As recycled polyester textiles have become an effective sustainable solution in the fashion industry, understanding consumer attitudes and the underlying motivations driving purchases of recycled polyester products becomes crucial for green sportswear brands and recycled textile manufacturers. In the research on recycled polyester, there is still a gap in research on the attitudes of Chinese women towards recycled polyester and the consumption driving factors behind it. Therefore, this study targets Chinese female sportswear consumers, focusing on their consumption attitudes and driving mechanisms towards recycled polyester yoga pants. Utilizing survey-based empirical analysis, it explores consumers’ overall attitude tendency towards recycled material products and constructs a linear regression model of four perception dimensions (“Perceived sustainability”, “Perceived cost performance”, “Perceived positive social image”, Perceived safety” ) and purchase intention. Key research findings are as follows: (1) Consumers exhibit a “positive but reserved” attitude, with 50% of the respondents expressing purchase intention (Average=3.45) and 30% maintaining a neutral stance; (2) Perceived sustainability (Beta=0.293), perceived cost performance (Beta=0.276), perceived positive social image (Beta=0.227), and perceived safety (Beta=0.215) all exert significant positive influences on purchase intention; (3) The ranking of impact intensity is “Perceived sustainability > Perceived cost performance > Perceived positive social image > Perceived safety”, indicating that the decision-making logic in China’s sustainable sportswear market has shifted from economic dominance towards sustainable value dominance. This research fills a theoretical gap at the micro-level by specifically examining Chinese women and the targeted product category of yoga pants. It provides targeted marketing strategies for enterprises. By deepening the understanding of consumer cognition patterns, the study contributes to advancing the circular economy transformation of the fashion industry.
