Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the organic apparel consumer. Is the recent upsurge in organic cotton products another fashion trend or is there a segment of consumers genuinely interested in purchasing organic cotton apparel based on the benefits of organic agriculture to the environment? Design/methodology/approach -Data were collected with a mail survey of US health and natural foods consumers. Conjoint analysis revealed salient product attributes and cluster analysis identified segments of consumers with different attribute preferences. Factor analysis uncovered latent variables from among the large number of items and the clusters were examined for differences in their psychographic profiles. Findings -It was found that the 38 percent of consumers who found used organic cotton content salient had positive attitudes toward organic and sustainable agriculture, preferred to "buy locally" and had a strong self-identity as environmental, organic, and socially responsible consumers.Research limitations/implications -The sample of US health and natural foods consumers means that the results cannot be generalized too widely. Research is currently under way to relate the self-reported purchase behavior of organic apparel consumers discussed here to actual purchase behavior. Practical implications -Survey respondents interested in purchasing organic cotton apparel agreed that organic farming is good for the environment, suggesting that consumers would be receptive to marketing messages that place an emphasis on the environmental benefits of purchasing organic cotton apparel. Originality/value -The paper provides insight into the attitudes and motivations of environmentally concerned US consumers of organic apparel and provides information on focusing marketing to these consumers.

This study empirically analyzed whether consumers making apparel purchases would use a label guaranteeing certain working conditions were present during garment production. While a potential market segment for the No Sweat label was identified, evidence suggests that only a small percentage of consumers would be influenced by the label. This small market segment was profiled on its psychographic and demographic characteristics, and the extent to which the No Sweat label would influence future purchases was examined.

The purpose of the study was to provide initial understanding of female consumers' decisions to purchase from socially responsible apparel businesses, operationally defined as the U.S. Department of Labor's Trendsetters. The relationships between three major groupings of variables were explored including the following: (a) consumers' personal values, beliefs, and knowledge, (b) attitudes relating to socially responsible apparel business practices, as well as product-specific attitudes, and (c) intentions to purchase apparel from socially responsible businesses. For the 219 women surveyed, only product-specific attitudes were related to intentions to purchase from socially responsible apparel businesses. However, greater knowledge and concern about issues in the apparel industry, as well as beliefs about the U.S. apparel industry and perceived effectiveness, were related to greater support for socially responsible businesses. Suspicion about business practices intended to solve apparel industry problems was related to beliefs about foreign apparel businesses and societal values. Implications for government and industry initiatives involving consumers in the elimination of sweatshops are discussed.

Role and identity theories provided perspective for this exploratory study of the needs and preferences of consumer athletes who participate in an emerging sport, in-line skating. Female in-line skaters (N = 54) were surveyed in Ohio and Florida regarding their skating commitment, sport clothing interests and preferences, and skating behaviors. Greater interests in achieving a unique and feminine appearance for performance enhancement and greater desire for fashion rather than comfort significantly predicted female skaters' likelihood of buying clothing specifically for in-line skating. Additionally, age and commitment to skating predicted the likelihood of purchasing special skating clothing. Findings are compared and contrasted with previous studies of sports and clothing addressing how identity in a sport without a long history and traditions in dress is enhanced with clothing, and the salience of brand name logos to sport identity. Finally, implications to manufacturers and retailers of sport clothing are suggested.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether consumers' intentions to purchase apparel products from an alternative trading organisation (ATO; an example of socially responsible consumer behaviour) could be explained by their societally‐centred values and attitudes, as well as attitudes more specifically related to purchasing. Data were collected with a nationwide mail survey of US consumers (n =344) randomly drawn from the stratified mailing list of one North American ATO. Theory‐based relationships, suggesting a hierarchical system of effects among values and atti‐tudes, were tested and supported with path analysis. Comparison of two different path models revealed that attitude towards the behaviour of purchasing apparel from the ATO was a better predictor of purchase behaviour than was attitude towards the apparel itself; however, the two concepts were determined to each contribute valuable information for understanding purchasing behaviour.