Fostering Environmentally Friendly Fashion Consumption: Understanding Consumer Green Apparel Buying Behavior for Business and Policy

ABSTRACT Amid escalating environmental pollution characterizing the fashion industry, the green apparel transition remains an utmost sustainability priority. However, this hinges pivotally on actual consumer purchase behaviors. This study investigates green apparel buying behavior among consumers in Shanghai, a global fashion epicenter. Drawing on 529 respondents, the study examines the interplay of subjective norms, attitudes, quality orientation, hedonic motivations, message framing, and intentions on green apparel buying behavior, using structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that the model explains 51.0% of green apparel buying behavior. Subjective norms exert a direct influence on buying behavior, while attitudes, positively shaped by subjective norms and quality orientation, influence purchase intentions. Hedonic motivations and message framing emerge as critical drivers of both attitudes and intentions. Intentions predict buying behavior. The study offers actionable implications for businesses, marketers, and policymakers to accelerate the adoption of eco‐conscious fashion choices in fast‐paced, trend‐driven urban markets.