Sustainable fashion is not just a trend of the moment, but an urgent issue that concerns everyone. More and more often we hear terms such as eco-friendly, organic, fair-trade in our fashion vocabulary: here we have collected and explained the meaning of the most used ones.

Low environmental impact: A low environmental impact occurs when, for the same amount of energy used, the CO2 produced by the combustion of natural gas is 25-30% less than petroleum products and 40-50% less than coal.

Biodegradable: A product or material that can decompose naturally, thus without external intervention. A very important factor that makes it possible to improve the impact of textiles: in fact, excessive waste production is one of the main pollution problems in the fashion industry.

Organic: Refers to agriculture that does not use synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Circular fashion: Circular fashion is about the life cycle a product: creation, use and finally recycling and not disposal. It is a fashion that studies ways to reuse materials while minimizing their impact on the environment.

FSC Certification: Guarantees that the FSC-labeled product comes from a responsibly managed forest and supply chain according to strict environmental, social and economic standards.

GOTS Certification: It is recognized as the most important international standard for the sustainable production of garments and textile products, made from natural fibers from organic farming; it aims to verify the total absence of chemicals that do not comply with the basic requirements on toxicity and biodegradability.

GRS Certification: Ensures the recycled material content of products, both intermediate and finished, the maintenance of traceability throughout the entire production process, restrictions in the use of chemicals, and compliance with environmental and social criteria at all stages of the production chain from the recycling of materials, to the subsequent manufacturing stages, to the labeling of the finished product.

Cruelty-free: Product that has not been tested on animals, literally cruelty-free to animals. Stella McCartney is the pioneer of this.

Eco-friendly: It means everything that aims to respect and care for the environment. It represents the work of companies and artisans who, for their productions, limit waste as much as possible, are careful about consumption, use only quality raw materials and respect the environment.

Ethical fashion: Sector of the fashion system that aims to boost social development and environmental sustainability, while respecting the rights and working conditions of the labor employed.

Fair-trade: Translation of fair trade. That is, that market that guarantees producers and workers fair economic recognition while paying attention to the land in which they live.

Fast fashion: Ability of some companies to bring a product to market in a very short time, even on a weekly basis. The negative impact on the environment is staggering. Not only for production, but also for its transportation.

Green fashion: It is fashion that is careful in its choice of materials, innovative or from organically grown raw materials, with natural fibers and dyes. Sustainability in fashion is also the treatment of human resources and workers.

Greenwashing: A term for the phenomenon that some brands give a false impression of their sustainable efforts. It is carried out through the use of messages, advertisements, business and production practices falsely defined as green, sustainable or environmental.

Pre-loved: It is the new way to tell the story of the used clothing market. The choice of these words is perfect for telling what, in a sustainable lifestyle, should be the correct approach to clothes: love them, choose them carefully and take care of them. And then the real sustainable choice lies in the transition from one consumer to another: don’t throw anything away, but exchange, sell or give away.

Slow fashion: Refers to fashion design, production and consumption practices that stand in opposition to fast fashion. It intends to celebrate personal style, of those who create and those who enjoy it, encourages documentation of production processes by promoting conscious consumption, values quality and, undoubtedly, urges consuming less and better.

Re-cycled and Up-cycled fashion: Closely related to circular fashion, these two terms refer to the industrial process of breaking down the garment into all its materials, which are then used for something new. But not only that, imagining new uses for the same object is also a prerogative of sustainable fashion.