Representation of sustainability in US men’s fashion magazines: A content analysis based exploratory study

Abstract

This exploratory study aims to investigate the representation of sustainability in US men’s fashion magazines. Specifically, employing quantitative and qualitative content analysis, this study identifies and analyses meanings of sustainability, the companies having sustainable practices, the products with sustainable attributes and specific sustainable practices. 41 and seventeen articles related to fashion and sustainability were collected from the two US online men’s fashion magazines, Gentlemen’s Quarterly (GQ) and Esquire, respectively. For both magazines, the environmental dimension is more frequently addressed than the social dimension in the articles. Various terms are used to describe the same subject and the two magazines have different preferences when selecting words to present the same issue. For example, GQ prefers ‘eco-friendly’, but Esquire picks ‘planet’ when discussing the environmental dimension. Moreover, the concept of sustainability is ambiguous in the two magazines due to overlapped terms and lack of explanation. In both magazines, the most frequently mentioned product is footwear. However, GQ tends to introduce sustainable practices concerning solid waste and focus on the luxury sector. Comparably, Esquire focuses more on the environmental impacts of raw material sourcing and the affordable fashion sector. This study contributes to the body knowledge of sustainability communication in the men’s fashion sector. Researchers can employ the results to conduct further analysis, such as examining the difference between sustainability representation in magazines and academic studies. Based on the results, companies should improve their communication with consumers regarding their sustainable practices.