Our glossary

The Paris Good Fashion glossary was born following the citizen consultation on responsible fashion carried out in 2020 at the initiative of our association alongside a collective of committed actors*.

It responds to the expectations expressed by more than 107,000 participants, concerning the need for consumer information and the need to use a common language understood by all. Hence, the members of Paris Good Fashion decided to develop this glossary in order to exchange and communicate on the same basis.

Initially published in French, this glossary is now available in English in order to make as many people as possible benefit from this work. It includes about 350 definitions, and is the result of collaborative work with our members**.

  1. We first defined the main categories and terms to be included. First, we defined the main categories and terms to be included: general terms of fashion and sustainable development, labels and certifications, actors and initiatives, and materials. Another category was established, that of "Basic concepts". It includes the most important generic terms of our sector. These are also often the most complex, as their scope is either very broad or unclear.
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  2. Then, we carried out bibliographical research, which allowed us to carry out a state of the art of the existing definitions by basing them on the official and international definitions when they existed.
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  3. When they did not exist, the terms were the subject of consultation and in-depth reflection by Sylvie Benard, Clémence Grisel and Isabelle Lefort in order to be enriched and as precise as possible. For each term, you will find the bibliographic references that helped establish its definition.
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  4. Following this work which took place from March 2021 to February 2022, the definitions were submitted to the members for correction and validation. Special thanks go to Claudia Lee and Guy Morgan (Chanel), François Souchet (BPCM), and Andrée-Anne Lemieux (IFM) for their careful reading of the translation, coordinated by Clémence Grisel.

If you would like to know more, or have any suggestions, please contact us at contact@parisgoodfashion.com

* Eram Group, Etam Group, Galeries Lafayette, Petit Bateau, Vestiaire Collective, WSN

** They participated in the WG: Chantal Cabantous (Balmain), François Souchet (BPCM), Éric Dupont, Guy Morgan, Claudia Lee (Chanel), Christophe Bocquet and Aude Vergne (Chloé), Sylvain Cariou and Hugo Sereys (Crystalchain), Clémence Hulet and Alice Timmerman (Deloitte), Géraldine Vallejo, Yoann Regent and Annabelle Villot Malka (Kering), Frédéric Lecoq (Lacoste), Hélène Valade and Alexandre Capelli (LVMH), Thomas Bucaille and Pauline Mattioli (Petit Bateau) as well as Léonore Garnier (FHCM), Adeline Dargent (Syndicat de Paris de la Mode Féminine) and Andrée-Anne Lemieux (IFM)

Set of measures and techniques to reduce human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.

Find out more

Decarbonisation, taken literally, would mean an end to all life forms, as carbon is one of the four elements (with oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen) that make up living organisms. When referring to measures to reduce carbon emissions by replacing oil, petrol and gas (fossil fuels) with renewable energies, we should refer instead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

References:
France Terme
Paris Good Fashion
Incubator and growth driver for the French fashion industry.

DEFI collects a tax, which serves to finance in-the-field action to foster growth of businesses and the sector, support the emergence of responsible fashion, drive digital and technological innovation, promote French manufacturing and expertise, and develop France’s image in the fashion sector.

Working with all the trade federations, DEFI has brought a unique form of solidarity to the fashion industry, based on cooperation between large and small actors. It is also a platform for debating subjects of strategic interest to the sector in France and globally.

Reference: DEFI
Process of recovering fibres that are long enough to be woven into new textiles.

Reference: Refashion
Demeter certification provides the assurance that plant and animal products originate from biodynamic agriculture. For textile products, cotton must be handpicked, machine harvest is only permitted when the use of chemicals is excluded. Animal fibres are to be shorn or combed. As long as silk or other natural fibre is unavailable in Demeter quality, the mixing with organic fibres is permitted. Demeter labelling of such products containing mixed fibres must contain a minimum of 66% Demeter fibre by weight.

References:
Demeter
Ademe
Cotton fabric dyed with indigo. Because it is strong and softens with wear, denim can be a highly durable material.

The principal environmental and social impacts of denim are related to cotton production methods, bleaching and dyeing technologies, and finishing processes such as sandblasting and stonewashing, all of which pose serious risks to workers’ health.

The large quantities of water and chemicals required at every stage of production increase water and soil pollution. Responsible denim can be made from organic or recycled cotton, linen or even hemp. Fading can be achieved with lasers and factories can be Oeko-Tex STeP or Oeko-Tex Detox to Zero certified.

References: 
Condé Nast - The Sustainable Fashion Glossary
Paul, R. (2015) Denim: Manufacture, Finishing and Applications. Cambridge: Elsevier Science
Muthu, S. S. (2017) Sustainability in Denim. Oxford: Woodhead Publishing
Alliance for Responsible Denim (n.d.)
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2019) The Jeans Redesign
Solomon, M. R. (1986) Deep-seated materialism: The case of Levi’s 501 jeans. NA – Advances in Consumer Research, (13), pp. 619-622
Woodward, S. (2007) Why women wear what they wear? Oxford: Berg
Woodward, S. & Miller, D. (2012) Blue jeans: The art of the ordinary. Berkeley: University of California Press
Verification system for the textile and leather industry which aims to apply Greenpeace’s DETOX campaign criteria at production facilities. It provides textile and leather producers with a practical analysis and assessment tool, e.g. for controlling wastewater and sludge, and for checking that chemicals used conform to the Detox to Zero Manufacturing Restricted Substance List.

Reference: Oeko-Tex
Processing of final waste by incineration or landfill.

Reference: Refashion
Concept that refers to the vast number of different types of people (origins, gender, etc.) existing side by side in a given society, although it is frequently understood as ethnic or cultural diversity. Whereas French law defines discrimination, it does not define diversity.

Reference: Fondation FACE
Down is the name for the soft, fine feathers under the exterior feathers of ducks and geese, often a by-product of the food industry.

The key issue when sourcing down is animal welfare. Growing concern about how the animals are treated has led to the development of welfare standards. They include the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), Global Traceable Down Standard (Global TDS) and Downpass standard, all of which guarantee that the animals were neither force-fed nor plucked live, and that animal welfare standards were met.

Recycled down offers a responsible alternative to virgin down.

References:
Textile Exchange (2020) Corporate Fiber and materials Benchmark
Textile Exchange (2022) Preferred Fiber & Materials Report
Kering Standards
British standard BS 8001:2017 defines downcycling as a “process of converting secondary raw materials/by‑products into new materials, components or products, typically of lesser quality, reduced functionality and/or lower value compared to their original intended purpose”.

A form of open-loop recycling, downcycling can be seen as environmentally-friendly, provided the downcycled material cannot be valorised in other ways (e.g. contaminated waste) and that downcycling does not become a substitute for higher-value solutions.

References:
BS 8001:2017 - Downcycling
Paris Good Fashion
The capacity to resist alteration or destruction. Durability can take several forms:

• Environmental durability: a characteristic of a sustainable product or service. The Guide Pratique des Allégations Environnementales, an environmental claims handbook published by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition, states that a product or service can be described as “durable” when it has a longer lifespan (than a comparable product), but recommends “sustainable development” as the correct term;

• Temporal durability: product lifespan based on functional and/or aesthetic criteria;

• Emotional durability: a product’s ability to remain desirable over time due to its personal significance;

• Economic durability: which can be low (substitutability between natural capital and manufactured capital, provided the total value of capital is unchanged) or high (manufactured capital and natural capital are considered separately to ensure that natural capital stock is not depleted).

References:
Académie Française dictionary
Ellen MacArthur Fundation - Glossary
Ademe (2016) Allongement de la durée de vie des produits
French Ministry of Ecology (2012) Guide pratique des allégations environnementales à l'usage des professionnels et des consommateurs
A method of applying colour to a textile through the absorption, diffusion and migration of a colourant through the fibre. Dyeing can take place at any stage of the manufacturing process, from the fibre to the yarn, the fabric or the finished garment. In addition to the dye, a dye bath contains auxiliaries such as binders, dispersants and salts.

Reference: Refashion