Fashion democratization over the last few decades made fashion products available at lower costs to everyone in society. It alarmingly increased consumption, leaving drastic impacts on the world's sustainability both on the social and environmental fronts, thereby leading to water and land pollution, dangerous working conditions, sweatshops, wage exploitation, and gender discrimination. Our study, therefore, sheds some light on addressing this core problem of fashion sustainability by focusing on the problem from the consumers’ perspectives because researchers conclude that consumers hold power to mitigate this issue to a greater extent by becoming sustainable. However, in many cases, consumers show the attitude-behavior gap when it comes to consuming sustainable fashion. The area of actual sustainable fashion consumers is also under-researched. Therefore, we conducted our research in this area and used qualitative methods for it. We identified a small group of 16 sustainable transitional fashion consumers who have started their sustainable fashion consumption journey. We performed an inductive process study of these transitional consumers' journeys and developed a Conceptual ‘Consumer Journey Map’ from unsustainability towards sustainability. We used semi-structured interviews for data collection. By studying their entire process of transition, we identified a number of constraints that retained them from making the transition towards sustainable fashion consumption, such as Social Influence, Trend and Newness, Unaesthetic Appearance and Lack of Variety, Lacking Sizes and Fitting, Low price, and Lower Income, Lack of Knowledge and Information and Greenwashing by the brands. However, the enablers that pushed them to become sustainable were Influence from Sustainable social circles, Tangible Experiences, Quality and Longevity, and Feelings of guilt and remorse which are presented in ourconceptual ‘C-E Framework.' Our research also identified conceptual ‘Levels of Sustainability,’ where consumers reuse or reduceor reject to pass Level one. To reach Level two, a consumer has to begin combining any two of these behaviors. However, to reach the final Level X, a consumer needs to reuse, reduce, and reject simultaneously. A consumer passes through these different levels from being a ‘self’ consumer to be a ‘social’ one and finally converting into a ‘sacrifice’ consumer in their journey.

As the world moves towards a more sustainable future and consumers begin to research more sustainable ways to consume, many turn to second hand for purchasing apparel due to its supposed minimal effect on the environment. The second hand market is rapidly growing but research surrounding the implications of its growth is scarce. This study aims to research consumer habits in the second hand fashion market in Sweden. More specifically, if the Swedish second hand consumption reflects the fast fashion way of consuming, meaning purchasing vast amounts of apparel for minimal use. The study utilizes a mixed method of collecting data, both a qualitative and a quantitative method. A survey and interviews were conducted, mapping the consumption habits of second hand apparel of Swedish people in their early twenties. The results show that second hand consumption has some similarities to the fast fashion way of consuming but there are still several differences. There were signs that the second hand market is moving towards excessive consumption practices which the fast fashion industry has been criticized for in the past. The key similarities between second hand fashion consumption and fast fashion consumption observed in the participants were impulse buying, minimal usage of products, seeking trendy items and gaining hedonic pleasure.

Denna studie undersöker möjligheter för utveckling av prenumerationsbaserad uthyrning av friluftskläder med utgångspunkt i pilotprojektet lanserat av företag X. Detta genom att besvara om det finns intresse och en potentiell marknad för uthyrning via prenumeration av friluftskläder, vad som krävs av en uthyrningstjänst för att konsumenter ska övergå till att prenumerera på att hyra sina kläder istället för att köpa nya, samt hur ett koncept kan utformas där utbudet upplevs som tillräckligt och personligt för varje kund. Studien drivs genom blandad metod och en abduktiv metodansats. Resultatet visar att det finns en potentiell marknad för prenumerationsbaserad uthyrning av friluftskläder men att många konsumenter inte känner behov att byta ut plaggen lika ofta som om det hade varit vardagskläder. Studiens respondenter är främst intresserade av paketerbjudande baserat på aktivitet. Bland de som inte är intresserade av att hyra alls svarar majoriteten att det är på grund av att de vill ha sina kläder tillgängliga hela tiden. För att locka konsumenter att hyra istället för att köpa krävs ett mervärde som inte fås vid köp. Detta skulle kunna skapas genom en gemenskap där användarna kan dela historier och bilder, men också genom prisfördelar, tillgänglighet och anpassningsbarhet. Utbudet bör vara personligt anpassat utifrån användarens intressen och planerade aktiviteter, men med möjlighet för viss valfrihet. Säsongsbaserad uthyrning är ett intressant alternativ då många respondenter gärna behåller plaggen en längre tid. Vidare diskuteras logistiklösningar med representanter som anordnar bytestillfällen i mindre städer där det inte finns möjlighet att ha en butik, samt vikten av att nischa sig mot en smalare kundgrupp snarare än gemene man. Det konstateras även att det krävs en större attitydförändring för att ändra konsumenters vanor och beteende från att köpa till att hyra istället. / This study investigates possibilities for the development of subscription based rental of outdoor clothing, with a base in a test project launched by company X. The study examines if there is a potential market for subscription-based outdoor clothing rental, what is required from such a service for consumers to switch from buying to renting their clothes and how such a concept can be designed to make the product range feel sufficient and personal for every customer. The study is implemented with a mixed method. The result is proving that there is a potential market for subscription based outdoor-clothing rental, but that many consumers don’t have the same need to update their outdoor clothes as often as their everyday clothes. The respondents are most interested in a package-offer based on their activities. Among the ones not interested in subscription based rental, the majority answered it’s because they want their clothes available at all times. Added value is needed to attract consumers to rent instead of buy, which could be gained by creating a community among the users. Other important aspects to gain value is through price advantages, availability and flexibility. The product range should be personally adjusted but with freedom of choice. Seasonal based subscription is an interesting option since many of the respondents want to use the product for a longer time. Logistic solutions are also discussed in the study and one option is to use agents who arranges swaps in smaller cities where there are no stores. The importance of focusing on a niched consumer are displayed, as well as the need of a great change in consumer attitude to be able to change habits and consumer behaviour.

Klädkonsumenter spelar en aktiv roll i konsumtionsutvecklingen och besitter en kraft att förändra klädkonsumtionen. Över tid har olika motreaktioner till dagens klädkonsumtion etablerats och Product-Service Systems (PSS) erbjuder alternativa konsumtionsmöjligheter. Under PSS faller kollaborativ klädkonsumtion och klädbibliotek, som syftar på byte av ägarskap eller delat ägarskap av modeprodukter. I studien presenteras Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) som riktar sig mot dynamiken i kulturella och sociala synpunkter. CCT används som teori för att identifiera kopplingar till PSS-perspektiv och huruvida klädbibliotek kan utvecklas till en bredare konsumtionskultur. Syftet med studien är att undersöka inställningen hos yngre kvinnliga klädkonsumenter till att använda klädbibliotek, genom att titta på kulturella påverkande faktorer. Genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer visar resultat på att interna och externa kulturella faktorer bidrar till ökad medvetenhet inom hållbarhet. Allt fler klädkonsumenter förespråkar hållbara konsumtionsalternativ, vilket innebär att klädbibliotek kan få en ökad spridning. / Clothing consumers play an active role in the consumption development and have the power to change clothing consumption. Over time, various counter reactions towards today's clothing consumption have been established and Product Service Systems (PSS) offer alternative consumption opportunities. PSS includes collaborative fashion consumption and clothing libraries, which refer to an exchange of ownership or shared ownership of fashion products. The study presents Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) that aims towards the dynamics of cultura land social perspectives. CCT is used as a theory to identify connections to the PSS perspectiveand whether clothing libraries can evolve into a wider consumer culture. The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitude of younger female clothing consumers to use clothing libraries, by looking at cultural influencing factors. Through qualitative semistructured interviews, the results show that internal and external cultural factors contribute to an increased awareness of sustainability. More and more clothing consumers advocate sustainable consumption options, which means that clothing libraries can increase its spread.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore how consumers of slow fashion experience value of apparel in relation to price, quality, appearance and style, awareness, and trust.Research questions: How do the extrinsic cues in relation to slow fashion influence the value journey of slow fashion consumers? What is the experienced value journey of slow fashion consumers from pre-purchase to post-purchase of apparel?Methodology: data was collected through semi-structured interviewing with eight participantsFindings: The research identified that slow fashion consumers undergo a value journey based on five components: their knowledge, altruistic concerns, personal investment, expectations, and their emotional connection. Their knowledge is formed by how much the slow fashion consumers know about the production process of the apparel, the material quality of the apparel, and themselves in terms of their personal preferences. Their altruistic concerns involve influences how they consume and use clothes based on their ethics. Their personal investment is determined by how much time, effort, and resources they are willing to spend on pieces of apparel. The slow fashion consumer then set an expectation on how well the piece of apparel satisfies these three components through its usage in a post-purchase context. If the piece of apparel exceeds their expectations, they form an emotional connection. This emotional connection again determines their next line of consumption of apparel in a pre-purchase context. These five components determine therefore the process of slow fashion consumers’ perceived value pre-purchase to the perceived value-in-use post-purchase.

Modeindustrin är en stor miljöbov som genererar utsläpp från fabriker, långa transporter och från en påtaglig överkonsumtion. I ett modesamhälle med trender i fokus kommer behovet av nyproducerade plagg alltid att finnas kvar. Men cirkulära affärsstrategier, såsom olika typer av delningsekonomier, kommer att spela en avgörande roll för modebranschens framtidaöverlevnad. Om ett plagg används under tre gånger så lång tid som de används idag kan det minska plaggets klimatavtryck med hela 65%, vilket påvisar vikten av cirkulära strategier, där konceptet hyrkläder är en av dessa. Denna studie syftar att kartlägga vilka sociodemografiska faktorer som påverkarkonsumenters hållbara attityd samt viljan att hyra kläder. Vidare undersöks sambandet mellankonsumenters hållbara attityd samt dennes vilja att hyra kläder och ingå i delningsekonomi. Detta för att komma närmare lösningen på problemet om vem den potentiella hyrkunden är och bana väg för företags anpassning av hyrkonceptet. För att besvara frågeställningarna har data samlats in via en kvantitativ online-enkät där en sluten grupp på Facebook fått besvarafrågor kring deras sociodemografiska status, attityd till miljö och hållbarhet samt frågor om benägenheten att hyra. Svaren har sedan sammanställts och ligger till grund förhypotesprövningar som genomförs. Resultatet av studien påvisar inga samband mellan sociodemografiska faktorer gällande varken hållbar attityd eller viljan att hyra kläder med undantag för svag korrelation mellangeografisk plats och viljan att hyra kläder. Däremot visas ett samband mellan konsumenters hållbar attityd och deras vilja att hyra. / The fashion industry has a big impact on our environment and generates emissions from transports, factories, and a significant overconsumption. Studies show that by extending the life of a garment three times longer than its average lifetime today, its climate impact can be reduced by 65%. For this reason, circular business models have grown in importance since they can have a major positive impact on our challenge to decrease our emissions. One answer to this is sharing economy and collaborative fashion consumption, which aims to lengthen the life of a product and ensure a more frequent use. Previous studies have identified both drivers and barriers for consumers to take part in collaborative fashion consumption but not yet described the customer who rents. In this study, attention is therefore paid to collaborative fashion consumption and the customer who wishes to take part. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of socio-demographic factors on the consumer's attitude to environmental sustainability and on the willingness to rent clothes. Further, the study aims to investigate whether there is a connection between an environmentally sustainable attitude and the willingness to rent clothes. Data were collected via a quantitative online survey where members in a closed group on Facebook were able to answer questions about their socio-demographic status, attitude to sustainability as well as questions about the propensity to rent. The results of the study show no correlations between socio-demographic factors regarding neither environmentally sustainable attitude nor the willingness to rent clothes. However, a connection is shown between geographic location and willingness to rent as well as between consumers' environmentally sustainable attitude and their willingness to rent. This study is written in Swedish.

Introduction: Gen-Z are emerging as new consumers in the market, with more demands on brands than previous generations. Despite studies have showcased that brands can be perceived as cool by Gen-Z consumers, there is so far no research investigating what drives a brand to be perceived as cool by Gen-Z consumers. Furthermore, there is no research so far which has explored Gen-Z men in relation to fashion apparel consumption. This research hence seeks to gain a better understanding of Gen-Z men and their perception of cool fashion apparel brands.  Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore what factors drive fashion apparel brands to be perceived as cool by Gen-Z men, and how these factors drive fashion apparel brands to be perceived as cool by Gen-Z men. Method: This study uses a qualitative methodology, consisting of 11 semi-structured interviews on Gen-Z men. An abductive thematic analysis complimented with a theoretical model was used to analyse the interviews, the theoretical model was adapted as a result of the findings.  Conclusions: The conclusions are that 7 different factors drive fashion apparel brands to be perceived as cool by the Gen-Z men in this study. It was found that the factors drive a fashion brand to be cool due to inheriting specific themes, in total 23 different themes were found across the 7 factors, hence the themes are how the seven factors drive a fashion apparel brand to be perceived as cool by the Gen-Z men in this study.

Idag konsumeras en betydligt större mängd kläder än för ett decennium sedan, samtidigt som de inte används i samma utsträckning. Detta beteendemönster i samband med fast fashion-industrins upptakt resulterar i överkonsumtion, vilket fått omfattande konsekvenser för miljön. För att motarbeta fast fashion-konsumtion har alternativa konsumtionsmetoder utvecklats, såsom kollaborativ konsumtion i form av uthyrning. Under branschens utveckling har ett flertal modeuthyrningstjänster för vardagsbruk försökt etablera sig på svenska marknaden med varierande resultat. Under en ettårsperiod från 2022 till 2023 ansökte fyra av Sveriges största aktörer inom modeuthyrning på onlinemarknaden om likvidering, vilket har lämnat den svenska marknaden utan uthyrningsalternativ för vardagskläder. Ett ämne som kan beaktas är om fast fashion-konsumtionens tillgänglighet och slagkraft bidragit till uthyrningstjänsternas nuvarande position. Studien syftar till att undersöka fast fashion-konsumtionens påverkan av kläduthyrning för vardagsbruk. Genom att studera zillennials attityder till fast fashion kontra kläduthyrning är avsikten att skapa en ökad förståelse kring om fast fashion bidrar till minskad kollaborativ modekonsumtion. Detta undersöks med hjälp av en litteraturstudie samt utvalda respondenter genom att kvalitativa data samlas i form av fokusgruppsintervjuer. Studien har funnit att fast fashion delvis skapar utmaningar för kläduthyrning men att det även finns andra faktorer oberoende av fast fashions existens som skapar ogynnsamma förhållanden. Ett avsaknat behov till följd av fast fashions tillgänglighet, okunskap om innebörden av uthyrningstjänster och orosmoment kring konceptet ligger till grund för konsumenternas inställning till kollaborativ modekonsumtion. / Today, a considerable volume of clothing is consumed compared to a decade ago. Simultaneously, they are not used to the same extent. This behavioral pattern in connection with the fast fashion industry’s growth results in over consumption, which has extensive consequences for the environment. To counteract fast fashion consumption, alternative consumption methods have been developed, like collaborative fashion consumption as fashion rental. During the development of the industry, there have been multiple fashion rental services for everyday apparel. These have tried to establish themselves on the Swedish market with varied results. During a one-year-period from 2022 to 2023, four of Sweden’s biggest actors within fashion rental online applied for liquidation. This has left the Swedish market without rental options for everyday apparel. Thus, the subject to consider is if the availability and pulling power of fast fashion consumption has contributed to the fashion rental services current position. The study aims to investigate the impact fast fashion consumption has on fashion rental services for everyday apparel. By studying zillennials’ attitudes towards fast fashion versus fashion rental services, the intention is to create an increased understanding of whether fast fashion contributes to decreased collaborative fashion consumption. This will be investigated using a literature study, as well as collecting qualitative data through focus group interviews with selected respondents. The study has found that fast fashion partly creates challenges for clothing rental, but that there are other factors independent of fast fashion's existence that creates a disadvantage. The lack of need as a result of fast fashion's accessibility, lack of knowledge of the meaning of rental services and concerns about the concept lays the foundation for consumer attitudes towards collaborative fashion consumption.