Romanian knowledge and attitude on sustainability and sustainable clothing: exploring the reliability and validity of a measurement scale

Sustainability is crucial in balancing environmental conservation and economic growth. However, consumer knowledge and attitudes towards sustainable clothing are underexplored. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by exploring a measurement scale, the Sustainable Clothing Measurement Scale (SCMS) that evaluates consumers’ knowledge and attitudes toward sustainability and sustainable clothing consumption of 1,250 Romanian participants. Statistical methods such as exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirm the scale’s reliability and validity, with strong internal consistency and significant correlations between the dimensions. This study introduces a new tool beneficial for researchers and practitioners in exploring knowledge and attitudes toward sustainability and sustainable clothing. SCMS has the potential to offer valuable insights destined to enrich consumer behaviour studies, inform policy initiatives, and create educational programs that promote sustainability in the textile industry and other related fields. Future research should continue with improving and further testing this new conceptualized tool.