With the Digital Platforms that are ever-changing the landscape of contemporary commerce, social media marketing, social media marketing (SMM) has become one of the most influential agents in the shaping of consumer purchase decisions, especially within the apparel industry. The platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube have established new and dynamic platforms through which brand engage consumers, build awareness and drive buying behaviour. The first fully digital native consumer generation one that depends heavily on social media content, and influencer endorsement, brand post and peer review as the means of product discovery and purchase decisions. A rather large generation Z, population in the world and a fast growing apparel market which India has one of the largest generation z, population in the world and a fast growing apparel market presents a particularly significant and commercially relevant setting to such an exploration.  Although there is an increasing amount of international research on social media marketing, there is a lack of comprehensive empirical studies, investigating its integrated effect on Gen Z apparel buying behaviour in an Indian context. The current research aims at examining this gap through a comprehensive conceptual framework.

The study adopts a conceptual and theoretical review approach based on literature review from published resources, industry data, market research and various marketing studies. Major theoretical frameworks, including the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) Model, Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), Source Credibility Theory, and Information Adoption Model (IAM), are used to explain the mechanisms through which social media marketing affects apparel purchase behaviour.

The findings suggest that social media marketing significantly influences consumer purchase intention, impulse buying behaviour, brand loyalty, and digital engagement in the apparel sector. Influencer credibility, authenticity of user-generated content, peer recommendations, and interactive social commerce features are identified as major determinants of consumer decision-making. The study concludes that social media has become one of the most influential drivers of apparel consumption behaviour in the digital era and highlights the need for integrated and ethically responsible marketing strategies.