External Drivers of Apparel Repurposing: A Multilevel Analysis Linking Skills, Motivations, and Repurposing Pathways

Textile and apparel waste is a growing sustainability challenge, with millions of tons discarded annually and limited infrastructure for reuse or recycling. Addressing this issue requires a systems-oriented approach that integrates consumer behavior into sustainable materials production and use systems. Repurposing, the process of reclaiming garments or textiles for new purposes, extends product lifecycles, reduces reliance on landfilling, and fosters consumer creativity within circular economy transitions. Guided by a VBN-informed sustainability lens and complementary creative and economic motivation perspectives, this study examines how research-grounded external drivers shape consumer participation across four repurposing levels, offering insights to inform targeted interventions that strengthen engagement in circular clothing practices. An online survey was conducted with U.S. female consumers from Generations X and Y (n = 331), recruited via Qualtrics Panels. Measures included sewing proficiency, motivational drivers, and frequency of repurposing practices. Regression analyses showed that artistic expression consistently predicted engagement at all levels. Environmental concerns strongly predicted lower-level practices, but its influence faded at advanced levels, where sewing experience became the primary driver of participation. Monetary incentives motivated restyling and additive repurposing, while sewing experience emerged as the strongest predictor for additive and intentional patternmaking. Findings demonstrate that repurposing functions both as a creative outlet and as a sustainability strategy embedded within material-use systems. By highlighting how skills, motivations, and generational context interact across repurposing levels, this research identifies leverage points for interventions that can expand consumer participation in circular practices and advance sustainable product lifecycles.