Social attitudes in sustainable fashion: the role of environmental knowledge on sustainable development goals (SDGs)

PurposeThis study investigates and explores sustainable fashion based on social attitudes toward culture and sustainable fashion effects in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), based on environmental knowledge and consumer satisfaction initiatives. It explicates sustainable fashion on the sustainable development agenda in addressing the gap of cultural value, environmental knowledge and sustainable fashion in SSA.Design/methodology/approachUsing a quantitative approach, the study employed a web-based online cross-sectional survey to extract tangible information from 620 participants from SSA. The study integrated theory of planned behaviors (TPB) model and hypotheses. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to test all proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that low environmental knowledge, influenced by geographical and cultural differences, affected fashion value, as which is predictively significant for sustainable fashion. However, attitude and cultural value results found statistical significance for consumer satisfaction in sustainable fashion. Furthermore, mediation was attained between consumer behavioral and environmental knowledge of sustainable fashion. The study recommends government policies on educational awareness and textile regulations for environmental garbage disposal possible harmful effects of climate change and finally, designing innovative initiatives for environmentally friendly fashion.Originality/valueThis study examines the environmental and social attitudes as well as behavioral effects, of an ecosystem that would most likely have a short life period, eliminate disposal dumps and foster an environmental control policy. Consequently, the study’s conceptual model and extended TPB contribute to how sustainable fashion supports environmental knowledge, consumer attitudes and cultural behaviors in fashion among Sub-Saharan Africans.