The findings are particularly relevant as the global fashion industry faces increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact. Fast fashion contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and textile waste, while clothing production continues to rise worldwide. Indonesia, one of Southeast Asia's largest consumer markets, has experienced rapid growth in apparel consumption, making sustainable fashion an increasingly important environmental, economic, and social issue. The study suggests that encouraging consumers alone will not be enough; meaningful change requires coordinated action across multiple sectors.
Why Slow Fashion Matters
Slow fashion promotes durable clothing, ethical production, responsible consumption, and reduced environmental impact. Although Indonesian Generation Z consumers particularly university students generally express concern about sustainability, their purchasing decisions often prioritize affordability, style, and rapidly changing trends.
According to the researchers, previous studies have largely explained this contradiction through individual psychological factors. However, those approaches overlook how interactions among brands, governments, educational institutions, and digital platforms shape consumer behavior. By examining these interconnected relationships, the ITB researchers provide a broader understanding of why sustainable purchasing remains difficult despite positive environmental attitudes.
A Systems-Based Approach to Consumer Behavior
Instead of focusing solely on individual decision-making, the researchers adopted Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), a qualitative framework designed to analyze complex social problems involving multiple stakeholders.
The study collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory workshops involving representatives from five stakeholder groups:
- Indonesian university students
- Fashion brand managers
- Policymakers
- Educators
- Social media influencers
Researchers then analyzed the interactions among these groups using systems-thinking tools to identify structural barriers and develop practical intervention strategies for promoting sustainable fashion adoption.
Key Findings
The research found that Indonesian college students genuinely value sustainability, yet several interconnected barriers prevent these values from becoming everyday purchasing behavior.
The major factors include:
- Higher prices for slow fashion products compared with conventional fast fashion.
- Strong social influence, particularly from peers and fashion influencers promoting rapidly changing trends.
- Weak policy implementation and limited regulatory support for sustainable fashion.
- Limited sustainability education, with environmental topics often remaining optional rather than integrated into university curricula.
- Business challenges, as fashion brands struggle to balance affordability with sustainable production practices.
The study concludes that these barriers reinforce what researchers describe as an attitude–behavior gap a situation in which consumers support sustainability in theory but fail to translate those values into purchasing decisions.
Rather than identifying consumers as the primary problem, the researchers argue that the fashion service ecosystem itself creates conditions that make fast fashion easier, cheaper, and more socially accepted than sustainable alternatives.
Practical Solutions Beyond Consumer Awareness
The research proposes several coordinated interventions designed to reshape the entire fashion ecosystem rather than focusing exclusively on changing individual attitudes.
Recommended actions include:
- Establishing a multi-stakeholder governance consortium involving government agencies, universities, businesses, and civil society.
- Integrating practical sustainability education into higher education curricula.
- Developing collaborative platforms where students and fashion brands can co-create affordable sustainable products.
- Encouraging influencers to promote responsible consumption instead of excessive purchasing.
- Strengthening public policies and incentives that make sustainable fashion more accessible and competitive.
The researchers emphasize that lasting behavioral change depends on creating an environment where sustainable choices become affordable, desirable, and socially accepted.
Implications for Society, Industry, and Policymakers
The findings provide valuable guidance for multiple sectors.
For government, the study highlights the importance of stronger regulations and policy incentives supporting sustainable fashion industries.
For fashion businesses, the research demonstrates that affordability remains one of the biggest obstacles preventing wider adoption of environmentally responsible products. Companies that successfully combine sustainability with competitive pricing may reach a much larger consumer base.
For universities, integrating sustainability into teaching and campus activities could help transform environmental awareness into everyday behavior.
For social media platforms and influencers, the study illustrates their significant role in shaping consumption norms, suggesting that digital content can become an important driver of sustainable lifestyles rather than fast-fashion consumption.
More broadly, the research contributes to sustainability studies by integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior, Service-Dominant Logic, and Soft Systems Methodology into a single systems perspective. This interdisciplinary approach shifts attention from individual consumer responsibility toward the interactions among institutions that collectively influence purchasing decisions.
Academic Perspective
As Ramahda Nur Alika and Dr. Atik Aprianingsih of the School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung conclude, closing the attitude–behavior gap requires redesigning the relationships among students, businesses, educators, policymakers, and influencers. Their analysis suggests that sustainable fashion will become mainstream only when these stakeholders work together to create an ecosystem where environmentally responsible choices are practical, affordable, and socially desirable.
Author Profiles
Ramahda Nur Alika is a researcher at the School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) whose research focuses on sustainable consumption, consumer behavior, and service ecosystems.
Dr. Atik Aprianingsih is a faculty member and researcher at the School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). Her academic expertise includes marketing, consumer behavior, business innovation, and sustainability strategy.
Source
Article Title: Understanding Indonesian College Students' View on Slow Fashion: "It is Good, But I am Not Paying for It"
Journal: Formosa Journal of Science and Technology (FJST)
Publication Year: 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v5i7.117
Official Journal: https://journalfjst.my.id/index.php/fjst
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