Dresses and Suits: a shared perception? : A quantitative study of how consumers perceive fashion brand activism depending on their gender.

In contemporary times, the concept of brand activism has emerged among consumers and companies alike, particularly within the fashion industry. Consumers are increasingly seeking brands that demonstrate a commitment to societal and environmental concerns, leading to a rise in brand activism within this sector. The purpose of this research is to investigate and comprehend how consumers perceive fashion brand activism according to their gender. The empirical findings were acquired using a quantitative approach by an Internet-mediated questionnaire. The data were subsequently analysed and compared with existing literature reviews to highlight both similarities and disparities. This thesis demonstrates that while both men and women generally perceive fashion brand activism in similar terms of authenticity and inauthenticity, women tend to have a stronger affinity towards these brands due to shared values. In comparison, men often view them neutrally or negatively, suggesting potential disparities in emotional investment or perceptions of social commitment. Overall, although authenticity is universally considered, gender influences consumer perspectives on activist fashion brands. All conclusions proposed by the authors account for the predominant demographic characteristics of the sample population. Consequently, these generalisations primarily apply to students of French nationality.