Turns pale seeing fashions clothing sweetheart (5)
I believe the answer is:
fades
'turns pale' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both related to bodily activities as well as being verbs in their -s form.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'fashions clothing sweetheart' is the wordplay.
'fashions' becomes 'fads' (fad is a kind of fashion).
'clothing' is an insertion indicator.
'sweetheart' becomes 'e' (the heart/centre of 'sweet').
'fads' placed around 'e' is 'FADES'.
'seeing' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for fades that I've seen before include "Gets weaker" , "Loses colour or freshness" , "Gets less" , "Loses colour, through age or sunlight" .)