Luxury Lexicon 17 terms

Sustainability terms

Terms used to discuss environmental and social impacts, materials and production.

All groups

A

After-sales service
Support after a purchase, such as care advice, repairs, alterations and warranty handling.

B

Biodegradable
Capable of being broken down by microorganisms under particular environmental conditions.

C

Circular fashion
An approach that aims to keep garments and materials in use through durable design, repair, reuse and recycling.
CSR
Corporate social responsibility: how an organization addresses its effects on people, society and the environment.

D

Deadstock
Stock that remains unused or unsold; in textiles, often surplus fabric or materials.

E

Eco-friendly
A broad claim that a product or activity causes less environmental harm.
Ethical fashion
An approach to clothing that considers how it is made and its effects on workers, communities and other living things.

O

Organic cotton
Cotton grown under organic agricultural standards.

P

Procurement
Obtaining goods or services through supplier selection, purchasing and related controls.

S

Secondhand clothing
Clothing that has previously been owned and is sold or passed on to another person.
Supply chain
The connected activities that source materials, make products and move them to customers.
Sustainable fashion
An approach to reducing environmental and social harm across the making, use and disposal of clothing.

T

Traceability
The ability to follow a product, material or component through recorded stages of its supply chain.
Transparency
Sharing relevant, checkable information about products and how they are made.

U

Upcycling
Using existing or discarded products and materials to make something with added value.

V

Vintage
Clothing or accessories from an earlier period, often used in resale for items around 20 years old or older.
Viscose
A manufactured fiber of regenerated cellulose, made by dissolving wood pulp and spinning it back into filaments; US labels may call it rayon.

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