Glossary

Deutsch: Hygiene / Español: Higiene / Português: Higiene / Français: Hygiène / Italiano: Igiene

In the Fashion context, Hygiene refers to the practices, standards, and considerations related to cleanliness, health, and safety in the design, production, retail, and wear of clothing and accessories. While hygiene is often associated with medical or domestic settings, it plays a critical role in fashion—affecting everything from fabric choice and garment construction to consumer habits and industry regulations.

Hygiene in fashion encompasses issues of skin health, garment care, cleanliness in manufacturing environments, ethical production, and even post-pandemic safety protocols in shopping and garment handling.

Definition

Hygiene in fashion can be broadly defined as the set of practices and considerations aimed at maintaining cleanliness and preventing contamination or health risks at all stages of a fashion product’s life cycle, including:

• Textile sourcing and processing

• Garment production and finishing

• Storage and retail display

• Personal care of garments by consumers

• Cleanliness in fashion shows, fittings, and styling

This includes sanitary work environments, clean dressing rooms, hygienic garment handling, and fabric finishes that protect against microbes or allergens.

Key Areas of Application

• Material Selection: Some fabrics have antibacterial or antimicrobial properties (e.g., bamboo, silver-infused textiles) and are chosen for sportswear, underwear, or medical clothing.

• Garment Construction: Seam placement, breathability, and moisture-wicking capabilities affect hygiene by influencing skin comfort, sweat regulation, and bacterial buildup.

• Workplace Hygiene: In factories and design studios, maintaining clean working conditions reduces the risk of product contamination and worker illness.

• Retail and Fitting: Clean fitting rooms, steamed garments, and return policies reflect hygiene standards in physical stores.

• Consumer Behavior: Proper washing, storing, and rotating of clothing helps maintain personal hygiene and garment longevity.

Recommendations

• Choose breathable, skin-friendly fabrics such as organic cotton or bamboo for everyday wear, especially for undergarments.

• Wash new clothes before wearing them to remove dye residues, chemicals, or handling contamination.

• Maintain a consistent laundry routine, following garment care labels to ensure cleanliness without damaging fibers.

• Avoid sharing personal items like hats, scarves, or swimwear, as they may carry fungal or bacterial risks.

• In fashion retail or styling, use garment bags, steaming, and disinfectants to keep shared clothing hygienic.

• Opt for odor-resistant or antimicrobial fabrics for athletic and activewear.

Key Considerations

• Post-COVID fashion practices have elevated hygiene standards, influencing how clothing is tried on, returned, and sanitized.

• Second-hand and rental fashion markets require strict hygiene protocols to ensure safety and consumer confidence.

• Materials used in fashion can affect skin sensitivity, allergies, or irritation—especially in synthetic blends or treated fabrics.

• Hygiene is also tied to sustainability, as garment washing, over-cleaning, or chemical-heavy detergents impact both health and the environment.

• Some fashion tech innovations now include antiviral coatings, self-cleaning materials, or odor-neutralizing finishes.

Risks and Challenges

• Poor hygiene in garment production may lead to contaminated products, odor retention, or skin reactions.

• Inadequate washing practices can allow bacteria and fungi to thrive, particularly in tight or non-breathable clothing.

• Fast fashion environments may overlook hygiene standards due to speed and cost constraints.

• Re-wearing unwashed clothes—especially underwear, gym wear, or socks—can result in dermatological or bacterial issues.

• Hygiene-related marketing claims (like "antibacterial shirts”) may be misleading or unregulated, requiring scrutiny.

Similar Terms

• Fabric finish: Chemical or natural treatment applied to textiles to enhance properties like antibacterial resistance.

• Moisture-wicking: Describes materials that pull sweat away from the body to improve comfort and reduce bacterial growth.

• Antimicrobial textiles: Fabrics treated or made with materials that resist or kill bacteria, fungi, or viruses.

• Fashion hygiene protocols: Procedures adopted in stores, styling, or shoots to ensure cleanliness.

• Sanitization: The process of cleaning garments or spaces to remove microbial agents.

Fashion and Public Health

The intersection of fashion and hygiene has become more visible in the wake of global health concerns:

• Face masks became essential fashion accessories, merging protection with personal style.

• Increased awareness around garment cleanliness, laundry habits, and shared clothing hygiene emerged.

• Fashion brands began incorporating health-promoting features (e.g., copper-infused fabrics) into product lines.

Moreover, discussions around "hygienic fashion” have broadened into areas like inclusive menstruation wear, adaptive fashion for disabled bodies, and sustainable laundry practices—highlighting how deeply hygiene is woven into the fabric of contemporary fashion.

Summary

In fashion, Hygiene goes beyond cleanliness—it's about protecting health, promoting skin comfort, and maintaining ethical, safe environments across the fashion supply chain. From the fibers we wear to the fitting rooms we enter, hygiene shapes the quality, wearability, and trustworthiness of fashion products. As consumer awareness grows and industry practices evolve, hygiene will remain a central concern in both functional design and ethical production.

--