P. Yanti, M. Gunarto, R. Yusiana, L. Yohanna, R. Indriarti, Y. Yuliawati
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The fashion industry contributes ten percent of global carbon emissions and consumes 93 billion cubic meters of water annually. Textile waste is projected to reach 148 million tonnes by 2030. In spite of increasing environmental consciousness, a notable gap between attitudes and behaviors remains in the realm of sustainable fashion consumption. The study aimed to explore how green word-of-mouth and the perceived value of products contribute to the formation of green trust and the intention to purchase green products. METHODS: A quantitative survey was employed with 358 Indonesian consumers who had purchased or considered sustainable fashion products within twelve months. Standardized scales measured all four constructs. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. FINDINGS: Respondents were predominantly middle-aged (25–54 years), highly educated, and in stable employment. All seven hypotheses were supported. Perceived product value associated with a product demonstrated the highest positive effect on green trust, exceeding that of green word-of-mouth. Green trust showed the strongest direct effect on green purchase intention. Both green word-of-mouth and perceived product value also directly increased green purchase intention, while green trust acted as a dual mediator linking green word-of-mouth and perceived product value to purchase intention. The significance of emotional and aesthetic aspects, illustrated by pride in wearing sustainable fashion, and the clarity in sustainability practices, emerged as the primary elements affecting perceived product value and green trust, respectively. The model explained 64.3 percent of the variance in green purchase intention and 57.0 percent of the variance in green trust. CONCLUSION: Green trust functions as a critical dual mediating mechanism, with perceived product value exerting substantially stronger influence than green word-of-mouth in trust formation. Sustainable fashion brands should focus on creating tangible value, which encompasses high-quality materials, elegant design, and long-lasting products, all while ensuring clear communication regarding their sustainability efforts. Policy interventions should include mandatory supply chain disclosure regulations and standardized eco-labeling requirements. Product development strategies emphasizing longevity support circular economy implementation through reduced resource extraction and landfill accumulation. These mechanisms on the consumer side facilitate environmental governance initiatives aimed at decreasing carbon emissions, preserving water resources, and reducing textile waste within the fashion sector. © 2026 The author(s). This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Faculty of Economics and Business Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudi No.229, West Java, Bandung, Indonesia; Faculty of Economics and Business, Sriwijaya University, South Sumatra, Palembang, Indonesia; Faculty of Economics, Universitas Islam Nusantara, West Java, Bandung, Indonesia
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