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**.
- 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.
_ - 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.
_ - 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.
__ - 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)
Material left over from production, transformation or use. Also, any substance or object which the holder discards, or intends or is required to discard.
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Extended producer responsibility (EPR) holds producers responsible for the cost of managing their products at end-of-life. This can be through reuse, buyback or recycling schemes which manufacturers can operate themselves or delegate to a third-party organisation.
France was the first country to introduce EPR for the textile sector, in 2007.
Reference: French Environmental Code
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Extended producer responsibility (EPR) holds producers responsible for the cost of managing their products at end-of-life. This can be through reuse, buyback or recycling schemes which manufacturers can operate themselves or delegate to a third-party organisation.
France was the first country to introduce EPR for the textile sector, in 2007.
Reference: French Environmental Code
Global term to describe “the collection, transportation, valorisation and disposal of waste and, more generally, any activity involved in the management of waste from production to final processing [...]”. (Article L 541-1-1 of the French Environmental Code). It encompasses all aspects of waste collection and processing but is different from waste prevention.
References:
Refashion
Article L 541-1-1 - French Environmental Code
References:
Refashion
Article L 541-1-1 - French Environmental Code
Part of a circular economy, which minimises resource input and waste production by designing and manufacturing products with longer lifespans, and recycling products at the end of their useful life.
The European Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) defines waste prevention as measures taken before a substance, material or product becomes waste that reduce the quantity of waste, reduce the adverse impacts of waste on the environment and human health, and reduce the content of harmful substances.
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Article L. 110-1-1 of the French Environmental Code lists waste prevention as a factor in the transition towards a circular economy, through the waste hierarchy of prevention, reuse, recycling and valorisation.
References:
FranceTerme
Article L110-1-1 - French Environmental Code
The European Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) defines waste prevention as measures taken before a substance, material or product becomes waste that reduce the quantity of waste, reduce the adverse impacts of waste on the environment and human health, and reduce the content of harmful substances.
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Article L. 110-1-1 of the French Environmental Code lists waste prevention as a factor in the transition towards a circular economy, through the waste hierarchy of prevention, reuse, recycling and valorisation.
References:
FranceTerme
Article L110-1-1 - French Environmental Code
Umbrella term that includes the material valorisation of waste by means of reuse, repurposing or recycling, and energy recovery through incineration to produce electricity and heat.
This process must comply with the hierarchy of waste processing methods set out in the French Environmental Code, namely preparation for reuse, recycling, any other form of recovery, in particular energy recovery, and ultimately disposal.
References:
Refashion
Article L541-1 - French Environmental Code
This process must comply with the hierarchy of waste processing methods set out in the French Environmental Code, namely preparation for reuse, recycling, any other form of recovery, in particular energy recovery, and ultimately disposal.
References:
Refashion
Article L541-1 - French Environmental Code
Assessment system put in place by the European Fur Breeders’ Association in cooperation with scientists from seven European universities to evaluate and improve the welfare of animals on European fur farms. Protocols focus on housing, food, health and behaviour.
Reference: Fur Europe
Reference: Fur Europe
Natural animal fibre from the fleece of sheep, which are manually or mechanically sheared every spring. The quality of the fleece depends on the climate and how the animals are fed and farmed.
The shorn fleeces are sorted, scoured to remove the grease and washed. They are then carded to disentangle the fibres prior to spinning.
Wool production is more or less sustainable, depending on how the sheep are farmed (management of ecosystems, chemical processes used, etc.), and how they are treated, with particular reference to mulesing, when skin around a lamb’s breech and/or tail is removed with shears. Methods employed to clean and scour the raw (“grease”) wool must also be taken into account when assessing whether a supply source can be qualified as sustainable.
Factors contributing to the environmental impact of farming practices include conversion of natural ecosystems, pasture degradation and chemical treatment of pastures and sheep.
Organic certification schemes such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), ZQ or Nativia use targeted criteria to determine whether a wool is produced sustainably. Recycled wool offers a sustainable alternative to virgin wool.
References:
Kering Standards
Paris Good Fashion
The shorn fleeces are sorted, scoured to remove the grease and washed. They are then carded to disentangle the fibres prior to spinning.
Wool production is more or less sustainable, depending on how the sheep are farmed (management of ecosystems, chemical processes used, etc.), and how they are treated, with particular reference to mulesing, when skin around a lamb’s breech and/or tail is removed with shears. Methods employed to clean and scour the raw (“grease”) wool must also be taken into account when assessing whether a supply source can be qualified as sustainable.
Factors contributing to the environmental impact of farming practices include conversion of natural ecosystems, pasture degradation and chemical treatment of pastures and sheep.
Organic certification schemes such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), ZQ or Nativia use targeted criteria to determine whether a wool is produced sustainably. Recycled wool offers a sustainable alternative to virgin wool.
References:
Kering Standards
Paris Good Fashion
A legal requirement that women and men with equal skills, in equally ranked jobs, receive the same pay and benefits.
Workplace gender equality benefits employees, businesses and society as a whole. It is based on two founding principles:
• Equal rights: there shall be no discrimination between workers on the basis of gender.
• Equal opportunity: individuals are treated equally, regardless of their ethnic, religious, financial or social background.
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Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome (1957) established the principle of equal rights for women and men, and that of equal pay for equal work.
In France, advances were made towards workplace gender equality in stages and through the enactment of four laws.
The equal treatment of women and men was first established in law in the preamble to the 1946 Constitution, which guaranteed women “equal rights to those of men in every domain”. The principle of equal wages was established by a decree of July 30, 1946 which banned “women’s wages”. Between 1972 and 1983, obligations were extended to other aspects of employment, such as promotion and retirement. From 2001 to 2006, legislation was (with some difficulty) introduced to punish sexual harassment in the workplace.
References:
French Ministry in charge of gender equality
Le P’tit abécédaire de l’égalité des femmes et des hommes (2009) La Boucle
Workplace gender equality benefits employees, businesses and society as a whole. It is based on two founding principles:
• Equal rights: there shall be no discrimination between workers on the basis of gender.
• Equal opportunity: individuals are treated equally, regardless of their ethnic, religious, financial or social background.
Find out more
Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome (1957) established the principle of equal rights for women and men, and that of equal pay for equal work.
In France, advances were made towards workplace gender equality in stages and through the enactment of four laws.
The equal treatment of women and men was first established in law in the preamble to the 1946 Constitution, which guaranteed women “equal rights to those of men in every domain”. The principle of equal wages was established by a decree of July 30, 1946 which banned “women’s wages”. Between 1972 and 1983, obligations were extended to other aspects of employment, such as promotion and retirement. From 2001 to 2006, legislation was (with some difficulty) introduced to punish sexual harassment in the workplace.
References:
French Ministry in charge of gender equality
Le P’tit abécédaire de l’égalité des femmes et des hommes (2009) La Boucle
A workplace travel plan is a package of measures implemented by employers to encourage sustainable travel options, such as improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, subsidised use of public transport, carsharing and working from home.
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In France, a travel plan map can be annexed to the workplace travel plan. It indicates public transport stops, means of access for persons with reduced mobility, goods loading and unloading bays, as well as:
• the main site facilities with walking and cycling times,
• the price of a bus ticket and average taxi fare,
• contact details for the local public transport company.
A line indicating a radius of 500 to 1,000 metres allows users to visualise distances.
A travel plan is an important communication resource when encouraging alternatives to single-occupancy car travel. For this reason, information must be clearly stated, accurate and up-to-date.
References:
Ademe
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In France, a travel plan map can be annexed to the workplace travel plan. It indicates public transport stops, means of access for persons with reduced mobility, goods loading and unloading bays, as well as:
• the main site facilities with walking and cycling times,
• the price of a bus ticket and average taxi fare,
• contact details for the local public transport company.
A line indicating a radius of 500 to 1,000 metres allows users to visualise distances.
A travel plan is an important communication resource when encouraging alternatives to single-occupancy car travel. For this reason, information must be clearly stated, accurate and up-to-date.
References:
Ademe
Workplace wellbeing relates to all aspects of working life, from the quality and safety of the physical environment, to how workers feel about their work, their working environment, the climate at work and work organization.
Reference: International Labour Organization (ILO)
Reference: International Labour Organization (ILO)
Global community of fair-trade enterprises (social entrepreneurs, small-scale farmers, innovators, etc.) who are actively engaged in developing fair trade and applying its principles.
Reference: WFTO
Reference: WFTO
Independent programme that certifies socially responsible textile factories. Sites must respect the 12 WRAP Principles. These are: compliance with local laws; prohibition of forced labour; prohibition of child labour; prohibition of harassment or abuse; compensation and benefits; working hours; prohibition of discrimination; health and safety; freedom of association and collective bargaining; environment; customs compliance and security.
References:
WRAP
SGS
References:
WRAP
SGS