Over 60% of the world’s clothing is now made from synthetic fabrics such as polyester. Synthetic fabrics are not good for the environment or our health. For example, polyester is derived from petroleum and is a type of plastic that contains harmful chemicals.
This guide is not here to encourage you to go throw away all of your synthetic clothing and replace your whole wardrobe. It’s here to help you know what to look for when replacing clothing as it wears out. Remember, when it comes to low-tox living, perfection is never the goal. Stressing about toxins in your clothing, food environment, etc is likely to be more harmful to your health than the toxins themselves. It’s important to make changes at your own pace, in a way that isn’t stressful. You don’t have to change everything at once. Every effort will make a difference!
What fabrics are considered synthetic?
Synthetic fabrics go under lots of names (kind of like seed oils, haha). Most synthetic fibers are plastics derived from oil through harsh processing.
Here’s a list of synthetic fabrics:
- Polyester
- Nylon
- Microfiber
- Spandex
- Acrylic
What fabrics are considered semi-synthetic?
Semi-synthetic fabrics are actually derived from natural fibers but then reconstructed through a chemical process. These fabrics are definitely a better choice than synthetics, but natural fabrics are always going to be best. If you go with semi-synthetics, just do your research and find a company that doesn’t use harsh chemicals/processing.
Here’s a list of semi-synthetic fabrics:
- Rayon
- Modal
- Bamboo (most bamboo is semi-synthetic, but bamboo linen is natural)
- Lyocell
- Viscose
- Tencel
What fabrics are considered natural?
Natural fibers are derived from either plants or animals. They are much gentler on the skin, better for the environment, and easier to care for and wash.
Here’s a list of natural fabrics:
- Cotton
- Wool (ex. merino wool, alpaca wool)
- Linen
- Silk
- Hemp
- Jute
Tips for finding high quality organic & natural fabrics
Again, this guide is not here to encourage you to throw away all your synthetic clothing. Personally, I prioritize natural fabrics for the clothing that touches my skin (ex. underwear, bras, tees, pants, socks). I don’t worry as much about outerwear (ex. jackets). As my synthetic clothing wears out or if I don’t use them, I donate them. While I’ve transitioned a lot of my clothing to natural fabrics, I still have some synthetic clothing—and that’s okay!
Note: If something is 95% organic cotton and 5% spandex, try not to worry too much about that 5%. It’s easy to have a perfectionist mindset, but that’s not realistic, especially in the world we’re living in.
Thrift Stores
You can often find great natural fabrics at local thrift stores. This will help you save money and reduce waste. It’s a win win! The only downside is that you definitely have to have a lot of time on your hands to find those “hidden jems” in thrift stores (at least, in my experience).
Active Wear
For activewear, I love wearing merino wool, alpaca wool, tencel, or hemp. These fabrics are moisture wicking and temperature regulating. In my experience, exercising in cotton isn’t very comfortable, especially if you’re prone to sweating.
These are some brands we’d recommend:
- Woolly (code: RACH15) – great tanks, underwear, shorts, pants, etc
- Ridge Merino (I recommend their bralettes & merino wool / tencel blends)
- Arms of Andes (Alpaca wool is SO soft, the ultralight is good for workouts)
- AsatreCo on Etsy – they have lots of great hemp/cotton blends for working out (I love their hemp biker shorts)
Casual Wear / Sweatpants
Pima cotton is probably my favorite fabric to lounge around in. It’s so soft and comfortable! If its really cold, I like wearing merino or alpaca wool.
These are some brands we’d recommend:
- Eco Aya (their pima cotton joggers are SO comfortable)
- Arms of Andes (their alpaca wool joggers are very soft & warm)
- Woolly (merino wool lounge wear) (code: RACH10)
- Menique (merino wool lounge wear) (code: RACH15)
Dresses
Linen dresses are excellent for staying cool in the summer. Cotton, silk, and merino wool dresses are wonderful natural fabrics for dresses as well.
These are some brands we’d recommend:
- Menique (code: RACH10) – they have beautiful linen dressing & clothing
- Pact – mostly organic cotton
- Lilly Pulitzer (they have lots of linen & pima cotton options, but also lots of synthetics)
Jeans
Most jeans are going to be made with mostly cotton. Many brands have added a small amount of spandex for stretch. “Jeggings” are often made with synthetics. Organic cotton is going to be best, but it is typically more expensive.
Swimwear
Virtually all swimwear is made with plastics. Before synthetic fabrics, swimsuits were made out of wool. I’ve done some research and have found that it’s now almost impossible to find wool swimsuits. There is one brand out of Australia called “Swimm” that makes wool swimsuits for women. They look beautiful, but they are very expensive.
Personally, I still wear synthetic swimsuits and for now, I’m okay with that. I’m very tempted to try to make my own swimsuit with wool (I’ll let you know how it goes if I try it). Another option is to wear a merino wool sports bra/underwear set as a swimsuit. If anyone finds any good sources for swimsuits, please reach out to us!
Socks
Organic cotton is great for everyday socks & merino wool is great for hiking/exercise socks. Just be aware that it’s difficult to find socks made with 100% natural fabrics. Most wool socks are made with a blend of synthetics.
Here are some brands we’d recommend:
- Arms of Andes (100% alpaca wool)
- Pact (organic cotton)
Underwear
Organic cotton and merino wool are the best natural fabrics for underwear. I much prefer merino wool underwear for exercise as I find it wicks sweat much better.
Here are some brands we’d recommend:
- Woolly (code: RACH15)
- Arms of Andes (alpaca wool)
- Eco Aya – organic pima cotton
- Pact – organic cotton
- Ridge merino
Bras
This is a tough one. Personally, I hate wearing bras but am not ready to make that sort of statement with not wearing one (unless its a fabric that doesn’t show through). If you don’t wear a bra, more power to you! Almost 100% of bras are made out of plastic/synthetics.
After lots of research, I’ve found a few bra options with 100% natural fabrics, or close to it (92% or more):
- Eco Aya (100% pima cotton bra)
- Menique (100% merino wool bra) (code: RACH10)
- Arms of Andes (100% alpaca wool bra)
- Pact
- Ridge Merino
Keep in mind, many of these bras made with natural fabrics are not padded or very supportive. You can buy organic cotton or merino wool nursing pads and sew them in to provide more support. I’ve done this and it works pretty well.
Here’s my million dollar business idea: supportive bras that are plastic free and padded (but the pads are built in/not removable). So if anyone wants to make them, I’ll be your first customer!
Pajamas
Pima cotton or organic cotton pajamas are my favorite—they’re so soft and cozy. Merino wool is great if you live in a very cold environment or are camping/backpacking.
Here are some brands we’d recommend:
- Hanna Andersson – organic cotton pajamas (they have cute matching options for the whole family)
- Pact – organic cotton
In Summary
Personally I’ve come to prefer natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, or wool. I’m trying to simplify my wardrobe to have less clothes but higher quality / more environmentally friendly clothing. Of course, it’s not necessary for all your clothing to be 100% natural fabrics. When it comes to living a low-toxic lifestyle, just do your best!
Remember to transition to non-toxic products at your own pace & try not to compare yourself to others. Stressing over toxins is usually much worse than the toxins themselves.
Always make sure to do your own research on products, as companies can changing their practices, materials, etc at any time. If you see anything on our website that needs to be updated, please let us know! We’d love to hear from you.
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