Fashion Law

A231

One of the best fashion sites offering lateat information about fashion.

2. ELLE

Delivers information from fashion to hair style and more. Definitely a great fashion source.

3. Vanity Fair

The well known entertainment website which also provides rich contents of fashion.

4. Cosmopolitan

One of the most popular fashion sites which provides fresh lifestyle information for women.

5. Style

Covering fashion, designers, celebrities, beauty and more.

6. Allure

One of the best fashion sites which features fashion trends, how-tos, beauty reporter and more.

7. Glamour

Offers fashion, beauty, makeup, diet, health, hair information for women.

8. Harpers Bazzar

One of the most popular fashion sites providing fashion trends, fashion shows, articles and more.

9. Fashion Magazine

Another great fashion website wich brings fashion, shopping, health, beauty, travel trends.

10. In Style

One of the leading fashion sites which delivers fashion, beauty, lifestyle information.

ECO BRAND

Get linked to fabulous eco clothing and accessory shopping or use our guide as a information resource to connect with others in the industry.

Organizations

Global Organic Cotton Community Platform

www.organiccotton.org

This platform has been created for active members of the global organic cotton community to share conversations, knowledge and information about organic and fair-trade cotton. It is open to all interested people having a stake in the organic and fair-trade cotton area. There is no fee to participate, you can simply register and your account will be activated for log-in. Once registered you have full access to all previous discussions.

Green Is the New Black

www.groenhetnieuwezwart.nl:

A small country with large potential. The Netherlands are at the forefront of the ethical fashion movement. It’s the birth ground of one of the very first trendy eco labels Kuyichi. Organizations such as Made-By and Fair Wear Foundation operate from fashion capital Amsterdam. And all these developments are closely being monitored by a special newsletter which can be translated into ‘Green is the new black’.

YOI (Your Own Identity)

www.yoi.nu

Many people nowadays have adopted a green lifestyle: because it’s cool, because it helps reduce global warming, because it makes them feel better. For many it’s a way to express their beliefs, passion and identity. Through their lifestyle, they can show who they really are. This philosophy is the starting point of the YOI foundation, based in The Netherlands.

WWF (World Wildlife Fund)

www.panda.org/freshwater/cotton

WWF is the largest (non-governmental) organization dedicated to nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. One of WWF’s focus topics is fresh water and its use for the growth of cotton.

Wear Organic

www.pan-uk.org

Wear Organic is a campaign run by the Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK). Wear Organic aims to reduce the problems caused by pesticides used in cotton, particularly by promoting organic and fair alternatives. Wear Organic supports fashion students who work with organic cotton with sponsorships.

Organic Exchange

www.organicexchange.org

The Organic Exchange is a non-profit business organization focused on creating environmental and social benefits through the expansion of organic agriculture. The first project focuses on transitioning 10% of the world’s supply and demand of cotton to organic cotton within 10 years.

OEKO-TEX

www.oeko-tex.com

Confidence in textiles – an international synonym for responsible textile production – and the motto of the independent test institutes of the International Oeko-Tex Association. It refers to their tests for harmful substances according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for textile products which pose no risk whatsoever to health.

Modebewust (Fashion Conscious)

www.modebewust.nu

Modebewust (Fashion Conscious) is a Dutch initiative that aims to inform, stimulate and support fashion schools with the integration of corporate social responsibility issues in educational curricula. Through sharing knowledge, exchanging teaching programs and organizing activities, Modebewust strives to contribute to greening the fashion industry.

MADE-BY

www.made-by.org

MADE-BY is an umbrella label used by fashion brands and retailers to show consumers that their clothes are produced in a sustainable manner. The brands affiliated to MADE-BY use organic cotton and work with sewing factories that have a social code of conduct. The MADE-BY brands can be identified by means of a blue button.

Labour Behind the Label

www.labourbehindthelabel.org

Do you know that most of the clothes sold in mainstream stores have been made by workers earning wages that don’t even pay for food to feed their family? That workers who try to organize and improve the conditions in which they work, are persecuted, discriminated against, or lose their jobs?

IFAT (The International Fair Trade Association)

www.ifat.org

IFAT (The International Fair Trade Association) is a global network of Fair Trade Organisations, some of which trade in garments, textiles, and accessories. IFAT’s mission is to improve the livelihoods and well being of disadvantaged producers by linking and promoting Fair Trade Organizations.

Fashioning an Ethical Industry

www.fashioninganethicalindustry.org

Fashioning an Ethical Industry (FEI) is a UK based education project of Labour Behind the Label. The project works with tutors and students of fashion-related courses to give an overview of how the fashion industry positively and negatively impacts on working conditions.

Fair Wear Foundation

www.fairwear.nl

Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) exists to promote fair labour conditions in the textile production worldwide. A growing number of textile companies are taking responsibility to improve their suppliers’ labour conditions. FWF has developed a code of conduct which these companies can adopt. In this way, inspections and improvement plans are carried out according to an approved process.

Ethical Trading Initiative

www.ethicaltrade.org

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is a UK based alliance of companies, NGOs and trade union organisations. The purpose of the ETI is to promote and improve the implementation of corporate codes of practice which cover supply chain working conditions.

Elsewear

www.elsewear.org

Elsewear is a Dutch initiative to promote the most dominant fashion trend of our time: "Green is the new black". Green stands for environmentally friendly materials, clean production processes and good labour practices in the textile industry.

Ecotece

www.ecotece.org.br

With a population of 170 million, Brazil has a lot of people to “eco dress”. That’s why we were delighted to hear about the Ecotece Institute. São Paulo based journalist Ana Candida Zanesco set up Ecotece as a tribute to Mother Earth. The institute’s logo, a tree inside a butterfly, is a reflection of her philosophy: everything is interconnected, by living a green lifestyle, you can make a huge difference (it’s The Butterfly Effect).

Better Cotton Initiative

www.bettercotton.org

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a voluntary program who’s vision is to enable millions of farmers around the world to grow cotton in a way that is healthier for the farming communities and the environment, and more economical

BAFTS

www.bafts.org.uk

BAFTS The British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) is a network of independent fair trade shops across the UK, many of which stock garments and accessories.

Agenda 21

One of the main documents created during the Eco 92 climate conference in Rio de Janeiro. Based on this document signed by 170 countries, a global action plan for social and environmental sustainability was created, ultimately resulting in many local agendas all over the world. Many eco fashion initiatives have also been inspired by Agenda 21.

Agriculture

Agriculture is strongly intertwined with the world economy, livelihood of the world's poor and biodiversity conservation. Agriculture uses more than half of the Earth's habitable land, employs more than one billion people and produces goods worth one trillion dollars annually. It’s also the biggest user of water, accounting for almost 70% of global withdrawals, and up to 95% in developing countries (FAO, 2006). Furthermore, pesticide and fertilizer use on agricultural crops lead to widespread ecological degradation. Estimates indicate that up to 40,000 lives are lost around the world each year due to improper pesticide application and handling (WHO, 2002).

Agro Toxics

The pesticides used in farming, livestock breeding and domestic environments. Examples are insecticides, herbicides and pesticides. They may also be the toxic solvents, paints, lubricants and products for cleaning and disinfection. They cause a lot of damage, both to the environment and the health of animals and human beings.

Alternative Materials

We use the general term ‘alternative materials’ on this website for all materials that cannot be placed (yet) underneath other headings. Examples are alternative glues and fabrics that come from unclear resources.

Animal Fiber

Animal fibers are largely those which cover mammals such as sheep, goats and rabbits with well-known examples such as alpaca, merino, wool, fur and mohair. One eco innovation in animal fiber is the production of cruel-free silk or peace silk.

Antique Clothing

Clothing that was produced before the 1920s.

Bamboo Fabric

Bamboo is the fastest growing wooden plant in the world; it grows in many different countries and climates. Its quick growth (up to 3-4 feet a day) and its resistance to bugs and sickness make it an ideal eco crop. However, there is a lot of debate on whether the processing of the bamboo plant into fabric is truly sustainable. Bamboo fabric is made of 100% bamboo pulp fiber. The fabric is naturally antibacterial and eco-friendly. It breathes easier, is cooler than cotton in warm weather and has been said to feel like a cross between cashmere and silk.

Banana Fabric

Banana trees were widely used for making fabrics before cotton was affordable and readily available. Now “jusi” banana fabric is made in only a handful of places in Southeast Asia. The raw materials come from the stem that farmers leave in the garden after a banana harvest. The tree stalks and leaves are removed and processed into a pliable fibre. Different layers of the stem yield fibers for specific uses: the outer layer's fibers are generally used for tablecloths while the third layer makes the finest, silkiest fabric, suitable for kimonos and saris. Many Nepalese rugs are made from bleached and dried fibers of the banana plant that are hand-knotted into silk-like rugs.

Certification

Certification on this website is a process intended to determine if a fashion product meets minimum quality standards. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, or assessment done by a government body or private organization.

Color Grown Cotton

Color grown cotton contains no dyes but is grown in natural colors such as honey, red, purple and mocha. South American Natives were known to have used color grown cotton. In the past decade, these color grown cotton fibers have become available for textile manufacturing.

Community Based

We use the concept ‘community based’ when referring to products that have been created in such a way as to support a specific community. The concept is often applied in relation to non-western countries where products are being made in and directly benefiting small communities, like villages or neighborhoods.

Conscious Dressing

To dress is an everyday verb in our lives. But that simple verb can contribute to building a better society. By dressing with ecologically produced clothing and accessories you are taking action. We can generate a change in the world through the clothes that we wear. As consumers we should seek a balance between the satisfaction of wearing clothes, the preservation of the environment and social welfare. Everyday we can make a conscious choice of dressing up with clothes that flag a better world.

Cotton

Cotton is one of agriculture's most water-intensive and pest-sensitive crops, often grown in semi-arid and water-scarce areas. It has been estimated to consume 11% of the world's pesticides (Kooistra, K.J., et. al. 2006). Its cultivation represents over 2.4% of global arable land, involving about 30 million farmers. Cotton is produced in approximately 90 countries worldwide, many of which are classified as developing countries. The economies of many developing countries and the livelihoods of millions of small farmers and their families are dependent on cotton production. The environmental and social impacts are therefore widespread and need to be addressed.

Cotton In the Process of Conversion

The first few harvests of organic cotton after the soil has been used in a conventional manner cannot be certified as organic. This is because of pesticides that still remain in the soil and the cotton plant. This particular harvest of cotton therefore is ‘cotton in the process of conversion’: the process of purifying soil and plants and moving from conventional towards sustainable agriculture.

Craft

We refer to ‘craft’ when we talk about either the maintenance of traditional crafts in developing countries or the small scale, local production of products by craftspeople in industrialized countries.

Cruelty-Free Silk or Peace Silk

Conventional silk is made by boiling the intact cocoons and thereby killing the silk worms after which the single silk strand is unwound onto reels. Peace silk allows the silkworm to emerge from their cocoons to live out their full life cycle. The silk is degummed and spun like other fiber, instead of being reeled. The resulting yarn is soft, fluffy, and light like a cloud.

Custom-Made or Tailor-Made

We can also call it demi-couture or made to order. The classic example is the men’s suit that’s made by a tailor who takes body measurements and produces a suit unique to every customer. The reason we consider it “eco” is that you get exactly what you want and therefore are more likely to love it longer.

Customized

This verb points to the creative process of altering a consumer product towards the personal taste of the individual. An example of customization or personalization is a dress that you buy in the store and alter yourself towards your taste or you have someone else alter it for you.

Eco Design

Design that has been created in an environmentally sound way.

Eco Development

A creative process of transforming the way we do things through the use of environmentally sound technologies. Ecologic: In Greek, Eco = home and logos (or logia) = study, or science. Ernst Haeckel, a disciple of Charles Darwin, created the word in 1866 to designate a new science that studies the relationships between living creatures and their environment ("the home they live in”).

Ecosystem

The sum of plants and animals within a given territory in the context of their interaction with their environment. Examples of ecosystems are lakes, forests and deserts.

Environment

The environmental aspect specific to the fashion industry is the issue of organic crop growth, using non-toxic dyes and developing new, sustainable fabrics made, for example, out of recycled materials.

Environmental Conservation

A way of dealing with nature that includes the preservation, maintenance, sustainable use and the restoration and rehabilitation of the natural environment. Environmental conservation aims to provide the greatest benefit for the current generation while maintaining the potential to meet the needs of future generations.

Environmental Impact

According to the resolution of the National Council on the Environment, the environmental impact is the change of the physio-chemical and biological environment caused by any form of matter or energy resulting from human activities. These activities, directly or indirectly, affect the health, safety, and welfare of the population; social and economic activities; the aesthetic conditions and health of the environment; and quality of resources.

Environmental Management

Direction of human activities aimed at sustainable development. To be effective, it must be included in the planning and management of the production of goods and services at all levels - local, regional, national and international, in public administration and business.

Ethical Fashion

The word ‘ethical’ on this website comprises four characteristics, namely the environment, social values, transparency and the preservation of traditional handicraft techniques.

Fair Trade

Fair trade promotes social equity, environmental protection and economic security through trade and awareness campaigns. Fair trade seeks means and opportunities to improve the conditions of life and work of producers, especially of small disadvantaged producers.

Fashion

A term that usually applies to the style of the time, but sometimes also to a personal mode of expression. The concepts "fashionable" and "unfashionable" are employed to describe whether someone or something fits in with the current popular mode of expression. Fashion and ecology don’t seem to mix at first side, since fashion can be related to short-term trends and materialism. We use fashion as a positive synonym for glamour, beauty and style. This website is all about showing that fashion and ecology can be very strong partners.

Fish Skin

Fish skin is regarded as industrial waste: after it’s separated from the filet for consumption, it normally gets thrown out. But now the skins are dried, bleached and eventually turned into leather. Fish skin is extremely versatile—it’s lightweight, warm, durable, thinner and softer (yet stronger!) than cow and goat skin. You’ll find it dyed in a spectrum of colours, and its natural texture and geometric patterns lend it a distinctive quality.

Flax

The plant from which cellulose linen fiber is obtained. Linen is used in apparel, accessories, draperies, upholstery, tablecloths, and towels.

Global Ethical Fashion Movement

The global ethical fashion movement is the collection of stakeholders in the fashion business that are taking the environment and social values into account. While doing this, they act and communicate in a transparent way.

GMO

GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. These are plants that have been manipulated by genetic engineering. The term "organic" excludes the use of GMO seeds in the farming process.

Green Cotton

Green cotton is conventional cotton that has not been dyed or treated.

Hemp Fabric

A long and very strong ‘base’ fiber, hemp fiber has been used for thousands of years to manufacture clothing. Its rapid growing qualities and resistance to most pests make it an ideal organic crop. Hemp has natural anti-mildew, UV protection and thermodynamic as well as hypoallergenic properties.

Human Development Index

Created by the United Nations to measure the level of development of the countries, based on indicators of education (literacy rate and enrollment), income (GDP per capita) and longevity (expectation of life at birth).

Industrial Waste

Solid waste generated by industry. Depending on the industry, this waste contains materials that contaminate the soil, air and/or water.

International Year of Natural Fibers 2009 (IYNF)

Declared by the United Nations, the IYNF is expected to raise awareness and stimulate demand for natural fibers. Objectives are (1) encouragement of appropriate policy responses from governments to the problems faced by natural fiber industries (2) foster an effective and enduring international partnership among the various natural fiber industries and (3) promote the efficiency and sustainability of the natural fiber industries.

ISO 14.000

Series of environmental management standards developed in 1996 by the International Organization for Standardization, headquartered in Switzerland.

Jute

Jute is a bast fiber, chiefly from India, used primarily for gunny sacks, bags, cordage, and binding threads in carpets and rugs.

Kapok

Kapok is a short, lightweight, cotton-like, vegetable fiber found in the seed pods of the Bombocaceae tree. Because of its brittle quality, it is generally not spun. However, its buoyancy and moisture resistance makes it ideal for use in cushions, mattresses and life jackets.

Kyoto Protocol

This important document was signed by the Commission of the United Nations for Climate Change in Kyoto (Japan) in 1997. The protocol aims at the stabilization of the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It states that these emissions have to be reduced for most developed country targets. Between 2008 and 2012, these countries should reduce, on average, 5% of emissions of greenhouse gases in relation to the percentage recorded in 1990. The Kyoto protocol also gives guidelines to reach these targets, for example through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Latex

There are different kinds of latex: 100% latex - same as latex. All natural latex - some manufacturers and retailers use this term to describe the blended latex they use to confuse customers into believing that they are 100% natural. Blended latex - also known as Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR). produced with petrochemicals and does not have the resilience properties that 100% natural latex has. Latex - can be synthetic, blended synthetic, or 100% natural. Natural latex - could mean blended latex or 100% natural. In Europe, anything that has at least 20% natural latex is considered natural.

Lenpur Fabric

Lenpur is a novel textile fiber from a renewable resource: cellulose carefully selected from the branches of special trees. The remarkable properties of wood provides textile materials made from Lenpur with extraordinary properties. The main differences in Lenpur compared to other cellulose fibers is its softness, its absorption capacity, its ability to release dampness (as a yarn or fabric), its deodorant properties, and its absorption characteristics (due to its morphology). When mixed with other fibers, Lenpur is in "mechanical synergy" with them.

Manufacturers

Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand") is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a vast range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but here we use it in reference to the process of producing clothes out of fabrics, both on a big scale (mass production) as on a small scale (community based manufacturing).

Milk Fabric

Milk fiber goes back to World War I, when the Germans, interested in other sources for fabric, discovered milk's potential for cloth. To create the fiber, liquid milk is dried and its proteins extracted. The separated proteins are then dissolved in a chemical solution and placed into a machine that essentially whirls the fibers together. The fibers can then be spun into yarn and woven into fabric. Milk fabric holds dye, is breathable and it captures the moisture to make skin tender and smooth like after taking a milk bath. The drawback is that it wrinkles easily after washing and should be ironed. Machine washing is not recommended.

Mohair

Mohair usually refers to a silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. Mohair is one of the oldest textile fibers in use and it's both durable and resilient. It's notable for its high luster and sheen and is often used in fiber blends to add these qualities to a textile. Mohair takes dye exceptionally well and is comfortably warm as it has great insulating properties. It is durable, moisture-wicking, stretch and flame as well as crease resistant.

Natural Dyes

Pigments extracted and managed in an environmentally friendly way, without polluting the environment and ecosystem.

Natural Fibers

Also called natural yarns, they’re obtained directly from nature and are made into fabrics through mechanical processes of twisting, cleaning and finishing. They can be obtained from fruit, leaves, bark and wood. The main textile plants are: the Cotton crop, the Jute (to make ropes), Flax (stem with rigid filaments), Sisal and Rami (both similar to Flax).

Natural Resources

The elements of the natural environment that human beings use to sustain life. Generally, natural resources are classified into two major groups: non-renewable sources (oil, coal and minerals) and renewable resources that are able to self-regenerate (flora, fauna, soil, water and air).

Nettle or Nessle fabric

Nettle fabric is developed from the Brennessel plant and was very popular in the Middle-Ages when upper-class ladies preferred it over silk. This plant grows in almost all types of soils and it requires very little fertilization because the minerals are not leached out of the ground. Brennessel is naturally resistant to vermin and many parasites and can be grown without pesticides and herbicides. It can be more finely woven than cotton and can have the gloss of silk. The fiber is hollow and this makes it possible for nettle fabric to breathe and be insulating at the same time. Read more on this exciting fiber in our Magazine issue on fiber.

Non-toxic/Low-Impact

When a product is non-toxic, it has the least amount of toxic run-off into the environment: 5% compared to 50-60% in traditional dye methods for example. On this website, we often use the word non-toxic when talking about dyes, although it can also refer to other products.

Organic

A generic term for processes related to life. It can be associated with bodies and organs of a living being or with complex organizations outside the field of biology, where associations of people, rules or laws work and interact with each other as components of an organism.

Organic Agriculture

An approach to agriculture that is based on the dynamics of nature. The ecological succession allows soil to restore its fertility because there are no pesticides and mineral fertilizers being used during the process. The criteria for sustainability guide the discussions on sustainable agriculture that guarantee the preservation of soil, water resources, wildlife and natural ecosystems, while ensuring the security of both food and clothing.

Organic Cotton

Cotton grown free of toxic chemicals using biologically based and sustainable growing methods (such as crop rotation) rather than with highly synthetic and destructive fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides or pesticides. Certified organic cotton must adhere to a strict set of guidelines based on the scientific method of organic agriculture.

Organic Fibers

Natural fibers grown without any pesticides and other toxic materials.

Organic Waste

Consists of organic materials that go into the trash, such as leaves and twigs of plants or remains of food. Alternatively, it can be processed into natural fertilizer.

Peace Silk

See cruelty-free silk.

PET

PET fabric is made out of recycled plastic bottles blended with cotton. Thanks to technological innovation, the combination of these fibers enables the creation of a knitted fabric that has just the same resistance, durability and fast colors as products made with conventional polyester.

Pineapple Fabric

Pineapple fiber or Piña is a strong white or creamy cobweb-like fiber drawn from tall leaves of an indigenous pineapple plant. The fiber is hand stripped from the leaves in lengths of about 18 inches to 3 feet, sun-bleached, hand knotted and spun. As piña fiber recovery is only about 1%, it can take six months to gather enough fiber to produce two pounds of spun piña. For more background info on fiber, read this blog.

Ramie

Ramie is a bast fiber, similar to flax, taken from the stalk of a plant grown in China.

Reclaimed

We use this word as an alternative to the word recycled. Often used in relation to fabrics, as new garments can be constructed from the cloth of old garments without going through an industrial transformation process.

Recycling

A process whereby products that are considered junk or waste material are transformed into new products. Amongst others, it’s possible to recycle glass, plastics, paper, organic waste and old metals such as iron, copper and zinc.

Responsible Consumerism

The act of consuming products and services while taking into account the impact and consequences for the environment and the society at large.

Retro Clothing

Clothing manufactured from 1975 until the end of the 1980s. Clothing produced more recently is usually called modern or contemporary fashion.

Rio 92

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development organized in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. The conference became known as Rio 92; it’s the conference where Agenda 21 was created.

Sinamay

See pineapple fiber.

Sisal

A strong bast fiber that originates from the leaves of the Agave plant, which is found in the West Indies, Central America, and Africa.

Social Inclusion

The creation of opportunities for access to fundamental human rights (work, education, culture, recreation, health) for a marginalized population.

Social Values

Referring to fair trade, which means paying all actors in the supply chain a fair price for their work. It also points to preserving traditional handicraft techniques that have been used to create fashion for many centuries and community development.

Soy Fabric

An eco-friendly fabric made from a by-product of soybean oil production. It’s a sustainable textile fiber made from renewable and biodegradable resources. It’s part of an effort to move consumers away from petrochemical textile products and turn waste into useful products.

Stinging-Nettle Fabric

A recently re-discovered old fabric. Nettles were used to make textile until somewhere in the 19th century and it was mainly due to cotton that nettle cloth was forgotten. Nettle plants are resistant to disease and vermin and therefore don’t require any contaminating pesticides and herbicides. Only the fibers in the stems are used for making cloth; the leaves and the prickly needles that cause itching are not used for making clothing.

Supply Chain

The system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chains within the fashion industry are often characterized by many different stakeholders who seek to maximize their short-term revenue. The global ethical fashion movement seeks to build new production networks based on trust and long-term relationships. Within these more sophisticated and transparent supply chain systems, used products may re-enter the supply chain at any point where residual value is recyclable.

Sustainability

A general strategy that integrates economic, political, environmental and cultural sustainability. Sustainability embraces the collective and the individual in order to reach and maintain the quality of life whether in times of scarcity or periods of abundance of resources. The aim of sustainability is the cooperation and solidarity between people and generations.

Sustainable Forest Management

This specific type of management ensures the use of resources from forests without the threat of ecological, economical and social loss.

Sustainable Technology

The use of natural renewable sources (such as the sun, wind or sugar cane) for the generation of energy. It includes systems such as rainwater collection and the re-use of grey waters.

Sweatshop

A factory where workers make products in very poor working conditions. This can include exposure to harmful materials, dangerous situations, extreme temperatures, abuse from employers, extended overtime hours, very low wages and child labor. Sweatshops came into existence during the Industrial Revolution with the invention of the foot-powered sewing machine in 1846. Since then, they have been a symbol of the end of the artisan system of creating unique products made by hand. Sweatshops have a negative connotation and have proved a difficult issue to resolve because their roots lie in the conceptual foundations of the world’s present economy. With the transformation towards a more sustainable fashion industry, the concept of sweatshops might be subject to great alterations or possibly die out over time.

Synthetic Dyes

Chemical and synthetic dyes in their origin and properties are dense in toxic substances. They have been obtained from derivatives of petroleum and coal through a highly polluting process. These types of dyes were invented during the Industrial Revolution in Germany. They have been synthesized from the same raw materials used for the production of explosives and organic compounds rich in nitrogen such as nitroglycerin or TNT (trinitrotoluene).

Tencel

Tencel is naturally derived from cellulose which is extracted from managed trees. It is one of the softest and most elegant fibers available.

Transparency

‘Transparency’ on this website mostly refers to the fashion supply or production chain. Four words connected to the aspect of transparency are certification, communication, connecting and commitment. Transparency points to building sustainable relationships throughout the supply chain in order to create quality products that have minimal negative impact on the environment and human beings.

TreeTap

A plant-based leather from the Amazon. Tapped by native Indians directly from the trees, the rubber is purified and spread onto a canvas of organic cotton. Through a hand-crafted process unique in the world, it becomes a fabric used in fashion accessories and interior design products.

Vegan

In relation to fashion, we use the word ‘vegan’ for all fashion products that have been produced without the use of any material that comes from animals. This also includes, for example, glues in which products coming from animals can be traced.

Vegetable Fiber

Vegetable fibers are derived from the stem, leaf or seed of various plants. In many cases, the technique is ancient and is now being rediscovered as an ecological alternative to the polluting cotton industry.

Vegetarian Animal Free:

Referring to products that have been produced without the use of leather or animal tissue products. Examples are shoes or bags made from “vegetal leather” using Amazonian rubber instead of animal skins.

Vintage

A generic term for new or second hand garments created in the period from the 1920’s to 1975. Most vintage clothing has been previously worn, but a small percentage of pieces have never been worn or sold before. These are often old warehouse stock and are usually referred to by dealers as "dead stock", "old stock" or "new-old stock”. One of the reasons vintage is very popular nowadays is the increased interest in environmental sustainability in terms of reusing, recycling and repairing rather than throwing things away.

Viscose

Viscose is the most common type of rayon, which is composed of regenerated cellulose. Derived from wood pulp, cotton linters, or other vegetable matter.

Waste

Any material - gas, liquid or solid - resulting from the processes of production, extraction of natural resources, implementation and use of products and services.

Wool

There are different types of wool such as organic sheep wool and organic alpaca wool. The lather is finer than cashmere, smoother than silk, softer than cotton, stronger than mohair and warmer than goose down and synthetic fabrics. This type of wool breathes better than thermal knits and is luxuriously soft on the skin. The fiber is hypoallergenic, naturally fire resistant and dust mite resistant.

Brand: Search our alphabetical list of eco friendly clothing and accessory brands.

Online Store: Search our alphabetcal list of online eco fashion stores that support eco friendly, fair trade, sustainable, and socially responisble clothing and accessory brands.
Category: Your ultimate tool to find the brands that carry the specific items that you are looking for. Searching for evening attire? Lingerie? A basic tee? Something for your man? Let this feature sort it for you!
Eco-Criteria: Search organic, fair-trade, recycled or another eco criteria on our list. Find out the many ways that designers are greening your closet.
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