Sustainable Design and Consumer Acceptance in Eco-Printed Womenswear: The Role of Perceived Value and Implications for Design Governance

This study investigates how externally designable attributes of eco-printed womenswear shape consumer acceptance. Existing research has paid more attention to sustainability attitudes in general than to how product-specific design cues influence acceptance in this context. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, the study combines qualitative interviews with a survey of 992 female consumers in mainland China. The results show that consumer acceptance develops through an attribute–value–attitude–intention pathway rather than from abstract environmental concern alone. Fabric Perception, Colour Preference, and Structure and Craft Awareness influence functional value, emotional value, and environmental value, which subsequently shape consumer attitude and purchase intention. Among these attributes, Structure and Craft Awareness exerts the strongest effect on environmental value and consumer attitude. The study further develops a data-calibrated analytic hierarchy process (DC-AHP) to translate behavioural evidence into design priorities. The findings extend sustainable fashion research by clarifying the product-based mechanism of consumer acceptance and provide evidence to support design-priority setting in eco-printed womenswear.