Sustainability and Social Responsibility

A Content Analysis of How Labels Help Consumers Determine if Clothing is Sustainable

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Abstract

Most articles of clothing regardless of brand name, share similarity of having a label exempting those not regulated by law. The FTC regulates the labelling of clothing in the United States with guidelines and procedures on what must be provided in a label and other hangtags to deter false advertisement and fraud. Clothing labels usually sit on the inside of the neck or side seam of shirts or the back of pants and provide consumers with information such as size, content, and country of origin. Disregarding the brand name of the garment the consumer chooses, clothing labels are the only transcript that provide the consumer with some clue as to what they are wearing. This study explored whether the information presented for consumers is adequate or misleading for consumers to make conscious decisions.

 A content analysis with substantive coding to analyze the information listed on clothing product labels and how the information is presented from stores as well as online data collection in addition to promotional messages and descriptions. My sample study will include brands identified by Business Insider as the United States most popular as well as brands that have made Eco- Friendly claims. Both online product details and the hand labels will be collected and coded into an excel spreadsheet that will categorize and examine the perception of the garment. A Q- Sort methodology will then be implemented with the findings of the data analysis and will analyze participants viewpoints of the labels. Findings include the misinterpretation of eco-friendly or sustainable product description.

Keywords: Labelling, Apparel, Sustainability

How to Cite:

hale, m. S. & Das, D., (2020) “A Content Analysis of How Labels Help Consumers Determine if Clothing is Sustainable”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12186