Comparison of consumer perceptions of sustainable and ethical fashions pre- and post-COVID-19 using LDA topic modeling

With the global economic downturn and environmental crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, sustainability is emerging as an important issue for fashion companies and consumers. This study uses big data analysis to examine changes in consumer perceptions of sustainable fashion consumption and ethical fashion consumption pre- and post-COVID-19. By distinguishing between these two concepts, this research contributes to resolving theoretical ambiguities that often lead to mixed consumer behaviors. We used Textom 6.0 to collect data from Korea’s most used TOP 3 websites: Naver, Daum, and Google, using the keywords “sustainable fashion consumption” and “ethical fashion consumption.” Through frequency analysis, we found sustainable fashion consumption developing from the trend of pursuing “eco-friendly” as a practical direction for consumption value, and ethical fashion consumption was expanding the scope of “vegan” from fashion to overall life. Further, we used LDA topic modeling, we found that post-pandemic, there has been a significant shift towards eco-friendly and vegan products,” Ethical fashion consumption confirmed consumers’ perceptions of the keyword “animal.” This study provides foundational data on the distinction between sustainable and ethical fashion and offers actionable insights for brands aiming to align with post-pandemic consumer values.