Sustainable Clothing
Natural clothing is better for the environment, human health, and doesn’t shed microplastics into local ecosystems when washed. Natural fabrics include cotton, linen, hemp, silk, and wool. These fabrics are biodegradable, renewable, and usually require less chemical processing and energy to produce.
In contrast, synthetic fibers, like polyester and nylon, are made from fossil fuels and require more energy to produce. They linger in the environment for a long time, contributing to plastic pollution and polluting the land and water sources.
I always assumed buying natural clothing was out of my price range until I began shopping at Poshmark, ThredUp, Etsy, and local thrift stores. Below is a list of places where you can buy natural fabrics and clothing.
Synthetic Fabrics
Synthetic fabrics are created from chemical compounds, often derived from petroleum, coal, or natural gas.
Nylon is a synthetic, man-made fabric sourced from petrochemicals or crude oil extracts.
Polyester is a synthetic fabric made from petroleum-based chemicals. Its name is shortened to represent a synthetic man-made polymer and is commonly known as a PET (polyethylene terephthalate).
Spandex (Lyrca) is a synthetic fabric made from a combination of polyester and polyurethane.
Semi-Synthetic Fabrics
Semi-synthetic fibers are derived from renewable materials found in nature, the most common being wood pulp, that are chemically dissolved and then regenerated.
Rayon is a semi-synthetic fabric made from wood and related agricultural products.
Modal is a semi-synthetic fabric made from beech tree pulp.
Lyocell is a semi-synthetic fabric primarily made from wood pulp, specifically the cellulose within the wood.
Natural Fabrics
Natural fibers are raw materials obtained from plants, animals, or minerals that can be used to create fabrics, textiles, and other materials.
Cotton is a natural fabric made from a carbohydrate called cellulose.
Wool is made from the fleece of animals, primarily sheep, and composed of the protein keratin.
Silk mainly consists of fibroin, a protein that certain types of insect larvae secrete to make cocoons.
Hemp is made from the stem of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa L.), a cannabis species.
Linen is made from the fibers of the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum).
Here’s a comprehensive list of natural fibers.
Where to buy natural clothing
These stores sell 100% natural clothing, but be sure to check the label, since some items are a mix of natural and synthetic fibers.
New clothes
Second hand
Local thrift stores
Salvation Army (also sells furniture, building material, and more)
Online
More Reading
20+ Online Thrift Stores for Scoring the Best Secondhand Fashion Deals
Plastic Soup Foundation, Do clothes make us sick?
Earth.org, Microplastic Pollution Linked to Synthetic Fast Fashion