Glossary

In developmental psychology, the experience of acting from one's own volition rather than under pressure. Supporting it means taking the child's perspective, offering real choices inside clear limits, and dropping the language of control ("you have to", "you should"). It is not the same as letting a child do whatever they want: a meta-analysis within Self-Determination Theory associates autonomy support with higher child wellbeing (r = 0.30) and psychological control with higher distress (r = 0.26).

A synthetic fibre, made from a polyurethane-based polymer, blended into a fabric in small proportions to give it stretch and the ability to return to its shape. It appears most often where a garment has to recover after being pulled: cuffs, necklines, waistbands. Because it is a plastic, it sheds microplastics — a fabric containing just 2% elastane has been measured releasing on the order of 28,000 microfibres per square metre in a first wash.

A substance that interferes with the hormonal system. In textiles the concern centres on chemical additives used in dyeing and finishing, including bisphenols and phthalates, which can reach the body through skin contact or inhalation. It describes a category of substance, not a verdict on any particular garment.

The release of loose fibres from a fabric through friction, agitation or heat. It happens with every textile. What makes it a pollution problem is the material: when the fibre is synthetic, what comes loose is a microplastic. Shedding is highest in the first washes and in fabrics with a cut pile, such as fleece.

Precise movements of the hands and fingers, and the hand-eye coordination that guides them: gripping a pencil, doing up a button, pulling a zip, threading an arm into a sleeve. Getting dressed is one of the few daily situations where a child practises them repeatedly and unprompted, which is why the fastenings on a garment are worth paying attention to.

The range of motion a child actually has once dressed. Garment construction decides it more than size does: the depth of an armhole, the rise of a trouser, the weight of the fabric and how much a waistband gives all change how far a body can reach, crouch or climb before the clothing stops it. Research on motor development associates sustained restriction of movement with later motor, cognitive and emotional outcomes.

It certifies the fibre and the process: at least 95% certified organic fibre for the "organic" label, at least 70% for "made with organic", and an audit that follows the material through every stage of the supply chain, including social criteria based on ILO conventions. Version 7.0 prohibits PFAS in its restricted substances list. A Scope Certificate states that a facility is certified; a Transaction Certificate states that a specific shipment of fabric is.

Movements that use the large muscle groups and the whole body: walking, running, jumping, climbing, balancing, throwing. They develop through repetition and through being allowed to attempt things. They are also the skills most exposed to what a child is wearing, because they involve the trunk, hips and shoulders.

Any piece of plastic smaller than five millimetres. In textiles they take the form of fibres rather than fragments, shed from synthetic fabrics during wear, washing and drying. The European Environment Agency ranks textiles as the fourth largest source of unintentional microplastic release in Europe.

Fibres of plant or animal origin: cotton, linen, hemp, wool, silk. They shed fibres too, but those fibres biodegrade and are not plastic. Cellulosic fibres such as viscose, modal and lyocell are made from plant matter through heavy chemical processing, so they are neither fully natural nor synthetic.

Cotton grown under certified organic agricultural standards, which exclude synthetic pesticides and fertilisers and genetically modified seed. The term describes how the fibre was farmed and nothing after that: the same cotton still has to be spun, knitted, dyed, cut and sewn, and those stages answer to a different set of standards. Certifications such as GOTS exist precisely because "organic" on its own stops at the field.

A family of thousands of synthetic compounds used to make fabric repel water, oil and stains. They do not break down in the environment, which is why they are called forever chemicals. From 10 October 2026 the EU bans PFHxA, one of them, in clothing and footwear. GOTS version 7.0 prohibits PFAS across its restricted substances list.

Play a child starts, shapes and ends without an adult directing it. It is where risk assessment, spatial awareness, negotiation and independence get practised, because the child is the one making the decisions. Survey data show a generational drop: 70% of mothers recall daily outdoor free play in their own childhood, against 31% who report it for their children.

A description of how a garment is built, not a medical category. It refers to construction that removes the usual sources of tactile discomfort: sewn-in labels, raised seams, coarse fabric surfaces and elastics that grip. It is not specific to autism — estimates put tactile defensiveness at up to 16% of school-age children in the general population.

Fibres made from petrochemical polymers, spun into thread and woven or knitted into fabric. Polyester, nylon, polyamide, acrylic and elastane are the common ones in children's clothing. They do not biodegrade, and they shed microplastics.