A recent report in the Financial Times recently suggested that sustainability has “fallen out of fashion,” with brands scaling back environmental targets amid economic and commercial pressures.
But how much weight do consumers place on sustainability when deciding what to buy?
Data from YouGov Profiles suggests that environmental considerations matter in principle to a majority of Americans. However, when sustainability has to compete with the other considerations involved in buying clothes it moves much further down the list.
Sustainability has at least some influence on six in ten Americans
Around six in ten Americans (61%) say sustainability or environmental concerns have at least some influence on the products they choose. This includes 48% who say they have some influence and 13% who say they have a lot of influence.
There is relatively little variation by generation. Sustainability has at least some influence on 62% of Gen Z consumers, 62% of Millennials and 62% of Baby Boomers. Gen X consumers are slightly less likely to say the same, at 57%.
So, at a broad level, sustainability appears to have fairly widespread relevance across all age groups.
Price, value and fit take priority when buying clothes
However, the picture changes when Americans are asked which factors are important to them specifically when purchasing clothes.
Just 14% select sustainable clothing and production practices as an important consideration.
This puts sustainability well behind some of the more immediate attributes American consumers weigh up when choosing where to buy clothes. Price leads the list ( 66%), followed by value for money (60%), whether clothing fits well (55%) and product quality (52%). Design is important to around a third (34%).
There is a more notable generational divide here too. Gen Z consumers are twice as likely as Baby Boomers and Gen Xers to consider sustainable clothing and production practices important when buying clothes (18% versus 9%). For Millennials the figure is 15%.
So, the data suggests that while sustainability may influence consumers’ purchasing outlook broadly, it is less likely to emerge as a key factor once shoppers are weighing it against other factors.
Cost and skepticism complicate consumers’ sustainability choices
Two broader attitudes may help explain other barriers to adoption of sustainability in purchase choices.
YouGov data shows that half of Americans (51%) agree that “it costs too much to be green all the time,” including 20% who definitely agree.
Consumers also show considerable skepticism toward brand claims. Three-quarters of Americans (75%) agree that “brands will slap anything on a label to make money,” including 34% who definitely agree.
Taken together, the findings suggest that sustainability is competing not only with more immediate purchase priorities, but also with concerns around affordability and the credibility of the claims brands make.
Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. The figures used in this analysis are drawn from responses collected between August 2025 and August 2026. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in the US and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.