New research published in the Sustainable Development journal explores the relationship between an upcycled garment’s design and the way consumers perceive its sustainability or “greenness.”

The report included two studies conducted by researchers at North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles. One examined the effects of design typicality on perceived greenness, uniqueness and purchase intention, and the second incorporated material domain distance, or the extent to which the materials in an upcycled garment differ visually and tactilely from similar material combinations in traditionally made pieces. The studies were conducted on women in the United States aged 18 to 45.

Upcycling—or repurposing waste into new, higher-value products—has become a popular way for fashion brands to reduce their environmental impact by reducing the amount of discarded items ending up in landfills or incinerators.

“This approach is especially vital in the fashion industry, because of its most resource-intensive and waste-producing characteristic,” the study authors wrote. “In fashion, upcycled clothing refers to garments created from used or surplus materials that are redesigned and repurposed to create new value through techniques such as patching, mixing, cutting, and adding materials.”

The study cites alarming statistics about the environmental impact of the fashion industry. According to the report, each year the textile and apparel sector generates an estimated 2 percent to 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, consumes water equivalent to roughly 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools and accounts for nearly 90 percent of microplastic pollution entering marine ecosystems.

Researchers referenced previous studies that demonstrated the importance of design in purchasing decisions as they analyzed that same relationship in more sustainably produced clothing. To test this, they created three sets of upcycled shirts with each set featuring one with a typical design and one with an atypical design with unconventional shapes or decorative details. Study participants were then asked to identify the upcycled shirts based on their design.

The study found that distinctive designs had no effect on the perceived greenness of the shirts, proving that garments need additional labeling beyond their design to signal upcycling.

“Findings suggest that design features alone do not serve as effective visual cues for communicating the environmental value of upcycled fashion,” the study said. “This outcome contrasts with prior research, which found that consumers often associate environmentally friendly products with simple and typical designs.”

Researchers did note that atypical designs did signal product uniqueness to consumers, which made them more likely to purchase those garments.

“This result aligns with prior studies showing that atypical designs enhance perceptions of originality and distinctiveness, which in turn strengthen aesthetic appreciation and purchase motivation,” the study authors said. “Similarly, in the context of upcycled fashion, when consumers perceive creative and nontraditional designs as unique, they are more likely to find these products appealing and worth purchasing.”

The study also found no relationship between material aspects such as textures and perceived greenness for consumers. But study participants did indicate that they viewed garments with high material domain distance—visual and tactile differentiation from traditional uses of the same materials—as more unique than those with a lower domain distance.

“This finding suggests that high material domain distance can help to enhance the perceived uniqueness of typical designs,” the researchers said.

Ultimately, the study found that typical and atypical designs were both seen as environmentally friendly, regardless of material combinations. But participants said they would be more likely to purchase garments with typical designs.

“This finding suggests that employing more typical designs in upcycled clothing may be an effective strategy for encouraging consumer purchase intentions,” the study said.

That said, the study also found that atypical designs were seen as more unique, which enhanced purchase intention. Creating garments with distinctive designs that allow consumers to show their individuality can make them more appealing to consumers.

“To this end, brands should leverage creative design techniques that visibly differentiate upcycled garments from conventional apparel,” the study authors said. “Marketing communications may further reinforce this value by emphasizing the distinct design process underlying upcycled products and by offering such items through capsule collections or with labels that explicitly highlight their unique nature.”