The fashion industry’s ongoing sustainability crisis highlights the need to better understand how young consumers make their choices, especially fashion students, who represent both the future of the industry and an active part of its consumer base. Despite being highly aware of environmental challenges, many students still struggle to translate that awareness into actual purchases of sustainable clothing. This study explores why fashion students hesitate to adopt sustainable fashion and what factors can help turn awareness into meaningful action. Building on concepts of eco-design and lifecycle thinking, and informed by research on digital influence and knowledge sharing (Vassalo et al., 2024), it examines how awareness, affordability, style preferences, and online engagement shape purchasing behaviour. Through a mixed-methods approach combining surveys and focus groups, the findings reveal that price sensitivity, fast-changing trends, limited product options, and scepticism about sustainability claims remain major barriers. On the other hand, clear communication, hands-on learning, and stronger digital literacy significantly increase the likelihood of students choosing sustainable options, supporting earlier work on the importance of sustainability education in fashion programmes (Murzyn-Kupisz & Hołuj, 2021) [4]. Overall, while fashion students show genuine concern for the planet, their buying decisions are still shaped by affordability, accessibility, and trust. The study offers valuable insights for educators and fashion brands aiming to bridge the gap between awareness and action, helping to build a more conscious and responsible fashion community.