Content analysis of sustainability scholarship in apparel and textiles and its implications for future research

Sustainability is a rising concern in all facets of society. Scholarly research on sustainability has been carried out in various fields with a common goal of providing a sustainable future for people, prosperity and the planet. Different dimensions of sustainability – social, environmental, and economic have been the topic of research in the field of apparel and textiles (e.g., use of environmental friendly textile materials, use-reuse-recycle, second hand clothing, design innovations to minimize waste, company’s socially responsible and ethical practices) (Hethorn & Ulasewiz, 2008). The overall purpose of this study was to examine the types of apparel and textiles research that have been conducted on the topic around sustainability so we could understand the various directions that sustainability related research has taken in this discipline. The results of this study would guide various future research opportunities around this topic in the field