who intends to interject sSC or degrowth into a fashion-
oriented curriculum is tinkering with the personal prerogatives and liberty of these young con-
sumers, and the approach taken must be sensitive to this endemic nature.
In the current case, taking an experiential learning approach removed the educators from the
position of delivering some type of hypocritical dictate, and alternatively, provided a safe
environment for students to experiment with an alternative lifestyle for a short period of time.
The strife encountered was temporary, just long enough to prompt a critical reflection on
experience and help the learner draw some conclusions. This seemed successful in that
students were able to identify all of the drivers of consumption on their own and understand
the impact of them in their personal lives, readily identifying the barriers to changed behavior.
Future curriculum must help learners confront this consumer culture, specifically highlight-
ing the individual, social, and cultural drivers of consumption. An experience like the detox
may be especially useful in facilitating this in courses related to the social psychology of
clothing or material culture, especially cross-cultural characterizations of such, which could
include these drivers and other related phenomenon such as deviant consumption behaviors
like addiction and hoarding. Since the researchers did not conduct a follow-up study with these
participants, it is difficult to be conclusively confident that this method could provide the
needed shift in the behavior and paradigm to support sustainable development. However, this
approach is likely preferable, considering the audience, in generating these types of outcomes
by way of the learner’s personal constitution rather than an academic edict.
Further, detox participants pointed toward a number of alternative methods and positive
consequences associated with better meeting their fundamental human needs with potentially
fewer environmental consequences in a fashion context. Students in this study, while living the
experience of doing without, were able to identify many fulfilling and non-material alterna-
tives, most of which they had not considered before this challenge. One of the most powerful
benefits described by participants was a stimulation of creativity; when participants could not
glean a spike in energy from the acquisition of new things, they went looking for other ways to
satisfy the urge: remixing, recreating, and some even redesigning items. This resulted in some
practical by-products such as money saved and product life extension. Some participants even
commented that this activity boosted their self-confidence. Many discussed how this type of
experimentation led to clarity about their own personal style and how this new knowledge
would focus their future purchases.
These positive consequences of acquisition abstinence may provide another stepping off place
for future pedagogical strategy. Specifically, students indicated a desire to learn more methods and
develop skills that could be used to alter and even reinvent their appearance. Fletcher (2012)
recently argued that more attention must be paid to the habits of mind that promote idiosyncratic
use practices with clothing, far removed from the fashion system; as much industry focus today is
on materials and product design for sustainability. Innovation may be found through engaging
consumers in a new paradigm of use that is more sustainable (ibid). With the onset of the modern
era, the globalization of clothing production, and the profusion of technology, many of these skills
have dissolved. Activities like home sewing have become a practice of the past, but the recent
resurgence of businesses and social groups that foster the practice and learning of traditional crafts
such as knitting, crocheting, and sewing make the reintroduction of such seem more possible. A
more formal approach to this type of experimentation may be a useful platform for creative
pedagogy, helping students explore the social and psychological aspects of human need fulfillment
through skill building and empowerment, and therefore, better understanding how their future
profession may evolve. Many TC design programs emphasize fast fashion and industrialization,
graduating designers who feed into the system of consumption and disposal. By reinventing TC
programs to a sustainable consumption paradigm that emphasizes high-quality garments intended
for long-term desirability and use, graduates would enter the workforce prepared to provide
products in the marketplace that help consumers make a shift to sustainable consumption.
These types of experiential learning opportunities may be further enhanced by exposing
students in fashion-oriented programs to alternative marketing and merchandising principles as
a new reference point in the curricula. For example, exploring concepts such as well-being
marketing (Sirgy and Lee 2008) or sustainability marketing approaches for the poor and
underrepresented (Kirchgeorg and Winn 2006). Contrasting the environmental and social
impacts of traditional versus alternative marketing activities in a fashion-oriented discipline
affords these students the ability to scrutinize the impact these tools have on their own life as
well as how their industry impacts consumers. Similarly, students should examine a greater
variety of economically viable business model alternatives beyond the neoclassical economics
traditionally taught within universities. Many students graduating from fashion-oriented pro-
grams pursue retail and other business-focused careers. Therefore, providing an understanding
of sustainable economic growth models such as steady state and degrowth is key to under-
standing that the current status quo deserves scrutiny. Along the same lines, it is essential for
students to understand that mass-produced fast fashion, a product many are frequently
consuming, is not the only business model, and curricula should explore smaller and service-
oriented retail models alternatively.
In conclusion, an in-depth analysis of this case of experiential learning has demonstrated
that such activities can provide rich experiences for fashion-oriented students that heighten
awareness of both the barriers and benefits associated with reduced consumption. Data has
revealed that the longitudinal nature of the experience coupled with the weekly required
reflections contributed to a personal exploration of the psychological and social nature of
the consumption of fashion products. Consequently, pedagogical approaches for the sustain-
able consumption and degrowth directive within fashion-oriented disciplines should consider
experiential learning to address these topics in a more meaningful way in the curriculum.
Through guiding students to take ownership of their learning process, curricula focusing on
sustainable fashion consumption will be more effective. Topics that require particular attention,
as revealed in this study, are (1) the consumptive pattern of thinking that is seemingly inherent
among those in fashion-oriented disciplines and among those who have a high level of
involvement with fashion goods, (2) the propensity for the fashion-oriented student to utilize
clothing as a means of competition and comparison, and (3) the seemingly evangelistic
marketing tactics of the fashion system. Notably, the current project was itself an effective
approach in that students themselves were able to identify and explore these topics in their
personal lives and at their own pace.
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J Consum Policy (2016) 39:417–439

Educating for Sustainable Fashion: Using Clothing

Cosette M. Joyner Armstrong 1 & Kim Y. Hiller Connell 2 &

Received: 18 August 2015 / Accepted: 30 May 2016 /

* Cosette M. Joyner Armstrong

Kim Y. Hiller Connell

Keywords Strong sustainable consumption . Clothing consumption . Acquisition abstinence .

followed by an explanation of methods, a discussion of the findings, and implications for

Strong Sustainable Consumption and Degrowth

Barriers to Reduced Clothing Acquisition

frequently do not translate into pro-sustainability behavior, including sustainable clothing

Drivers of Clothing Consumption

Table 1 Demographic summary of Fashion Detox participants (N = 97)

Demographics Mean Std.dev. N %

Gender 1.97 .174

Table 2 Summary of scales and descriptive statistics

Variable Mean Std.dev. Min Max

Material values 4.21 .81 2.11 6.33

Table 3 Barriers encountered and benefits gained during Fashion Detox

Theme % of Definition Frequency of theme

I individual, S social, C cultural

Throughout the learning experience, students were consistently positive in regards to

Discussion and Conclusion

experiencing a number of beneficial outcomes; creativity and greater self-regulation, chief

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