Linguistic Issues of Transparency in the Fashion Transparency Index

Abstract

The Fashion Transparency Index (FTI) is a very sophisticated operationalisation of the notion of transparency in the field of fashion: since 2016 the Index has scored annually the degree of transparency of the world’s largest brands in their sustainability-related efforts. Like previous work on transparency, the Index also contains occasional remarks on the language used by brands. Given the key role played by language in transparent, i.e., honest, open and clear, communication, it is surprising that such remarks have not been systematically investigated.

The present study aims to fill, albeit partially, this research gap. First, a diachronic content analysis was conducted on the FTI (2016-2023) to identify the issues regarding the language used by brands when disclosing their sustainability-related efforts, as seen from the perspective of the non-linguistic community of the compilers of the Index as well as from a linguistic perspective. Second, a frame analysis was conducted on the use of encourage and suggest – which the Index associates with lack of transparency when used by brands in their disclosure of supply chain policies – to ascertain whether these verbs, along with other conceptually related ones, may hinder transparency. 

Results show that linguistic remarks in the FTI are often unsubstantiated and, overall, reveal a lack of generic and contextual awareness. While this is unsurprising, since the compilers of the FTI are not linguists, the findings clearly point to a need for cooperation between the non-linguistic community of the FTI authors’ and linguists, if the Index aims, as it claims, “to closely scrutinise the language used” by brands (FTI 2020, 5) and design guidelines which brands can use.