Luxury, Fashion, and Idols - Applying an extended theory of planned behavior to examine barriers toward sustainable fashion consumption in Japan

Sammanfattning: Purpose: This study aimed to apply an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) to sustainable fashion consumption (SFC) in Japan, and test the importance of sociocultural barriers to purchase intentions. Methodology: As only a few studies have examined SFC in Japan and have not used the TPB framework, this study adds to the body of literature, and proposes luxury orientation, fashion involvement, and idol attachment as barriers toward sustainable fashion (SF) purchase intentions in Japan. To assess this model, a survey among 166 Japanese private university students was carried out, and a multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Findings: Our results confirm the importance of attitudes and perceived behavior control in predicting SF purchase intentions, however not subjective norms, contradicting previous findings and theoretical assumptions. This was interpreted by a missing SF discourse in Japan and a lesser influence of norms on the younger generation. Luxury orientation, fashion involvement, and idol attachment could not be confirmed as barriers to SF purchase intentions, which was explained by the connecting aspects of luxury, fashionability, and sustainability. Originality/Value: This research contributes to previous literature studying SFC and bridges the gap of investigating SF intentions in the context of Japan using an extended TPB model, adding factors that have not yet been applied. Our findings provide knowledge for sustainable fashion brands aiming to build strategies to establish themselves successfully in the Japanese market.