Here's how you can sound more responsible in your next conversation about fashion

While blanket dressing, regencycore, bradigan and others entered our lives in the past year, some movements in fashion have given rise to a more inclusive language. Terms like plus-size, unisex and repeat need to retire, paving way for a more conscious and updated lexicon. Here, we’ve narrowed done some examples that might help you build a more responsible fashion vocabulary for 2021 and beyond.

Replace unisex with gender-neutral

Think of Harry Styles. "It's like anything—anytime you're putting barriers up in your own life, you're just limiting yourself. There's so much joy to be had in playing with clothes,” he told Vogue. The star’s approach to gender-fluid fashion puts forward limitless options, without having to conform to present men’s and women’s fashion. As opposed to the formless and often unimaginative clothing found under “unisex”, gender-inclusive brands like Alessandro Michele at Gucci or Telfar cater to every colour in the rainbow. 

Focus on fit, not size

Ever wondered why your size may not be consistent with every brand, or in every country? That’s because standard, universal sizes that don’t vary between brands are non-existent yet. And we don’t need to conform to a measurement chart in the trial room, trying to force fit into present moulds, because no two body shapes are alike. Body-positive sizing is switching numbers and labels for more neutral guides, wider options and even customised sizing is what drawing consumers now.   

Understand the fat tax

When Indian fashion industry watchdog Diet Sabya shed light on surcharge being charged for plus-sizes, ‘fat tax’ became the subject of conversation among netizens. On the basic front that more fabric means more cost, brands have been accused of charging customers for larger sizes. With the largely-followed Instagram handle sharing real-life accounts, brands like Gauri & Nainika and Nikasha were quick to announce their discontinuation of the “fat tax”. 

Conscious, organic, or ethical

...fair trade, handmade or vegan—are all ways to adopt sustainability, but not all are sustainable. In a world where the term sustainability is used almost excessively, it's important to make sense of the buzzword responsibly. For example, vegan alternatives to leather may be free of animal cruelty but the petroleum-derived textile is not entirely eco-friendly because of microplastics released in every wash. Similarly, organic cotton is often used in juxtaposition with synthetic materials, however, things are complicated as cotton takes huge amounts of water to produce and hence, not as sensitive to the environment as one would have thought. Instead, it’s imperative to look for brands using locally-sourced materials, practising fair trade or off-setting carbon emissions. 

Rewear, not repeat

There was no bigger lesson in fashion during the pandemic than the need to reduce and recycle. With more and more designers offering repair services, fashion publications focusing on the rewear movement and influencers filling their feeds with creative ways to restyle outfits, nothing should hold you back from being seen in the same outfit more than once.

Adaptive clothing

The global market for clothing geared towards physically disabled people with medical issues is expected to grow from $278.9 billion in 2017 to $400 billion by 2026, according to Coherent Market Insights. Designer for the differently-abled consumer, adaptive clothing used features like clothing for wheelchair users, accommodating sensory needs for people on the spectrum, hidden openings for insulin pumps and so much more.

Also read:

Meet the young designers proving that, even in a pandemic, creativity prevails

The new rules for launching a fashion label during the pandemic

How Central Saint Martins’ White Show students are redesigning the future