Modest Fashion and Ethical Business: A Bibliometric Mapping of Research Trends and Emerging Themes

Abstract

The rapid growth of modest fashion has been accompanied by increasing attention to ethical production, sustainability, and business performance, yet the academic literature on this intersection remains fragmented across identity, culture, consumer behaviour, and sustainability themes. This study addresses that gap by conducting a bibliometric mapping of research on modest fashion and ethical business to identify dominant themes, conceptual linkages, the temporal evolution of issues, and emerging research gaps. Using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, 1,039 Scopus-indexed journal articles were analysed through VOSviewer-based network, overlay, and density visualisations, supported by content analysis using Microsoft Excel 365. The results show that ethics, human, sustainability, and consumer behaviour are the most concentrated and historically dominant themes, while material innovation, cost efficiency, operational efficiency, brand competitiveness, and profitability remain relatively peripheral and underexplored. The overlay visualisation further reveals a temporal shift from normative ethical and human-centred concerns toward sustainability, consumer behaviour, innovation, and business strategy. These findings indicate that research on modest fashion has not yet sufficiently integrated ethical production with economic performance. The study contributes to the literature by proposing a conceptual model linking ethical production, sustainability, consumer value and trust, brand competitiveness, and profitability, and offers practical implications for modest fashion brands seeking to embed ethical and sustainable practices into their core business strategy rather than treating them as peripheral corporate social responsibility activities.

Keywords: modest fashion; ethical business; bibliometric mapping; sustainability; profitability

References

Aprizal, A., Wiranatakusuma, D. B., & Kamil, I. (2024). Systematic literature review and mapping study as qualitative research approaches in socio-economic studies. Journal of Research Methodology in Social Sciences, 6(2), 85–99.

Bick, R., Halsey, E., & Ekenga, C. C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 17, 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7

Brydges, T., Henninger, C. E., & Hanlon, M. (2020). Sustainability in fashion: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 44(4), 287–299. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12558

Busalim, A. H., Fox, G., & Lynn, T. (2022). Consumer behavior in sustainable fashion: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 46(5), 1804–1828. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12794

Carrigan, M., Szmigin, I., & Wright, J. (2004). Shopping for a better world? An interpretive study of the potential for ethical consumption. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 21(6), 401–417. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760410558637

Cervellon, M. C., & Wernerfelt, A. S. (2012). Knowledge sharing among green fashion communities online: Lessons for the sustainable supply chain. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 16(2), 176–192. https://doi.org/10.1108/13612021211222860

Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070

Fathoni, M. A., Sholihah, D. R., & Wulansari, A. S. (2026). What drives Indonesian people to purchase modest fashion? The moderating role of religiosity. F1000Research, 15, 127. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.173033.1

Han, J., Seo, Y., & Ko, E. (2017). Staging luxury experiences for understanding sustainable fashion consumption: A balance theory approach. Journal of Business Research, 74, 162–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.10.029

Henninger, C. E., Alevizou, P. J., & Oates, C. J. (2016). What is sustainable fashion? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 20(4), 400–416. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-07-2015-0052

Henninger, C. E., Alevizou, P. J., & Oates, C. J. (2017). What is sustainable fashion? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 21(3), 392–410. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-03-2017-0022

Henninger, C. E., Alevizou, P. J., Goworek, H., & Rinaldi, F. R. (Eds.). (2017). Sustainability in fashion: A cradle to upcycle approach. Palgrave Macmillan.

Joergens, C. (2006). Ethical fashion: Myth or future trend? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 10(3), 360–371. https://doi.org/10.1108/13612020610679321

Joy, A., Sherry, J. F., Venkatesh, A., Wang, J., & Chan, R. (2012). Fast fashion, sustainability, and the ethical appeal of luxury brands. Fashion Theory, 16(3), 273–296. https://doi.org/10.2752/175174112X13340749707123

Khan, N., Sarwar, A., & Tan, B. C. (2021). Determinants of purchase intention for halal fashion: The moderating role of ethical consumption. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 12(8), 1471–1490. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-01-2020-0027

Lewis, R. (2013). Gendering religion and politics in the Middle East: Islam and modest fashion. Bloomsbury Academic.

Lewis, R. (Ed.). (2013). Modest fashion: Styling bodies, mediating faith. I.B. Tauris.

Lozano, R., Carpenter, A., & Huisingh, D. (2015). A review of theories of the firm and their contributions to corporate sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 430–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.05.007

Lundblad, L., & Davies, I. A. (2016). The values and motivations behind sustainable fashion consumption. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 15(2), 149–162. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1559

Mukendi, A., Davies, I., Glozer, S., & McDonagh, P. (2020). Sustainable fashion: Current and future research directions. European Journal of Marketing, 54(11), 2873–2909. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2019-0132

Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1, 189–200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9

Pardiansyah, E., Ratnasari, R. T., Alimusa, L. O., & Najmudin, N. (2026). Exploring the determinants of consumer behaviour in Islamic modest fashion: A systematic review and future directions. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-08-2025-0511

Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2011). Creating shared value. Harvard Business Review, 89(1–2), 62–77.

Sahoo, S., Saraf, R., & Uchil, R. (2024). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA): Applications and extensions. Journal of Business Research, 174, 114536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114536

Sandikci, Ö., & Ger, G. (2010). Veiling in style: How does a stigmatized practice become fashionable? Journal of Consumer Research, 37(1), 15–36. https://doi.org/10.1086/649910

Schiaroli, V., Fraccascia, L., & Dangelico, R. M. (2024). How can consumers behave sustainably in the fashion industry? A systematic literature review of determinants, drivers, and barriers across the consumption phases. Journal of Cleaner Production, 483, 144232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.144232

Shaw, D., McMaster, R., & Newholm, T. (2016). Care and commitment in ethical consumption. Journal of Business Ethics, 136(2), 251–266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2442-y

Shen, B., Zheng, J. H., Chow, P. S., & Chow, K. Y. (2013). Perception of fashion sustainability in online community. Journal of the Textile Institute, 104(9), 971–979. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2013.769652

Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2023). VOSviewer manual for bibliometric mapping. Leiden University.

Wilson, J. A. J. (2013a). Halal and Tayyib: The principles of lawful and wholesome. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 4(2), 195–205.

Wilson, J. A. J. (2013b). The halal phenomenon: An extension or a new paradigm? Social Business, 3(1), 43–62.

Zuhroh, I. (2022). Qualitative content analysis in social research. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Humaniora, 11(1), 45–57.

Zultaqawa, Z., Alexandri, M. B., & Hardinata, J. (2019). Systematic mapping study: A methodological review. International Journal of Scientific and Technology Research, 8(10), 2096–2102.