Local fashion
In the literary sense, the word "mode" refers to a way of life, specific to a given era and region. Overall, it's a passing way of behaving and thinking that's considered fashionable in a given environment at a given time. It is therefore a phenomenon that is linked to individual tastes, while at the same time implicating the collective through the way society looks at things and the codes it imposes.
Fashion and clothing
Fashion can be linked to many things, such as food, toys, home styles... Fashion has existed in a more defined form since antiquity. The Roman term modus means roughly the same thing as it does today, and in the Middle Ages the word " modus " was already present with, among other things, a definition linked to clothing.
When it comes to clothing, fashion is obviously about clothes, but it also involves accessories, make-up and perfume. The aspects that determine fashion in this sector are particularly linked to the search for aestheticism. What's more, far from being a new phenomenon, fashion is also an often privileged means of asserting one's social standing, social group, purchasing power and personality.
For many companies, fashion is an effective way of making money, gaining notoriety and achieving success.
One of the characteristics of fashion clothing is undoubtedly the incessant and increasingly rapid change of collections (sometimes every 6 weeks!), which encourages consumers to renew their wardrobes even before the garment is worn, outdated or has reached the end of its useful life.
Fashion and ecology
To put it simply, an ecological good is one that has a low environmental impact and is sustainable for the planet. To reduce environmental impact, we need to understand that the raw material is important, but so is the way we use the good until its end-of-life. Because of its ephemeral nature, and the fact that it encourages regular consumption by turning clothes into disposable products, fashion itself cannot be considered ecological.
Recently, however, the term fashion has been used differently and rather inappropriately, as it does not accurately represent the intention associated with it.
So why are we talking about eco-fashion?
We agree that talking about ecological fashion is contradictory. However, the main aim of combining the terms "fashion" and "ecology" here is to rethink the way we dress, while reducing our ecological impact. It certainly doesn't want to preserve the disposable aspect inculcated by fast fashion.
Putting these two terms together gives us a definition that is closer to the concepts of: slow fashion, eco-responsible or ecological clothing, ethical purchasing... In addition to the characteristics of the garment itself (raw materials), dressing ecologically also meets the 3R-V criteria. We'll focus here on the first 2 R's, which are directly related to our purchases of new and used clothing.
The first real question to ask ourselves concerns the need we have: Do I really need what I'm about to buy? If the answer is no, then I've just met the first R: reduction. What I don't consume, logically doesn't pollute.
What's more, by getting rid of clothes that are no longer suitable for us and donating them to someone who will use them, or to organizations that will redistribute them, we are encouraging responsible fashion. What's more, by buying second-hand clothes, we encourage their reuse. We've just met the 2nd R of the 3R-V: reuse.
In any case, eco-fashion is a concept that doesn't actually exist. In fact, the terms used are rather contradictory. Rather, it's a way of naming a way of dressing that reduces our impact on ecology and the environment. This is made possible either by the nature of the garment (e.g.: textile used, local design...), or by respecting the 3R-V criteria. Here, we're going to talk about dressing in an eco-responsible way.
Ecologically yours,
