Meanwhile, consumers have beaten back price increases at retail, as the seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index for apparel fell in September from August, the first monthly decline in six months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Thursday.

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In addition to eventually adding more functionality and a consumer-facing label to the Higg Index, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition plans to add more high-end fashion companies to its membership roster in the near future, which would differentiate it from virtually every other sustainability initiative in the apparel industry.

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In fact, retail apparel is the number one ranked industry on my Validea Value Index as we head into 2013.

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Racing apparel may explain why no American city landed last month on an index of the world's 20 bike-friendliest cities.

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For example, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, led by Patagonia, has engaged over 30% of the global apparel and footwear companies who are now held accountable to a single sustainability index.

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