#sustainablefashion on Instagram: A content and network analysis of user‐generated posts

The social and environmental impacts of the global fashion industry face increasing scrutiny. As such, consumers brands look towards ‘sustainable fashion’ for low-impact alternatives. Simultaneously, visual media platforms such as Instagram have become prevalent places advertising discourse. To investigate this under-researched area, current study utilises content network analysis to explore how sustainable is presented on Instagram, specifically: (a) what characteristics are present within content, (b) in broader contexts communities discussion taking place? Posts included under hashtag #sustainablefashion (N = 650) were inspected characteristics, including type clothing, presence person, post setting, nature, format. Most posts photographs located indoors with no person nature-based elements. hashtags used alongside analysed Gephi software establish a community groups related topics. Network revealed four key groups: online-promotional, artisan-traditional, eco-ethical, Malay-online-selling. Secondhand also appeared be most prominent alternative Instagram. This one first user-generated Whilst burgeoning avenue research, existing studies primarily these can harnessed advertising, rather than users themselves already posting. Implications who use platform opportunities future research discussed.