You are what you … wear!

Hello fellow clothing wearers!

I’ve been thinking a lot about what our clothes are made of…as in, organic cotton, non-organic cotton, spandex (what IS spandex? where does it come from?), synthetic fibers (many are made of oil?!)...and on the list goes.

It is important to know and understand what our clothes are made of – and I want to deep dive into this topic as part of this sustainability club, but it is first important to understand why it matters.

What we buy, and what we wear, affects not only our bodies but the planet, due to the use of synthetic materials in our clothes. Synthetic materials must be manufactured (which often is harmful to people and the planet) and they often shed materials (like microplastics) when washed. 

You might be thinking…

What the heck are microplastics? 

How do I know what my clothes are made of?

What should I buy instead of synthetics?

But I love my athletic/athleisure clothes!

So today’s lesson is to start to recognize the differences between fabrics (aka textiles) – and what is natural versus synthetic. I’m including a nice table from medium.com below for reference.

Notice your clothing tags when you’re getting dressed. What are your clothes made of? Can you identify your preference for natural or synthetic? 

Bring this awareness to your wardrobe and as we delve deeper into textiles and sustainability, you’ll be able to adjust your habits (or at least make informed purchasing decisions) accordingly.

Yours in clothes,

Kevin xo