**2. Unsustainability of the fashion industry**

Mass production and consumption in the fashion industry brought up numerous sustainability issues along the product life cycle. Mass manufacturing enables fashion clothing at affordable prices, which led to increase the consumption and disposal rates [9]. Increasing world population and ever-changing consumer tastes also fuelled unsustainable production, consumption, and throw-away practices [10]. The fashion industry today is characterized by fast-changing fashion cycles, high volumes of production, overconsumption, and frequent disposal habits [11]. To fulfill the ever-increasing demand for fashion products in today's world, natural resources are being consumed in a fast rate than the time required for them to regenerate. Consumption of natural resources such as massive volumes of water, petroleum-based fiber production, use of hazardous chemical, and energy consumption have already made nonreversible impacts in terms of depletion of resources and creating environmental pollution [12]. Offshore production led to increase the energy consumption, transportation emissions, uncontrolled waste generation, and adverse environmental and social impacts, mostly in the least developed countries where manufacturing plants are located [13, 14]. It is estimated that the fashion industry would contribute to a quarter of world carbon budget by 2050, if the current phase of production and consumption continues [15].

Fashion industry today is listed as one of the most polluting industries in the world, therefore experiencing an increasing pressure to integrate sustainability into its supply chain [16, 17]. Industry is already working on adopting sustainability concepts and strategies, yet the integration of new sustainable business models is urged

**23**

just a matter of weeks.

*Does Mass Customization Enable Sustainability in the Fashion Industry?*

**3. Enabling sustainable fashion through mass customization**

as one promising path to enhance sustainability. In this scenario, mass customization has been identified as one such viable strategy that carries the potential to create both economically and environmentally sustainable business models [18, 19].

A growing number of apparel manufacturing companies have shown their interest to adopt a mass customization strategy [20, 21]. This is a promising

approach in overcoming some of the sustainability challenges inherited in the mass manufactured business model, yet the producers still show their interests only from an economic viewpoint. However, careful analysis of the characteristics of mass customization provides positive insights into reducing excess production, overconsumption, extending product life, and minimizing waste generation. Therefore, it is vital for the manufacturers and retailers to look into this strategy not only in an economic perspective, but also in environmental and social perspectives as well. The following section briefly discusses several possibilities that mass customization

Several authors have highlighted the requirement of improving customer attachment to the product, in order to slow down unsustainable consumption and disposal habits [22–24]. Mass customization offers an improved customer relationship to the product and the producer. Each customer is personally treated, which helps to retain a customer long term through the development of trust and relationship between the supplier and the customer. In the mass manufacturing process, the customer is not directly connected with the manufacturer, and their products are made based on general market research and trend information [25]. Nevertheless, in the process of customization, the customer becomes the co-designer, who actively involves in the product development process [26]. This offers the customer a sense of belongingness and attachment to the product and process, even before purchasing the product. This process of involvement could probably replace the joy of customer shopping experience and provides a higher level of satisfaction with the total experience of creating and purchasing personalized fashion clothing. Customer builds up a positive relationship with the product, which ultimately keeps

the customer attached to the product for a longer period of time than a massproduced garment, in which the time between purchasing and disposal has become

The mass customization strategy creates an online platform for the customers to visualize while creating the design and make changes until they are satisfied with the final look. One drawback of online purchasing of clothing in general is highlighted as the inability to confirm the fit before the purchasing decision is made. Digital advancement in the customization process allows overcoming this issue by facilitating the customer to view the design and fit of the garment before making the purchasing decision. 3-D body scanning and virtual prototyping technologies enable online fit sessions even before the garment is physically being made; thus, customer satisfaction is ensured as early as the product development stage. The advancement of technology embedded with the mass customization process is such that the customer can try out few different style changes virtually and observe the fit and style, before making the purchasing decision. This experience indeed brings higher customer satisfaction than visiting a shop and trying out a garment where

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88281*

may foster sustainability in the fashion industry.

**3.1 Improved relationship with the product**

*Fashion Industry - An Itinerary Between Feelings and Technology*

to wait days or weeks to receive the finished garment.

compete with the cost and time.

**2. Unsustainability of the fashion industry**

virtual domain, and technological advancements in the fashion industry such as virtual prototyping, 3-D body scanning, and computer aided design/ manufacturing (CAD/CAM) have already brought mass customization into a reality [2].

Industrialization made a massive impact to the way garments were made. Production systems were developed to mass produce standard designs with standard sizes at low unit cost. This mass manufacturing strategy facilitated a cost-effective and efficient way of manufacturing garments in a shorter period of time than manufacturing one-off pieces. This led the customers to move away from making personalized garments to the purchase of mass-produced fashion at affordable prices. This eliminated the customer waiting time, as mass-manufactured fashion clothing was ready available to purchase over the counter. However, in the mass-manufacturing process, continuous production run of high volumes made the customization impossible [8], and therefore customers ended up having only few styles in high volumes and different size ranges. Yet, mass-manufactured fashion clothing rapidly captured the consumer market as customized clothing could not

Mass production and consumption in the fashion industry brought up numerous sustainability issues along the product life cycle. Mass manufacturing enables fashion clothing at affordable prices, which led to increase the consumption and disposal rates [9]. Increasing world population and ever-changing consumer tastes also fuelled unsustainable production, consumption, and throw-away practices [10]. The fashion industry today is characterized by fast-changing fashion cycles, high volumes of production, overconsumption, and frequent disposal habits [11]. To fulfill the ever-increasing demand for fashion products in today's world, natural resources are being consumed in a fast rate than the time required for them to regenerate. Consumption of natural resources such as massive volumes of water, petroleum-based fiber production, use of hazardous chemical, and energy consumption have already made nonreversible impacts in terms of depletion of resources and creating environmental pollution [12]. Offshore production led to increase the energy consumption, transportation emissions, uncontrolled waste generation, and adverse environmental and social impacts, mostly in the least developed countries where manufacturing plants are located [13, 14]. It is estimated that the fashion industry would contribute to a quarter of world carbon budget by 2050, if the current phase of production and consump-

Fashion industry today is listed as one of the most polluting industries in the world, therefore experiencing an increasing pressure to integrate sustainability into its supply chain [16, 17]. Industry is already working on adopting sustainability concepts and strategies, yet the integration of new sustainable business models is urged

Making personalized garments is not entirely a new concept in apparel manufacturing. In pre-industrialized economy, garments were custom-made, catering individual consumer requirements. Measurements were taken from each consumer and the garments were made as 'one-off' pieces with a preferred style and fabric. Consumers used to make their own clothes at home or obtained the service of a tailor to make their garments with their design choice. However, making personalized garments was time-consuming, incurred high unit cost and was not efficient consumption-wise. Furthermore, when getting the service of a tailor, customer had

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tion continues [15].

as one promising path to enhance sustainability. In this scenario, mass customization has been identified as one such viable strategy that carries the potential to create both economically and environmentally sustainable business models [18, 19].
