I fell into a new habit this past year of checking the labels of my clothing, just as I would with my food.

Come to find out that the beloved staples in my wardrobe were kind of a scam, like the $100 Lululemon leggings that had taken over my drawers. As it turns out, they were nothing but expensive stretchy plastic that had tested positive for various “forever chemicals” like polyfluoroalkyl substances. And while I obviously loved the fit of many of these fabrics, I began to ask myself if the price tag and compromises in my health were really worth it.

I became quite a detective and would find so many articles of clothing that looked or felt just like cotton or linen, only to turn over the label disappointingly to see that they were charging $50 for a polyester blended shirt.

This change I had noticed in the clothing industry started me down the rabbit trail of synthetic fibers and their unfavorable history.

Thankfully, clothing labels are essential to the apparel industry, and these labels that explain the fabric constitution are usually found around the neck seam or somewhere along the inseam down towards the bottom of the clothes.

Synthetic fabrics read as any of the following:

• Nylon
• Polyester
• Spandex
• Acrylic
• Rayon
• Microfiber
• Neoprene

These are the fabrics ultimately I am mindful of trying to avoid when I am reading the labels.

The beautiful part about these fibers is that they are lightweight, low density, durable, naturally antimicrobial, and most importantly: renewable. The same cannot be said for synthetic fibers.

If we are going to be cognizant of what is in our food, household products, and beauty care, shouldn’t we hold our closets to similar standards?

One of the biggest headlines that came to my attention was that SHEIN, the fast fashion conglomerate, had astronomical rates of lead detected in their various clothing products.

Now one thing to highlight is that fast-fashion brands, like SHEIN and Zaful, almost exclusively use petroleum-derived synthetic fibers like polyester.

A jacket for toddlers that was tested by scientists, was found to contain 20x the amount of lead that is safe for children.

Out of the total 38 samples of clothing, 1 in 5 pieces contained higher than normal lead levels.

Phthalates and PFAs were also detected in the clothing samples. And this was just one brand out of dozens of popular brands that have been caught with this hazardous waste that has passed for “clothing”.

So as we just established, there’s potential for them to contain toxic chemicals I just listed above, but there are some other aspects we need to consider when thinking about our clothes and whole body health.

While there’s various reasons why skin conditions are on the rise, we tend to rarely think about the correlation to the fabrics we are wearing 24/7.

There are approximately 4000+ chemicals in the supply chain from fabric dyes to synthetic preservatives that create sweat-wicking, anti-wrinkle material.

Those are 4000+ potential chemicals that could make contact with skin and cause problems.

According to the book “ Killer Clothes,” we have seen a big jump in contact dermatitis from 3% to 20% in the 1960-2000s. Ironically, this timing happens to align with when synthetic fibers were being introduced to industrial countries.

I have the affinity for exceptionally sensitive skin, and I am the only one in my whole family to not have gone on accutane. I have dealt with everything from acne, to contact dermatitis, to eczema and everything in between.

I used to get terrible itchiness on my legs along with rashes and razor bumps on my armpits if I wore certain clothing.

I finally learned that every time I would sweat in synthetic fiber workout gear, I was having reactions and developing contact dermatitis. I simply made a note to wear more breathable clothes, organic cotton underwear and sweatpants, and the problem completely subsided.

Similar to the skin conditions, women now experience far more UTIs than before. When I was learning about this, all I could think of was: it is the fabric.

Because that is exactly what the trigger was for me. Synthetic fibers trap moisture and are BREEDERS of bacteria. It can literally take less than 1 day for someone to wear the wrong Victoria’s Secret polyester underwear and come down with a UTI.

My best piece of advice for any woman is: switch to organic cotton underwear.

Taking into consideration, what many are wearing to workout is a plastic sweat suit, should we be thinking about what our sweat glands were designed for? Detoxification.

And if we are sweating in chemical plastic, opening up our pores for supposed detoxification, should we then be concerned of what our skin is actually absorbing on the contrary? Definitely.

Should we be thinking about the role of our lymphatic/ sweat glands and realize that what we wear to workout could be completely counterintuitive to our goals? Yes.

Simply put: our skin is the largest organ and the easiest place to absorb and excrete.

Based on everything we have been talking about, this is obviously a given. The fashion industry is clearly not interested in renewables.

…Until they have to be (which is probably soon). The reality check is that consumers like you and me care to read the labels now.

So over 2/3rd’s of the WORLD’S clothing is made of plastic, but you are telling me that the COWS are responsible for climate change? How we have gotten here, I honestly cannot understand.

Since some have started turning their heads towards this industry, there’s a ton of greenwashing going on to be aware of.

Brands now proudly parade the word “sustainable” if they are using recycled polyester as their fabric.

In fact, Nike and Adidas are currently in a race towards who can become more “sustainable first.” Ultimately it’s all smoke and mirrors.

Until these brands actually fully switched to something renewable like cotton- their words mean nothing to me.

If you are reading this and go “ my whole wardrobe is plastic” do not worry. This is not a call to throw everything out at once.

This is about taking inventory and making small meaningful changes in the places that matter (i.e. cotton underwear). This is about reading the labels and deciding if a piece of clothing is worth the investment.

I’m going to stop you right there, because those who have done their research simply know where to look!

Yes, if you go to a name brand store to find cotton or wool sets it can cost a pretty penny. But so can polyester.

So instead you have to think a bit differently if you are balling on a budget. Thrifting for natural fibers is such a great way to do things. Believe it or not chains like Marshalls and TJ Maxx have an abundance of natural fiber clothing. Even places like Target and Walmart have good 100% cotton clothing options.

You literally just have to read the labels!

I get it. This is the hardest part about this whole topic because no one wants sweat stains when they are working out.

Here is my take on workout clothes:

1. Less is better
2. Let your skin breath
3. Switch to cotton sports bras /underwear

Brands like Pact and Mate the Label have good options for workout clothes. Remember, if you are a hot yoga girl like me, you can buy darker cotton leggings and won’t worry about sweat stains!

I usually wear cotton tank tops, biker shorts, and sports bras to keep it simple.

I really hope this post helped in putting the importance of the fabrics that we wear into perspective. If you liked this post, be sure to check out my podcast on fabric frequency here!