The meaning of some terms used in fashion's language

Do we really know what sustainability means in the Fashion Industry?
Can we know what are we wearing, where does it comes from?
Is our skin safe when we wear some specific fabrics?
Can Fashion industry do more in favor of our Planet?

We believe on the importance of clarifying as much as possible every fashion meaning.

Ethical Fashion:
This expression is relatively new. the first paper that can be found on the topic is from 2002.
“Ethics and Innovation: Is An Ethical Fashion Industry An Oxymoron?” explores the question of how can fashion designers be more ethical, using a broad definition of what constitutes ethical behavior, from intellectual property to sustainability and human rights. In recent years, the debate about ethical fashion has focused on the last two factors, disregarding intellectual property issues, which are pervasive in the global fashion system.
It safeguards the environment, the workers and the final users in an eco-friendly supply chain.

Traceability
It provides a set of product indicators to consumers that can easily get informed about all the manufacturing process in companies.
Through it, the consumer knows the value of what is buying, where is made, how and and in which territory it was produced, following laws and terms of environmental safeguard.
The traceability of the supply chain is obtained by recording all the information relating to the activities and allowing this information to flow along the entire supply chain. In this way, the goal of both tracing and tracing a unit is achieved.
Tracing a unit means identifying its origin by going back to the supply chain, following its path in the supply chain from the manufacturer to the consumer.

Slow Fashion:
Coined in 2007, it is the opposite of Fast Fashion and is referred to a GOOD, CLEAN and FAIR fashion system.
Good: quality, flavorsome and healthy food
Clean: production that does not harm the environment
Fair: accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for producers

Fast Fashion
This term is used to describe clothing designs that move quickly from the catwalk to stores to meet new trends. It includes the macro area of cheap garments headed to mainstream consumers. It may also refers to a fast and quick demand that follow the faster and cheaper way of production and distribution.
Some fast fashion Brands are trying to turn their activity into a more ethic production.

Greenwashing:
this topic could run the risk of being the answer for turning fast fashion industry into a more green attitude. Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company's products are more environmentally sound.
With the increasing demand for sustainability in the fashion industry, some brands are launching "sustainable" capsules like a line of organic garments with the specific vision to convince more ethical consumers through a “eco-friendly” small collection that the values of the brand are ethics and work in favor of sustainable development.

Circular Fashion
Coined in 2014 by Anna Bismar and H&M, it is based on the main principles of circular economy and sustainable development.
“‘Circular fashion’ can be defined as clothes, shoes or accessories that are designed, sourced, produced and provided with the intention to be used and circulate responsibly and effectively in society for as long as possible in their most valuable form, and hereafter return safely to the biosphere when no longer of human use”. (Anna Brismar, Green Strategy, 2017).
All Brands involved into a Circular Fashion should provide high longevity, resource efficiency, non-toxicity, biodegradability, recyclability and good ethics.
They should be sourced and produced with priority given to local, non-toxic, renewable, biodegradable and recyclable resources, as well as efficient, safe and ethical practices. Also, the garments should be used for as long as possible and, at the end of the product life, it should be redesigned to give the material and components new life, in order to get new recycled and upcycled fashion.

Cost-per-wear
It indicates the cost of a garment based on how many times it is worn. The concept is to choose a non-perishable garments instead of cheap and short term ones.


Biodegradable:
It refers to an organic made product whose impact on the environment when its life ends is equal to zero.

Eco-friendly :
It embraces the result of an organic, ethic and green product.

Organic:
Referred to all of the fabrics such as cotton or linen grow without any pesticides or chemical treatment.

Cruelty-free :
A cruelty-free brand takes the decision not to use any animal part on its production neither to do tests on animals.