Consumers seeking more sustainable fashion choices now have a new tool at their fingertips. Clear Fashion, an app often dubbed the “Yuka of fashion,” has expanded its functionality to allow users to scan the barcodes of over 27,000 clothing products in-store and instantly access their official environmental impact score. This development comes five months after the implementation of a French government initiative aimed at increasing transparency in the textile industry, and marks a significant step towards empowering shoppers to make informed decisions about the clothes they buy.
The ability to quickly assess a garment’s environmental footprint – a feature previously popular in the food sector with apps like Yuka – is arriving at a crucial moment. Whereas awareness of the fashion industry’s environmental impact is growing, clear and accessible information remains limited. The French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) spearheaded the push for environmental labeling in textiles, and Clear Fashion is acting as a key intermediary in bringing that information to the public. This new scan feature aims to transform complex data into an immediate, understandable indicator for consumers.
From Luxury Brands to Everyday Retailers: A Growing Database
The initiative isn’t limited to niche eco-brands. Currently, 66 brands have integrated their data into the Clear Fashion platform, representing a broad spectrum of the market. This includes well-known retailers like Kiabi, TEX (Carrefour’s clothing line), and Tissaia (E.Leclerc), alongside premium and designer labels such as Courrèges, Paul Smith, Sessùn, and ba&sh. Outdoor and performance brands committed to sustainability, including Millet, Rossignol, Picture, 1083, Loom, and Lagoped, are also participating.
Access to the scan functionality is contingent on brands completing an impact assessment through the official environmental display portal. The resulting score, based on a government-defined methodology, quantifies the ecological footprint of the product. A higher score indicates a greater environmental impact, providing a simple way for consumers to compare products. The scoring system considers factors throughout the garment’s lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life disposal.
Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Practice
Clear Fashion has been a pioneer in sustainable fashion transparency since its founding in 2018. The company began collaborating with French authorities in 2020 to help define the methodology for this environmental labeling system. By launching the scan feature, Clear Fashion is effectively translating government regulations into a user-friendly tool for everyday shoppers.
“Clear Fashion acts as a ground-level link between brands, consumers, and public authorities,” the company stated in a press release. The goal is to establish a new purchasing habit, turning complex technical data into an immediate decision-making factor.
Beyond Official Scores: The Rise of the “Fashion Score”
While the official environmental cost is central to the system, some brands are going further. Sessùn, Picture, and Carrefour, for example, are displaying a complementary “Fashion Score” alongside the government-mandated score. This index, rated from 0 to 100, incorporates criteria not covered by the official display, such as fair labor practices, material traceability, and circularity initiatives.
“We believe in transparency,” said Bertrand Swiderski, Director of CSR at Carrefour, in a statement. “Just like the Nutri-Score in the food industry, the Fashion Score can turn into a simple reference point to help consumers make more informed choices.” This expanded scoring system reflects a growing demand for a more holistic assessment of a garment’s sustainability.
What’s Next for Transparency in Fashion
The number of products available for scanning is expected to grow significantly in the coming months. This expansion will accelerate further in October 2026, when simplified default calculation methods will make it easier for brands that have been slower to adopt the system to participate. The French government is aiming for widespread adoption of the environmental display system across the textile industry.
With over 400,000 users and increasing recognition, Clear Fashion aims to influence consumer purchasing decisions. The company will be demonstrating its real-time transparency tool at the upcoming ChangeNOW summit, a leading event focused on the ecological transition. The future of fashion may well depend on this increased access to information and the ability of consumers to demand greater accountability from the brands they support. The ChangeNOW summit, taking place in Paris, will be a key venue for showcasing these advancements.
The push for greater transparency in the fashion industry is part of a broader global movement towards sustainable consumption. Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental and social costs associated with fast fashion, and are seeking alternatives that align with their values. Clear Fashion’s scan feature represents a significant step towards empowering consumers to make those choices.
Share your thoughts on this new tool and how it might influence your shopping habits in the comments below.
