The Effects of Chinese Consumers’ Brand Green Stereotypes on Purchasing Intention toward Upcycled Clothing

Abstract

Due to environmental concerns, an increasing number of Chinese consumers have begun to resist fast fashion, promoting cheap and lower quality materials with a short lifetime. A shift from a linear economic model to a circular fashion has become an urgent issue for the industry. To examine how brand stereotype affects consumers’ purchasing intention toward upcycled fabric clothing, this study adopted a grounded theory approach to develop the dimensions of brand stereotypes, including product, manufacturing process, service, and communication. Furthermore, a theoretical model was constructed incorporating brand stereotypes, brand green trust, fashion consciousness, and green consciousness. Results from structural equation model analysis indicated that (1) each dimension of brand stereotypes had a significantly positive impact on behavior intention, and especially product and service image have the most influence; (2) brand green trust mediated the relationship between brand stereotypes and buying intention, and (3) green consciousness positively moderated the relationship between brand stereotype and trust, whereas brand warmth in communication and trust was moderated negatively by fashion consciousness. The findings offer implications for the implementation of the green branding strategy, brand positioning, and cultivating consumers’ green awareness to improve market acceptance of upcycled fabric clothing.

1. Introduction

The fashion industry operates in a traditional resource-intensive and labor-intensive supply chain, and each stage of the life cycle of a fashion product generates substantial waste. The textile industry is a part of a fashion system which promotes mass consumption and fast consumption of goods. Thus, the fashion industry is regarded as one of the most polluting industries in the world [1]. Especially in fast fashion, clothing is worn for a short time and then quickly becomes textile waste [2]. Sustainable strategies of fashion brands have currently been facing a paradox since they promote more conscious green consumption to change customers’ consumption patterns while trying to sell more products [3]. Consequently, some fast fashion brands are always accused of “greenwashing” by consumers when they implement sustainable practices. Consumers question the motives behind corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, become less trusting of the brand as a whole, and are less likely to purchase its products. It may thus be concluded that while CSR can either act as a differentiation strategy for firms or encourage consumption, if it is not implemented correctly, it can be detrimental to their growth [4]. It is imperative that fashion brands, as well as the entire industry, contribute to a circular economy approach by applying innovative technology and energy-efficient solutions in order to develop new and appealing products with the lowest environmental footprint. In a circular economy, reducing consumption is only a short-term solution [5], and recycling is also a primary component, which is insufficient to achieve actual improvement. Continuously utilizing raw materials, for instance, upcycled fabrics, will ultimately enhance the end product’s value, contributing to long-term industrial sustainability.

Despite the increase in the recycling of waste textiles in China in recent years, recycling utilization is not improving. In terms of product and fabric design, the utilization of regenerative fabrics is relatively weak. Fabric reuse is limited by the fact that most materials are applied to lower-value, shorter-life-cycle products (e.g., cleaning cloths, fillers, etc.) and fewer are applied to high-value products. A study on German consumers showed that, compared with bioplastics-based clothing and slow fashion that may result in decreased profits, upcycled synthetic clothing appears to be the most effective measure to increase profits as well as enhance average sustainability in the fashion industry [6]. Upcycled fabrics reduce waste while also generating profits from product innovation, which is a win–win approach that balances profits and consumers’ continued shopping while remaining eco-friendly to achieve a circular economy transition. Upcycled fabrics are made from recycled waste polymer materials or waste textile materials, and are treated specifically to achieve a particular purpose. Different from secondhand clothing, upcycled fabric clothing is the achievement of a subsequent recycling phase by adding valuable features as the elements of new product development. Due to the significant changes in appearance and performance, consumer acceptance has greatly improved.

Motivators and barriers for consumers to purchase upcycled products are more complicated and have been rarely studied in the consumer behavior literature [7]. In recent years, academic research on fashion green purchasing behavior has focused mainly on the following influences: product perceived values, including green value [8]; perceived product effectiveness [9,10]; consumers’ characteristics (such as environmental concern, uniqueness, materialism, and hedonism) [11]; perceived risks [12], and so on. A notable question is that most customers have positive attitudes towards environmental issues, yet they have rarely taken action in response to such attitudes. An interesting phenomenon is the fact that growing concerns about environmental degradation in the fashion industry have caused young people in China to shift their values from being self-centered toward a more nature-centered outlook [13]. Despite young consumers’ willingness to adopt sustainable lifestyles, they are not the target group for sustainable consumption practices. Achieving “the unity of knowledge and action” is similarly difficult when it comes to green consumption. The green market is a typical decision scenario with uncertainty and poor information, misleading promotion, and many green declarations that in reality are ambiguous or even deceptive. According to a pro-phase survey, in addition to the higher price and unfashionable style, many consumers reported that some fashion brands’ green campaigns are often incompatible with their relatively stable brand image. Consumers do not trust that the sustainable idea of fashion brands can be truly implemented in their supply chain. In the absence of adequate green knowledge, consumers have difficulty identifying green products without other ancillary perceptions such as expert endorsement or brand recognition. Thus, to explain the attitude–behavior gap from the perspective of brand stereotypes, and provide suggestions for fashion brands who have been criticized for “greenwashing” to launch upcycled fabric products, the overarching research objectives of this study are the following:

• To examine if consumers’ brand stereotypes will influence consumers’ trust, and further affect purchasing intention;
• To develop targeted dimensions of brand green stereotypes, aimed at the fashion industry;
• To explore the moderating mechanism of consumers’ characteristics.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Fashion Green Consumer Behavior

The prevailing attitude–behavior gap has become the main obstacle to consumers purchasing eco-friendly apparel [14]. Due to the pressure of cost, fashion brands have taken symbolic measures of environmental protection to cope with this discrepancy. Consumers still do not fully trust the green claims of fashion brands. On the other hand, enterprises hesitate to develop new green products (e.g., upcycled fabric, usually with a higher upfront cost). In addition, the symbolic practices of fashion enterprises such as “greenwashing” have further resulted in this discrepancy, contributing to the complexity of the factors influencing consumers’ intention to purchase green clothing.

Previous research on fashion green consumer behavior has shown that a variety of perceived values, as well as consumers’ characteristics, influence green fashion consumption (see Table 1 for a comprehensive summary sorted by year). Motivational factors of consumers’ decisions in sustainable behavior, such as purchasing green products, perception of products and brands, including perceptions of brand image, perceived value, product-related value, brand commitment, and behavioral control, are significant considerations. There are various characteristics of consumers that are considered as moderators or control variables, such as the need for uniqueness, environmental awareness, product knowledge, anticipated guilt, altruism, or egoism. In some research, individual traits are included as antecedents or mediators. However, many empirical analyses have shown that some of these features (such as consumer novelty-seeking, materialism, fashion leadership, and environmental concerns) are not relevant in explaining consumers’ decisions to engage in sustainable behavior, such as buying organic cotton and fabrics, renting clothing, or purchasing upcycled fashion items [9,10,12]. The direct and total effects of consumers’ characteristics on the dependent variable were not shown as significant in these studies. For mediators, attitude is a crucial variable derived from the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a flexible model that focuses on an individual’s intention to conduct a particular behavior. Regarding the research subject, green fashion products, in a broad sense, secondhand clothes or recycling behavior, are in the majority of studies. Consumers are inclined to prospect for eco-friendly clothes to satisfy their functional and financial demands and experience the warmth of “paying” regarding ethical demands [15].

In principle, under the complete moral hypothesis of classical prosocial behavior theory, green purchasing behavior can be regarded as a typical altruistic behavior that serves the public benefit. Nevertheless, consumers are believed to be rational and adhere to the principle of maximizing economic gain primarily in their ethical behavior. In practice, some fashion brands are dedicated to developing the green attributes of the fabric or green campaigns to improve consumers’ eco-friendly consciousness, in turn influencing their green consumption [16]. Although they have a high willingness to buy green products in their sense of sensibility, they are reluctant to actually pay [17]. That is partly because consumers will pay more attention to the ability and sincerity of these fashion brands to deliver sustainable features (such as durability, permeability, and other attributes of fabrics), services, or other proprietary values of their products.

Conveying a brand image to a target segment has long been an important marketing activity. Brand image refers to consumers’ overall and subjective perception of a brand and the cognitive result of a set of attributes associated with functional, symbolic, and experiential benefits [18]. These three dimensions have been widely used in the studies of brand image and consumer behavior, including consumers’ product and emotional appeals. The green market is a typical decision-making situation with limited, vague, misleading, and deceptive information. Brand image helps consumers identify products from one other and acts as a credibility signal for consumers to choose new products [19,20].

Previous studies have focused on consumers’ values and characteristics, while ignoring the psychological mechanisms of cognitive and emotional responses they have towards green fashion products and brands’ ethical image. In terms of the research framework of green consumption, it is indispensable to introduce dual demands of the limited ethical hypothesis mixed with near-egoism hypothesis. Thus, both consumers’ cognition of brands’ green images and trust constructs were conceptualized in this study.

Table 1. Overview of studies on consumer behavior in fashion green products.

Author	Antecedent(s)	Mediator(s), Moderator(s) * and Control Variable(s) **	Outcome(s)
Karen et al. [21]	Fashion involvement, pro-environment attitudes		Adoption of sustainable fashion
D’Souza et al. [22]	Environmental concern, sustainable commitment, pricing, quality, brand image, labeling, faith in others, perceived effectiveness	Personal income and age **	Purchase intention
Visser et al. [23]	Benefit, sustainability image	Fashion image	Behavior intention
Ha and Kwon [24]	Past recycling behavior	Environmental concern, anticipated guilt *	Green apparel shopping behavior
Wei and Jung [25]	Product value, green value	Face-saving *, altruism and egoism **	Purchase intention
Wiederhold and Martinez [14]	Image, price, lack of information, availability, transparency, consumption habits inertia	/	Intention behavior gap
Song and Kim [26]	Societal benefit, personal benefit	Altruistic/egoistic warmth	Purchase intention
Diddi et al. [27]	Perceived value, sustainability commitment, uniqueness, lifestyle changes and so on		Intention-behavior gap
Park and Lin [28]	Risk, utilitarian value, self-expressiveness, environmental concern and so on		Purchase intention/experience
Grazzini et al. [29]	Study1: Sustainable product attributes Study2: Implicit association test Study3: Sustainable product attributes	Study 3: perceived warmth	Purchase intention
Kong et al. [30]	Sustainability perception (cultural, economic, environment, social)	Brand attitude, luxury *, trust *	Buying behavior
Neumann et al. [31]	Social responsibility	Trust, attitude, perceived effectiveness	Purchase intention
Dhir et al. [32]	Environmental knowledge, green trust, environmental concern and so on	Environmental attitude, age *, gender *	Buying behavior
Kumar et al. [33]	Environmental concern	Attitude, subjective norm, personal moral norms	Purchase intention
Ashaduzzaman [34]	Trust, attitude, environment responsibility, subjective norm, emotional value and so on	Perceived usefulness	Collaborative consumption
Hasbullah et al. [35]	Motivation, opportunity, ability	Fashion consciousness *	Purchase intention
Hasan et al. [36]	Environmental concerns, attitude, fashionable products, product performance and so on		Willingness to purchase organic cotton clothing
Chen et al. [37]	Fashion brand image	Customer participation behavior, brand experience, brand trust *, participation *	Brand loyalty

The asterisk (*) means that the variable is a moderating variable, and (**) means a control variable.

Table 1. Overview of studies on consumer behavior in fashion green products.

Author	Antecedent(s)	Mediator(s), Moderator(s) * and Control Variable(s) **	Outcome(s)
Karen et al. [21]	Fashion involvement, pro-environment attitudes		Adoption of sustainable fashion
D’Souza et al. [22]	Environmental concern, sustainable commitment, pricing, quality, brand image, labeling, faith in others, perceived effectiveness	Personal income and age **	Purchase intention
Visser et al. [23]	Benefit, sustainability image	Fashion image	Behavior intention
Ha and Kwon [24]	Past recycling behavior	Environmental concern, anticipated guilt *	Green apparel shopping behavior
Wei and Jung [25]	Product value, green value	Face-saving *, altruism and egoism **	Purchase intention
Wiederhold and Martinez [14]	Image, price, lack of information, availability, transparency, consumption habits inertia	/	Intention behavior gap
Song and Kim [26]	Societal benefit, personal benefit	Altruistic/egoistic warmth	Purchase intention
Diddi et al. [27]	Perceived value, sustainability commitment, uniqueness, lifestyle changes and so on		Intention-behavior gap
Park and Lin [28]	Risk, utilitarian value, self-expressiveness, environmental concern and so on		Purchase intention/experience
Grazzini et al. [29]	Study1: Sustainable product attributes Study2: Implicit association test Study3: Sustainable product attributes	Study 3: perceived warmth	Purchase intention
Kong et al. [30]	Sustainability perception (cultural, economic, environment, social)	Brand attitude, luxury *, trust *	Buying behavior
Neumann et al. [31]	Social responsibility	Trust, attitude, perceived effectiveness	Purchase intention
Dhir et al. [32]	Environmental knowledge, green trust, environmental concern and so on	Environmental attitude, age *, gender *	Buying behavior
Kumar et al. [33]	Environmental concern	Attitude, subjective norm, personal moral norms	Purchase intention
Ashaduzzaman [34]	Trust, attitude, environment responsibility, subjective norm, emotional value and so on	Perceived usefulness	Collaborative consumption
Hasbullah et al. [35]	Motivation, opportunity, ability	Fashion consciousness *	Purchase intention
Hasan et al. [36]	Environmental concerns, attitude, fashionable products, product performance and so on		Willingness to purchase organic cotton clothing
Chen et al. [37]	Fashion brand image	Customer participation behavior, brand experience, brand trust *, participation *	Brand loyalty

The asterisk (*) means that the variable is a moderating variable, and (**) means a control variable.

2.2. Band Stereotype and Brand Image

A stereotype refers to an inclusive and brief conception or image about a subject or person belonging to a particular category or group [38]. Brand stereotype is a reflection of consumer beliefs about brands as intentional agents [39]. It is based on the theory that individuals can perceive brands in the same way they perceive humans and, therefore, relate to brands in the same way [40]. Brand stereotyping results in more favorable brand evaluations, brand-related emotions, increased purchase intentions, and brand ownership [41,42]. Some past studies focused on stereotypes related to country–brand associations [43]. For instance, the stereotypical perceptions of brands have been associated with brands’ country of origin [44,45]. Brand stereotypes can shape consumers’ brand evaluations and impact subsequent decision-making [46], and thus marketers would be interested in leveraging some brand stereotypes to achieve more positive outcomes. The stereotype content model tends to employ psychological generalization in information processing, simplifying complex information into two dimensions of warmth and competence to facilitate decision-making. When consumers have insufficient information or limited processing ability for products, brand image becomes one of the critical factors in purchasing decisions. Through preliminary research, we found that due to professional and technical limitations, consumers always lack independent measures to understand green products, and it is difficult for them to evaluate the quality and authenticity. Despite being the world’s largest emerging market, Chinese consumers are still inclined to use stereotypes to make buying decisions in green markets, especially as environmental ethics are still being developed.

According to stereotype content model and previous studies (See Table 2 for a comprehensive summary of recent years), stereotypes fall into two universal dimensions: warmth and competence [47]. Warmth (e.g., friendliness, empathy, and kindness) is associated with qualities such as friendliness and sincerity, whereas competence is linked with traits such as capability and skill [48,49].

Generally, the evaluation of warmth is based on the ethical appeal of consumers. When enterprises demonstrate goodwill, warmth, and kindness through environmental responsibility, consumers will experience high warmth. Conversely, consumers feel low warmth when brands ignore their environmental responsibilities and display hostile, indifferent, aggressive, or other negative intentions [50]. The evaluation of competence mainly reflects consumers’ demands for products. Customers will perceive competence when enterprises demonstrate high levels of confidence, effectiveness, technical development, skills, and competitiveness through high-quality products. In contrast, consumers believe that companies are incompetent when their products and production processes are of poor quality and low efficiency [39].

Table 2. Overview of studies on brand stereotype.

Author	Dimensions, Moderator(s) *	Mediator(s)	Outcome(s)
Bauer et al. [51]	Warmth, competence Brand style *	Perceived fit, attitude	Purchase intention Brand response
Japutra et al. [52]	Aesthetic benefit Self-expressiveness benefit	Warmth stereotype Competence stereotype	Relationship quality (satisfaction, trust, affective favorability, and so on)
Kolbl et al. [53]	Warmth, competence	Brand identification	Purchase intention
Kolbl et al. [54]	Warmth, competence	Perceived value	Purchase intention
Gidakovic et al. [44]	Origin/brand/user warmth, competence	Perceived value	Purchase intention
Diamantopoulos et al. [45]	Warmth, competence	Attitudinal response	Purchase intention
Japutra et al. [55]	Cognitive/affective components	Warmth, competence	Brand attachment
Gong et al. [56]	Green brand positioning	Warmth, competence	Consumer response
Wang et al. [57]	Warmth, competence	Country-of-origin image	Purchase intention

The asterisk (*) means that the variable is a moderating variable.

Table 2. Overview of studies on brand stereotype.

Author	Dimensions, Moderator(s) *	Mediator(s)	Outcome(s)
Bauer et al. [51]	Warmth, competence Brand style *	Perceived fit, attitude	Purchase intention Brand response
Japutra et al. [52]	Aesthetic benefit Self-expressiveness benefit	Warmth stereotype Competence stereotype	Relationship quality (satisfaction, trust, affective favorability, and so on)
Kolbl et al. [53]	Warmth, competence	Brand identification	Purchase intention
Kolbl et al. [54]	Warmth, competence	Perceived value	Purchase intention
Gidakovic et al. [44]	Origin/brand/user warmth, competence	Perceived value	Purchase intention
Diamantopoulos et al. [45]	Warmth, competence	Attitudinal response	Purchase intention
Japutra et al. [55]	Cognitive/affective components	Warmth, competence	Brand attachment
Gong et al. [56]	Green brand positioning	Warmth, competence	Consumer response
Wang et al. [57]	Warmth, competence	Country-of-origin image	Purchase intention

The asterisk (*) means that the variable is a moderating variable.

2.3. Consumer–Brand Relationship

A brand always carries symbolic and experiential meanings and is viewed as a partner in the relationship between a consumer and the brand [50]. Social identity theory has been used to explore motivations for purchasing decisions based on the assumption that a relationship between a consumer and a brand can be established through possession [58]. Relationship quality was first studied in the early 1990s when Crosby [59] defined it as employees’ abilities to reduce consumer uncertainties. As shown in Table 2, relationship quality consists of satisfaction, trust, commitment, social benefit, and affective favorability [51,52].

According to prior works, relationship quality is defined as the degree to which consumers and brands have a strong relationship and an effective approach to reduce their uncertainty, resulting in satisfaction, trust, commitment, and some social benefits [51,60,61]. The stereotype content model was proposed as a means of increasing consumer acceptance of unfamiliar products [62]. In particular, both competence and warmth positively affect the destination brand attachment [55], consumer–brand identification [53], and consumer response [45,56]. Brand green trust is one of the most essential constructs in consumer–brand relationships. The influence of brand personality on brand green trust is largely supported. Trust refers to the intention to accept vulnerability based upon a positive expectation of the integrity and capability of another individual [63]. Chen [64] defined “green trust” as a good relationship between two subjects where one would like to depend on another object based on the belief resulting from its credibility, benevolence, and ability in environmental performance.

3. Grounded Theorizing and Research Model

Although brand stereotype is not a new concept, research in stereotyping of brand green cognition has not formed a mature dimension division and theoretical framework. The existing scale is not specific enough or targeted when measuring brand green stereotypes. Therefore, this study adopted the grounded theory method through in-depth interviews based on the characteristics of fashion consumer behavior and upcycled fabric clothing. Grounded theorizing is a methodological approach that allows an iterative, inductive, and interactional process of data collection, concurrent analysis, and enriching interpretation [65]. The questions of the interview mainly include the following: “What kind of clothing brand can be called a truly green brand?”, “What are the reasons you would or would not buy upcycled fabric clothing?”, “In your opinion, what characteristics will lead consumers to purchase upcycled fabrics or not?” and so on.

3.1. Procedure and Sample

The formal interview was conducted by face-to-face or online voice communication for just 20 min, and no more than 30. This study selected professionals who are engaged in the fashion industry and consumers with rich buying experience in upcycled fabric clothing. Both of them need to have a high awareness of upcycled fabric clothing. Some questions were used to test interviewees’ knowledge of upcycled fabrics and brands’ green practices. The questions include the following: “What is upcycled fabric?”, “Would you like to buy renewable clothing? What is the frequency?”, “Do you know any fashion brands that have implemented green practices? Could you give some examples?”. Finally, 25 valid interviewees were selected for the interview, including eight males and 17 females. Among the sample, three interviewees were reserved for testing theoretical saturation. Due to coding requirements, the transcripts were first sorted and converted into text data as the original data, with 28,754 words in total. Nvivo12 software was used to edit the nodes by constantly comparing the data and coding them simultaneously, all performed at a micro-level. The whole process can be divided into three stages: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding.

3.2. Open Coding and Axial Coding

The interview transcripts were identified word-by-word at the initial open coding stage. Similar meanings were abstracted and summarized into 92 conceptual nodes. In the subsequent axial coding stage, higher levels of generalization were established, thus identifying second-order theoretical concepts [66]. Therefore, relationships and linkages between the identified first-order concepts were determined and then grouped using axial coding into eight main second-order themes as emerging factors of purchasing intention of upcycled fabric clothing, as shown in

Table 3. Results of axical coding.

First-Order Concepts	Second-Order Themes	Variables
This brand is capable of:	Competence in product (CP)	Brand competence
Design: developing fabrics in a variety of colors and textures.
Performance: developing anti-bacterial, anti-static, anti-radiation, or quick-drying fabrics.
Durability: developing fabrics that do not fade, shrink, or wrinkle easily.
Feeling: developing fabrics that feel similar to silk, cotton, or leather.
Raw materials: using mainly recycled or sustainable production materials.	Competence in manufacturing (CM)
Selection of solvents: using nonpolluting, recyclable, and nontoxic solvents.
Processing: ensuring low pollution (water, soil, air, etc.) in the process.
Finished product: developing upcycled fabrics that completely degrade in the natural environment.
I feel the warmth that this brand offers:	Warmth in service (WS)	Brand warmth
Package: eco-friendly or recycling shopping bags.
Recycling channel: a recycling channel for used clothes.
After-sales: a clothing repair service.
Recycling service: a convenient recycling service.
Product information: practical and concrete green product messages rather than abstract feelings.	Warmth in communication (WC)
Ads theme: green theme/environmental-related ads.
Campaign: marketing campaigns promoting green consumption.
Ads style: sincere advertising close to the nature.
I trust this brand is honest and there will be no greenwashing.	Brand green trust (BT)	Relationship quality
I trust this brand is using safe upcycled fabrics.
I trust this brand is employing green practices not motivated by raising the price.
I believe people’s unrestrained use of natural resources will destroy the balance of the environment.	Green consciousness (GC)	Consumer characteristics
I am willing to protect the environment by buying green products.
I would like to try new products to present my uniqueness.	Fashion consciousness (FC)
Keeping pace with the fashion trend is very important to me.
I would like to buy upcycled fabric clothing.	Purchasing intention (PI)	Purchasing intention
I would like to wear upcycled fabric clothing.

.

3.3. Selective Coding

The third stage of grounded theory is selective coding to further theorize and visualize main themes to a core category. In this research, five variables and eight subcategory themes were theoretically coded and linked to a core to explain consumers’ intention to buy green fashion products. Among these variables, brand stereotypes (brand competence and warmth) belong to the cognitive level, the combination of consumers’ perceived value for the brand’s ecological ability, friendliness, and consumers’ feeling when making purchase decisions with unknown outcomes. Brand–consumer relationship quality is regarded to relate to brand commitment, and emotional attachment can be triggered by the perception of brand. Thus, we argue that brand stereotypes strengthen the quality of the relationship between the brand and the consumer before it enhances the likelihood of a consumer purchasing the product. According to grounded theory and previous research, consumer characteristics involving fashion and environmental consciousness may moderate the effect of perceived brand value on behavior [9,24]. Therefore, consumers’ fashion consciousness and green consciousness can be considered as moderating variables in the model.

Finally, to test the integrity of grounded analysis results, this study repeatedly carried out open coding, axial coding, and selective coding for three reserved original materials. It was found that no new concepts or themes emerged, and the saturation test passed, indicating that the theoretical model of this study was sufficient.

3.4. Research Hypotheses and Model

The research model can be established based on grounded theory and previous research (Table 1 and Table 2) as a conceptual framework for exploring determinants of consumer behavioral intention toward upcycled fabric clothing. This study integrated the concept of brand stereotype and the connotation of sustainable fashion, and defined the brand green stereotype as a commonly held set of beliefs or impressions about the characteristics of environmental and sustainable practices associated with a brand. According to the grounded theory approach, the brand green stereotype is divided into four dimensions: competence (product and manufacturing) and warmth (service and communication).

There is considerable evidence that brand stereotypes, either of warmth or competence, lead to many positive behavioral intentions, such as repurchasing, posting favorable comments on social media platforms, recommending a brand to others, and so on [67,68]. Brand trust refers to the consumer’s belief that a brand is reliable [61] and capable of performing its certain functions [69], for instance, green practices include sincerity and capability of developing green products as they claim. When a brand is considered competent, consumers believe it is capable in terms of technique, intelligence, and finance [70]. For instance, Prada’s new material (recycled nylon ECONYL), developed with Aquafil, a renowned spinning manufacturer, collects waste from the ocean. Consumers will believe that Prada’s green practice is reliable and trustworthy when they perceive it as a company or brand that is capable of reusing recycled materials. Punyatoya [71] identified that if manufacturers were capable of establishing an eco-friendly image of their products, it generates customer trust, which results in higher purchase intentions. Based on this relation and the dimensions extracted from the grounded theory approach, we proposed the following:

 Hypothesis 1a (H1a). 

Brand competence stereotype in product positively affects consumers’ green trust in brands.

 Hypothesis 1b (H1b). 

Brand competence stereotype in manufacturing positively affects consumers’ green trust in brands.

In terms of the warmth stereotype, consumers will place a high level of trust in a brand since they believe that companies deliver on their promises with all their hearts. A warm evaluation typically consists of positive traits and perceptions, including friendliness, honesty, and trustworthiness [67,70]. According to the research of Sung and Kim [72], brand trust is positively correlated with sincerity and other brand personalities. Consumers are more likely to believe in a brand when they perceive it as providing an environmental-friendly service. Consumers are more likely to communicate with a brand they perceive as competent and develop a more positive relationship with the brand [52]. To evaluate CSR communication, four criteria were identified: awareness, attributions, attitudes, and trust [73]. Accordingly, the following hypotheses are proposed:

 Hypothesis 2a (H2a). 

Brand warmth stereotype in service positively affects consumers’ green trust in brands.

 Hypothesis 2b (H2b). 

Brand warmth stereotype in communication positively affects consumers’ green trust in brands.

Green values affect purchasing intentions through green trust [8]. A number of important factors should be considered when explaining the impact of value on purchase behavior, such as product attitude and product trust [7]. It was found that consumers with higher levels of brand trust are more likely to purchase that brand [8]. Chen [64] argues that green trust would affect consumers’ purchasing decisions. As a result of a lack of trust, consumers are skeptical about the motivations behind CSR initiatives, resulting in a decrease in purchasing intentions [4]. Consumers’ purchasing intentions were shown in the past literature to be influenced by customer trust [74,75]. In reality, however, some companies exaggerate their products’ environmental performance, leading to customers losing trust in them [5,76]. In the context of environmental management, this study hypothesizes the following:

 Hypothesis 3 (H3). 

Consumers’ green trust towards the brand positively affects their purchasing intention toward upcycled fabric clothing.

Consumer characteristics such as novelty-seeking have been found to have no positive effect on apparel green attitudes [9]. It can be assumed that consumers may not perceive green clothing as an innovation. Consumers are familiar with traditional manufacturing processes for clothing and only perceive green apparel as incorporating green manufacturing processes [77]. Researchers found that fashion leaders did not indicate an intention to purchase environmentally friendly clothing (EFC) since “currently available EFC is not typically innovatively fashionable” [78]. Fashion consciousness may play a moderating role [16]. According to our survey, some Chinese consumers enjoy buying more clothes to stay fashionable and express their individuality, as well as shopping and meeting new people. Millennials are willing to share, remain attractive, and maintain an active social media presence. Some interviewees in the in-depth interview said that upcycled fabric clothing was dull, and even though they believe that a fashion brand is sincere and capable of developing environmentally friendly upcycled fabrics, they are still not willing to give fashion brands trust for being green out of the pursuit of fashion and novelty. Therefore, this study hypothesizes the following:

 Hypothesis 4 (H4). 

Fashion consciousness weakens the relationship between brand stereotypes (competence and warmth) and consumers’ green trust in brands.

The term “green consciousness” refers to people who are concerned about the environment and who hold an environmentally responsible attitude towards consumption, and many studies argue that individuals with green consciousness tend to consume in an environmentally responsible manner [25]. In spite of this, several recent studies found little direct relationship between green consciousness and green behavior [12,16]. Concern for the environment can be described as a global attitude toward improving the environment [24,79]. As Bamberg [80] discussed, environmental concern indirectly influences pro-environmental behavior by generating situation-specific beliefs and moderating the interplays among social norms, attitude, behavioral intention, and actual behavior. Thus, we propose green consciousness as a moderator:

 Hypothesis 5 (H5a). 

Green consciousness strengthens the relationship between brand stereotypes (competence and warmth) and consumers’ green trust in brands.

The conceptual model of this study is presented in Figure 1.

4. Methodology

4.1. Data Collection and Sample

In order to ensure that respondents could provide adequate responses to the questions, consumers who have a specific understanding of upcycled fabric clothing were recruited and selected via examples. Respondents were asked to list the sustainable fashion brands that first came to mind after understanding sustainable fashion’s meaning. Questionnaires were distributed both online and offline. A total of 613 questionnaires were collected, of which 440 were valid, with an effective ratio of 71.8%. We removed 102 participants who did not have upcycled fabric clothing shopping experience and 71 respondents owing to consistently identical responses for all questionnaire items. The sample’s demographic characteristics are as follows:

• Gender: 38.4% male and 61.6% female.
• Age: post-1990s (born after 1990) accounts for 57.3%, followed by post-1980s (born after 1980), accounting for 27.0%. These two groups accounted for nearly 80% of the total sample.
• Income: the monthly disposable income is CNY 4001–7000, accounting for 40.7%, followed by CNY 7001–10,000, accounting for 33.6%.
• Occupation: most of them are corporate staff, accounting for 69.3%, followed by students (20.9%), government workers (5.9%), freelancers and others (3.9%).
• Regions: East China (30.7%), South China (28.9%), North China (17.0%), Central and West China (13.2%), Northeast China (10.2).

The samples are dominated by a higher proportion of young people and middle- to high-income enterprise employees in China, which is generally consistent with the characteristics of green clothing consumers [25].

4.2. Measures and Measurement Model

The questionnaire of this study includes demographic information of respondents, brand stereotypes (competence and warmth), brand green trust, consumers’ fashion consciousness, green consciousness, and purchase intention of upcycled fabric clothing. The primary sources of the scale are as follows: the scales of brand stereotypes (competence and warmth) and brand green trust come from grounded theorizing; consumers’ fashion consciousness [78,81,82]; consumers’ green consciousness [11,24]; purchasing intention [12]. The resulting preliminary questionnaire was modified and improved after a small sample test, and the final questionnaire was obtained. All variables were measured using a five-point Likert scale.

Results of reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) are shown in

Table 4. Results of reliability and validity tests.

Variables and Items	Cronbach’s	CR	AVE	SR	FL
This brand is capable of developing:	0.833	0.834	0.558	0.747
Eco-friendly fabrics in a variety of colors or textures.					0.795
Antibacterial, antistatic, antiradiation, or quick-drying fabrics.					0.703
Eco-friendly fabrics that do not fade, shrink, or wrinkle easily.					0.773
Eco-friendly fabrics that feel similar to silk, cotton, or other natural fabrics.					0.713
This brand is capable of:	0.851	0.852	0.591	0.769
Using mainly recycled or sustainable production materials.					0.771
Using nonpolluting, recyclable, and nontoxic solvents.					0.726
Ensuring low pollution (water, soil, air, etc.) in the process.					0.837
Developing upcycled fabrics that degrade in the natural environment.					0.737
I feel the warmth that this brand offers:	0.861	0.861	0.609	0.780
Eco-friendly or recycling shopping bags.					0.774
A recycling channel for used clothes.					0.791
A clothing repair service.					0.792
A convenient recycling service.					0.763
I feel the warmth that this brand offers:	0.867	0.808	0.621	0.788
Concrete green product messages rather than abstract feelings.					0.810
Green theme or environmental-related ads.					0.754
Marketing campaigns promoting green consumption.					0.780
Sincere advertising close to the nature					0.808
Brand green trust:	0.775	0.777	0.539	0.734
This brand is honest, and there will be no greenwashing.					0.659
I do not have to worry about the safety of upcycled fabrics.					0.747
This brand’s green practices are not motivated by raising the price.					0.790
Fashion consciousness:	0.751	0.757	0.510	0.714
It is important to me that my clothes be of the latest style.					0.763
I will dispose of a garment because it has gone out of fashion.					0.641
I usually dress for fashion and not for comfort.					0.733
Green consciousness:	0.843	0.844	0.643	0.802
Carefree resource-using can disrupt the environmental balance.					0.784
I am willing to reduce my consumption to protect the environment.					0.776
I am very concerned about the environment.					0.844
Purchasing intention:	0.888	0.888	0.727	0.852
I am willing to purchase upcycled fashion products of this brand.					0.886
I will be willing to use upcycled products of this brand.					0.820
I am willing to visit this brand’s store that sells upcycled fashion products.					0.850

CR = composite reliability, AVE = average variance extraction, SR = square roots of AVE, FL = factor loadings.

. SPSS26.0 was firstly used to calculate the reliability of variables in the model. Cronbach’s alpha for each factor was above 0.7, indicating that the variables had high internal consistency and that the reliability of the measurement was confirmed. AMOS 21.0 was further adopted to conduct CFA to test the measurement model using the maximum likelihood estimation method. The model exhibits acceptable fit (χ²/df = 1.304, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.981, IFI = 0.984, RMSEA = 0.026), indicating that the overall fit met the conventional cutoff criteria. The loadings of all items of the constructs listed in Table 4 were greater than 0.5. To satisfy the requirement of convergent validity, all the composite reliability (CR) were higher than 0.7, indicating a good correspondence between the factors and the measuring items. All the average variance extraction (AVE) were higher than 0.5. The square roots of all constructs’ AVEs in Table 4 were higher than the correlations among all constructs in

Table 5. Means, standard deviations, and correlations of the constructs.

Constructs	Mean	Standard Deviation	BCP	BCM	BWS	BWC	BT
BCP	3.623	0.744
BCM	3.691	0.778	0.511 **
BWS	3.679	0.806	0.514 **	0.444 **
BWC	3.784	0.830	0.468 **	0.465 **	0.521 **
BT	2.916	0.879	0.278 **	0.189 **	0.198 **	0.260 **
PI	3.891	0.899	0.643 **	0.610 **	0.632 **	0.650 **	0.392 **

** p < 0.01.

. Therefore, the discriminant validity of the measurement is acceptable. According to the above results, the reliability and validity of this study are adequate.

5. Results and Discussion

5.1. Results of the Structural Model

Figure 2 shows the results of the structural model in this study to test H1, H2, and H3. The overall fit measures of the full model in the SEM indicate that the fit of the model is acceptable (χ²/df = 1.933 < 3, RMSEA = 0.046 < 0.05, CFI = 0.965, GFI = 0.925, NFI = 0.930). All the paths estimated are significant; H1, H2, and H3 are supported in this study. Within the dimensions of brand stereotypes, consumers’ brand competence stereotype in product (β = 0.247, p < 0.01) has more positive influences on brand green trust than brand competence stereotype in manufacturing (β = 0.168, p < 0.05), and the effect of brand warmth stereotype in service on brand green trust (β = 0.237, p < 0.01) was more substantial than communication (β = 0.207, p < 0.05). Brand green trust significantly impacts purchase intention toward upcycled fabric clothing (β = 0.658, p < 0.001).

5.2. Results of Mediating Effect Test

The mediation effect of brand green trust between brand stereotypes and purchasing intention on upcycled clothing is presented in

Table 6. Effect of standardized mediation (bootstrap).

Path	Beta	SE	Bias-Corrected 95% CI		p
			Lower	Upper
BCP→BT→PI	0.163	0.064	0.065	0.276	0.004 **
BCM→BT→PI	0.111	0.061	0.025	0.216	0.022 *
BWS→BT→PI	0.156	0.066	0.051	0.276	0.012 *
BWC→BT→PI	0.136	0.063	0.042	0.241	0.019 *

** p < 0.01, * p < 0.05.

. The results reveal that brand competence in product has a significant effect on brand green trust, which subsequently predicted upcycled clothing shopping behavior (B = 0.163, SE = 0.064, 95% CI = [0.065–0.276], p < 0.01). The comparatively mild mediating effects of brand green trust operate in the relationship between brand competence in manufacturing, brand warmth in service, communication, and buying intention (See Table 6). Consequently, brand green trust mediates brand stereotype–upcycled apparel shopping behavior association.

5.3. Results of Multi-Group Analysis

In order to test the difference of models in different sample groups (different degrees of fashion and green consciousness), AMOS 21.0 was used for multi-group analysis. As the 5-level Likert scale was used to measure consumers’ characteristics, the samples were divided into two groups: high fashion consciousness (mean of 293 subjects > 3) and low fashion consciousness (mean of 147 subjects ≤ 3), high green consciousness (mean of 272 subjects > 3) and low green consciousness (mean of 168 subjects ≤ 3). In this study, invariance tests were carried out on the multi-group of consumers’ fashion consciousness and green consciousness, respectively, as shown in

Table 7. Results of measurement invariance test.

Fashion Consciousness	∆χ2	∆df	p
Measurement weights	10.080	14	0.756
Structural covariances	25.185	28	0.618
Measurement residuals	41.903	48	0.720
Green consciousness	∆χ2	∆df	p
Measurement weights	33.673	14	0.002 **
Structural covariances	50.604	28	0.006 **
Measurement residuals	66.191	48	0.042 *

** p < 0.01, * p < 0.05.

. Overall, it can be confirmed that the moderation effect of green consciousness in the relationship between brand stereotypes and brand green trust was significant (p < 0.05). In contrast, results demonstrate that fashion consciousness, on the whole, has no significant moderating effect (p > 0.05).

Furthermore,

Table 8. Comparison of regression coefficients of different groups.

Path	Fashion Consciousness		Green Consciousness
	Coeff. (High)	Coeff. (Low)	Coeff. (High)	Coeff. (Low)
BCP→BT	0.281	0.187	0.399 ***	0.052
BCM→BT	0.156	0.121	0.401 **	0.089
BWS→BT	0.274 **	0.027	0.169	0.097
BWC→BT	0.098	0.338 **	0.109	0.188

*** p < 0.001, ** p < 0.01.

lists the comparison of regression coefficients and significance levels for different groups in the measurement model. It is indicated that there are significant differences in the coefficient between the two groups at the significance level of 0.05, and the paths with a significant difference are highlighted in bold in Table 8. In terms of brand stereotypes, the positive effect of brand competence on brand green trust will be enhanced in both product and manufacturing by green awareness. Regarding fashion consciousness, the positive effect of brand warmth in service on trust was enhanced in the group with high green awareness, while brand warmth in communication’s effect on brand green trust was significantly weakened. Thus, H4 and H5 were partly supported. It is worth noting that there was no significant moderating effect on consumers’ fashion awareness in the relationship between brand green competence (product and manufacturing) and brand green trust. Different from brand warmth in communication, fashion awareness’ moderating effect between brand warmth in service and brand green trust was positive, which is the opposite of H4. Furthermore, different from previous research that found that fashion consciousness had a negative impact on sustainable consumer behavior in secondhand or lease clothing, upcycled fabric clothing is an innovative product to a certain extent. Therefore, nowadays it would not mean that consumers with higher fashion consciousness would reject upcycled fabric clothing in China if there is more sincere service.

6. Conclusions, Suggestions, and Limitations

The theoretical significance of this study lies in explaining the attitude–behavior gap from the new perspective of brand stereotypes, and developing scales that are more appropriate to the context of upcycled clothing purchasing. Green attitude and behavior gap is a dilemma in developing green marketing theory. It is mainly reflected in that scholars have not given a systematic and reasonable explanation for the causes of deviation. The literature was inconclusive regarding how purchase intentions could be influenced and enhanced in an integrated framework that considered brand stereotypes and environmental thinking. Due to consumer distrust of fashion brands and stereotypes of greenwashing, there is a gap between consumers’ attitudes towards green clothing and their purchasing behavior. In addition, scholars suggested that future research should focus on applying stereotype content models to specific market segments or industries [39]. Thus, based on the stereotype content model and grounded theory approach, this study provides a more concrete and practical understanding of how the brand green stereotype influences consumers’ purchasing intention on upcycled fabric clothing. This study identified the mediating effect of brand green trust among competence, warmth perception, and purchasing intention. It also responded to the call of previous researchers to shift the research focus to a specific commodity. Moreover, this study aimed to investigate the impacts of fashion and green consciousness as moderators, respectively. Empirical results indicated the following:

• Brand green stereotype positively relates to green trust and further significantly affects purchase intentions on upcycled fabric clothing, particularly competence in product and warmth in service. Consumers’ perceptions of the brand (product, production, service, and communication) affect their relationship quality, such as trust, with brands. The entrenched image of fashion brands makes consumers distrustful of their steadfast commitment to sustainability. These results partly explain why consumers are reluctant to buy green clothing when they have an eco-friendly attitude and promote sustainable lifestyles. It would seem that products and services are currently the top priorities for fashion brands to embed environmental elements in their brand image.
• This study demonstrates that the relationships between purchase intention and two determinants, brand competence and brand warmth, are mediated by brand green trust. In the relatively new market of upcycled fabric clothing, building consumer trust in the brand can be an effective way to avoid the risks associated with information asymmetry and consumer skepticism about greenwashing of fashion brands.
• This study indicates that green consciousness enhances the effect of brand green stereotypes on brand trust in products and manufacturing without significantly moderating the effect between brand warmth and trust. Green consciousness can offset the negative impact of consumers’ concerns about the high price and the safety of recycled fabrics to some extent.
• Contrary to the predictions, fashion consciousness, a moderating factor, actually enhanced the spillover of brand green stereotypes in service and weakened the effect of communication dimension. In contrast to previous research that concluded that fashion consciousness negatively affects sustainable behavior, such as secondhand clothing, fashion consciousness is regarded as an innovative and acceptable product by many fashionable consumers. Fashionable consumers attach great importance to brand warmth in actual service because of the lower likelihood of greenwashing behavior. Conversely, the perception of the green image in communication is crucial for consumers with low fashion awareness. It is more likely that these consumers are fashion followers rather than fashion leaders, and their purchase intention is influenced more by how information is communicated and marketed.

Besides the theoretical implications described above, the results also provide practical guidelines for developing and implementing product and marketing strategies that will contribute to improving consumers’ perceptions of the brand green image. There are four practical contributions to this study:

• Brand strategies positioning. Fashion brands can apply the scales of brand green stereotype to evaluate their positioning relative to competitors in brand positioning, high warmth–high capability, high warmth–low capability, low warmth–high capability, and low warmth–low capability, to adjust their brand strategies.
• Green marketing mix. Fashion brands can incorporate green image construction throughout the branding process, including products, manufacturing, services, and communication. It is possible for fashion brands, for example, to develop products that are more fashionable, functional, and comfortable during the product development process. Social media content may also be more specific concerning green manufacturing and products. The company will be providing more green services by offering reusable bags, more convenient recycling channels for used clothes, and trade-in programs.
• Targeted consumer segmentation. In terms of market segmentation, fashion brands can develop different marketing strategies. For fast fashion brands or brands with short product life cycles, it is recommended to focus on continuous services, such as offering reusable bags, more convenient recycling channels for used clothes, and trade-in offers, to enhance fashionable consumers’ trust. For brands whose target consumers are less fashionable, communication strategy is essential, such as providing specific product information, green philosophy, and the recommendation of new products of upcycled fabric clothing.
• Enhancement of consumers’ green consciousness. To cultivate consumers’ green consciousness, the brand can guide customers to transform from mere sales contributors to environmental guardians, such as providing specific product introductions and endorsements from suppliers, specialists, and authorities.

However, there are some limitations that point to further research:

• According to prior studies, the influence of consumers’ buying intention on green products depends on product type. Therefore, when the product type changes, the brand stereotype’s dimensions may also change. This is the reason that we adopted the grounded theory approach to develop scales of brand stereotypes to improve the practical significance of the conclusion. Different research objectives may broaden understanding of brand image, such as social dimension, because more young people regard green behavior as a fashion and are willing to share their thoughts and actions on social media.
• Relationship quality has been confirmed as a vital mediation between consumers and brands and a practical approach to reducing consumers’ uncertainties. Since greenwashing is very common in the apparel industry and seriously affects consumers’ trust in the green practices of fashion brands, we chose to use trust as a crucial factor. Regarding illustrating the relationship between brand stereotype and consumer behavior, commitment, social benefit, and affective favorability are valuable relationship qualities. Therefore, further study is needed to explore more relationship qualities’ effects on buying intention.
• Although green and fashion consciousness are regarded as two crucial variables of consumer characteristics, other individual characteristics can be considered, such as empathic concern, hedonism, and frugality [83]. Thus, it would be interesting to explore how upcycled clothing perception and brand green attitudes differ by different segmentation consumers.
• Finally, due to the variety of clothing, product-related factors (e.g., price) require attention in further sustainable fashion research to obtain more meaningful and targeted conclusions.