The Battle of Fabrics

🌿 Hi sweet angels,

I spent the last week shopping for clothes for my sister who will be starting Uni soon. She and I are nearly a decade apart, and I don’t follow fashion trends, so I was excited to see what is available in the market for youngsters.

To my surprise, I did not find one item that was skin-friendly, timeless, classy, or reasonably priced. It’s a war on our health, values, and finances!

👗 Building a Wardrobe with Timeless Pieces

About twelve years ago, when my body’s dimensions were more or less settled, I started building my wardrobe, one item at a time. I was careful about collecting timeless pieces, excellent fabric, and that portrayed some hint of modesty (the definition differs for everyone).

Today, there isn’t one item in the mainstream that is focused on quality and the actual premise behind clothing. Clothes are items we wear daily; don’t we have too much at stake by compromising our health like that?

🔥 Issues with Modern-Day Clothing

🚩 Virtue Signaling with the ‘Recycled’, ‘Save the Planet’ Tag

Clothes with these tags push us to purchase and feel good about the purchase made because we are “saving the planet” in doing so. Industry giants purchase raw materials (mostly plastic) for a fraction of a cent on a dollar and charge you exorbitant prices. Polyester, Nylon, Acrylic, Spandex, Lycra, and Elastane - all fall into this category. 60 percent of all clothing manufactured today is plastics!

😡 (I am fuming while typing this!)

These “recycled” clothes are made from old plastics that are exposed to garbage and industrial waste, among other unimaginable things. When you wear them, they release all kinds of substances from such exposure. They are doused in chemicals (used in the manufacturing process) and toxic flame retardants that disrupt your hormones. Polyesters can also cause respiratory issues, skin diseases, and even cancer!

Can you imagine THIS is what you’re paying to wear?

I don’t think we realize the damage until we have a comparison at hand.

👚 My Experience with Modern Workout Gear

About 7 years ago, I too, like any other girl, was into cute workout gear like quality polyester tights (puke), defined sports bras, figure-hugging tops, etc. Though I hardly worked out, it was just a cute essential in the wardrobe. Today, no one can pay me enough to wear this outfit even once. Just the feeling of pulling up those tights on my legs makes me itchy and uncomfortable.

🚫 Ladies, if you pay close attention to your body’s response to working out in plastic, you will observe how hot it gets. If you wear a full-support padded bra (usually meant for running or intense activity), you can feel how after each set your chest can feel like it's flaming. 

Imagine, you’re sweating, producing all that heat which speeds the process of absorbing chemicals from the fabric into your body.

👟 Choosing Healthier Options

I joined a gym two months ago and have since been looking for all-cotton options. Yes, cotton doesn’t have that moisture-wicking technology, and it’s not as cute or sexy, but at least there are zero side effects. Now I wear a cotton t-shirt and a basic cotton (95%) yoga bra with no underwire or plastic padding. I’m still hunting for a good set of pure cotton shorts, presently wearing 50% polyamide ones (for lack of options).

Certain cotton designs can cause chafing in the inner thighs, so you’re left with little choice. The best practice in this case would be to at least wear cotton underwear so your privates don’t have direct contact with the plastic fabric.

🌸 Stay Tuned for More on Natural Fabrics

I will post more on natural fabrics and the WHY behind them in the upcoming letters. Hope this will help you to make informed decisions on your health!

Love,

Zitni Zun ❤️