The Woolmark Company recently initiated a campaign, urging fashion brands, retailers, and media to support consumers in making more informed choices by emphasising accuracy in product descriptions.
Terms such as “silky,” “mesh,” and “fleece” are adjectives that often leave shoppers in the dark regarding the actual fabric composition of clothing items. These descriptors are frequently attributed to synthetic garments, which may not genuinely embody the natural fibers they seem to suggest, such as “silk” or “wool.”
Called Filter by Fabric, we take a look at this new campaign in today’s blog.
Filter By Fabric – Not By Price Or Style
A recent YouGov study found that consumers find terms such as ‘silky,’ ‘mesh,’ and ‘fleece’ confusing, making it difficult to identify the fibres in the fabric, especially when synthetic materials are used to mimic natural fibres in the clothing.
The study found that 77% of those surveyed believe clothing brands and retailers should clearly disclose fabric composition.
Yet this information is often hidden, misrepresented, or undisclosed.
Enter the Filter by Fabric initiative. Its mission is to accelerate transparency and educate on fibre type so that consumers truly understand what they are buying and can make better choices.
“Choosing better fabrics should be easier,” says the Filter by Fabric website. “Synthetic clothes will outlive our grandchildren.”
Specifically, Filter by Fabric asks retailers, brands, and media to do three things. First, stop using misleading language to describe fabric products, such as “silky” or “leather-like.” Secondly, start using clear and accurate fabric descriptions instead – like wool, cotton, polyester, etc. Finally, eCommerce platforms should start to provide “Filter by Fabric” options, allowing consumers to select their garments according to fabric, rather than style, price, etc.
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How To Participate
Filter by Fabric invites fabric retailers and brands to pledge to improve the situation by offering a “Filter by Fabric” option on their eCommerce platforms. This can be done on the filterbyfabric.com website.
Participants can share Filter by Fabric assets on social channels, promoting the pledge to drive positive change and help consumers make more informed choices.
Pledging brands commit to making the changes needed to keep their customers informed: include clear product descriptions on all product names and labels, add a “Filter by Fabric” option to their online stores, and include a fibre type tag when mentioning products on social media platforms.
Several fashion brands, designers, and organisations have already pledged support for the campaign, including Benetton, Cubus, Reformation, Saul Nash, Lagos Space Program, Teatum Jones, Dagsmejan, Maggie Marilyn, Haydenshapes, Albus Lumen, Plastic Soup Foundation and Variant 3D.
Why not contact your favourite brands and stores and encourage them to participate? Send them this link: www.woolmark.com/environment/filterbyfabric.
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