what the hell is my clothing made from?

Over the weekend, I decided to go thrifting to find the perfect linen dress and came across lots of cool vintage garments. As I’m sure you know, I’m all about secondhand shopping - but recently I’ve been making more of a concerted effort to purchase clothing only made with natural materials.

During my search many a question arose: what is this acetate fabric made from? Why is every cute romper made with rayon? And why oh why did we ever start using plastic (polyester) to make clothing? In this post, I’ll try to break down how some lesser known materials are made, and their impact on the environment.

Synthetic Materials

In this pic, I’m wearing a recycled polyester spots bra + leggings

Polyester
Polyester is a synthetic, man-made material “made by mixing ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid” (Contrado UK). Essentially, it’s plastic. Unfortunately, polyester breaks down during washing and creates microplastics, which leech into our waterways and gets consumed by marine life and, eventually, humans. Yikes! There are some sustainable fashion brands that are using polyester made from recycled plastics, like Girlfriend Collective and allSisters. If you have polyester in your closet (which we probably all do), I recommend looking into a guppy bag or cora ball, which capture microplastics before they can cause harm.

Nylon
Nylon is a synthetic, man-made polyamide, made from petroleum - basically another plastic fabric. It’s become popularized for its durability and water resistance. While it’s not the most sustainable material, if you have some on hand, I advise washing these items similar to the above: with a microplastic-capturing product.
If you’re specifically in need of a good pair of nylons (tights), check out Swedish Stockings who make theirs with recycled yarn.

Elastane (Spandex)
Elastane is another one of those polyester/plastic fabrics. It’s used to make your garments elastic - think leggings, workout gear, bodycon dresses, you name it. Follow the same instructions as above to prevent microplastics!

End of Life Cycle for Polyester, Nylon, and Elastane: recycle through a textile recycling program, such as The North Face or if you’re in NYC, drop it off at the GrowNYC Greenmarket Textile Recycling.

Semi-Synthetic Materials

Rayon/ Viscose
Rayon is a fabric made from regenerated cellulose (viscose). “Rayon’s cellulose is produced from trees, which… are chemically processed to remove everything (bark, lignin, etc.) but the cellulose, and then the remaining cellulose is regenerated into man-made fibers” (Barnhardt Cotton). If you’ve ever seen clothing made from bamboo or eucalyptus, it’s probably rayon.
While not inherently bad, rayon/viscose has gained a reputation for greenwashing. If you’re buying new, make sure to look into the garment’s life cycle. If there isn’t transparent information on the company’s website, email them to ask about their material sourcing!

Acetate
Like rayon, acetate is made from cellulose - specifically, taken from wood pulp. “Classified as a chemical fiber textile or semi-synthetic… acetate flakes are generated by a reaction of the wood pulp to a variety of acetic acids. The flakes are dissolved in a solvent, and then passed through a spinneret – as the solvent evaporates – to create the filaments used to construct the fabric” (Hunker).

Tencel or Lyocell
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End of Life Cycle for Rayon, Viscose, and Acetate: because these are semi-synthetics, these materials cannot be composted. Recycle through a textile recycling program, repurpose, or host a clothing swap with friends.

Natural Materials

Why is it better to use natural materials?

Natural materials can break down far more easily than synthetic - if one of your cotton tees gets stained or too worn, you can easily cut it into strips to reuse for rags, or compost it. Natural clothing can also last far longer than synthetic if you take proper care! So when it comes to choosing natural materials, I like to opt for cotton or linen, or secondhand wool, silk or leather.

Eco materials + the illusion of sustainability

Remember that just because a garment is made with natural or plant-based materials doesn’t mean it’s inherently sustainable or ethical.

Organic cotton uses significantly more water to grow than regular cotton does; and vegan leather is often made with microplastics. So when you purchase, make sure to do so slowly, consciously, and thoughtfully as much as possible.

Final takeaways

The goal shouldn’t be to only replace our current purchases with sustainable alternatives, because overconsumption is one of the main causes of the climate crisis. Keep in mind that we cannot ‘sustainably’ purchase our way our of the climate crisis - and the most sustainable item of clothing you can buy is the one you don’t buy.