Check out the new Eco Fashion Dictionary with 1200 terms all illustrated  

The perennial stalk producing ramie plant has been cultivated in eastern Asia for fibre since prehistoric times. Growing 3-8 feet high, with heart-shaped leaves, the plant’s fibre was used in fabric in ancient Egypt and was known in Europe during the middle Ages. Read more..

Range-dyeing is a process in which yarn runs through indigo dye, then the color fix by exposing it to air. This allows the fabric to fade gradually.

Rapidly renewable material is a term used to describe materials, fibres, animal or any other product considered agricultural that takes ten years or less to grow, raise and harvest in an ongoing sustainable way. Read more..

The rapier type conveys a pick of weft from a stationary package through the shed by means of either a single rapier or a pair of rapiers. Rapiers are either rigid rods or flexible steel tapes, which are straight when in the shed but on withdrawal are wound onto a wheel, in order to save floor space. Read more..

Dry or raw denim, contrary to washed denim, is a denim fabric that is not washed after being dyed during its production. Over time, denim will extensively fade, which is often considered desirable. Read more..

Check out the new Eco Fashion Dictionary with 1000 terms all illustrated

The synthetic fibre known as rayon produced from regenerated cellulose wood pulp that has been chemically treated. Fabrics made of rayon are strong, highly absorbent, and soft; they drape well and can be mixed in brilliant, long-lasting colors. Read more..

REACH is the new European Union Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) which came into force in 2007, aims to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks posed by chemicals. Read more..

A substance that, because of the chemical reactions it causes, is used in analysis and synthesis. Read more..

Recovery rate refer to the percentage of usable recycled materials that have been generated from the total amount of municipal solid waste in a specific area or industry. Read more..

Probably the most familiar symbol that denotes if an item can be recycled is the Mobius loop. The symbol is intended for use only on goods that are capable of being recycled, if a facility exists, but it has no precise meaning and is often misused., Read more..

Recycled Materials are products manufactured from the resources previously existing in waste; recycle polyester cotton is one example of a recycled material. Read more..

Read cast is the organic blue, which is also known as happy days, has a slightly reddish tint. It was used by Levi’s to make the Big E. The dying formula originally included some real corn syrup.

Red lines are a term used by collectors to determinate jeans made before 1986, which have a red line running up the seam.

Red Tab is the embodiment of Levi’s. Levi’s Red Tab Men’s Jeans, encapsulates the originality and definitiveness which flow from the first pair of five pocket jeans ever created

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) set up by the UNDP, REDD is a multi-donor trust fund, pooling resources in an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forest. Read more..

Reforestation is a conversion of non-forested land to forested land by direct human-induced conversion, seeding or planting trees of natural sources. Read more..

Reinforcement fabrics is a term to describe a system that used fibre to stabilize soil mass in the construction of steep slopes and retaining wall. This reduces stress on the retaining wall furthermore, decrease simultaneously load-bearing requirements for the design. Read more..