This isn’t my usual type of post but to some degree it definitely aligns with my values and I think it’s worth writing about and screaming from the rooftop.
I’ve been going through quite a few changes, especially considering my lifestyle over the last few years, and a big part of that has been my wardrobe. You could say I’ve been a little bit impulsive when it comes to that, especially as I’ve discovered more and more about the ails in the fashion industry.
One of the first things I started looking into was cheap/fast fashion. I had a bit of a tug-of-war in this regard having moved to Asia and seen the price of things versus what they’re sold for in the west. For a while I told myself that buying things that were more expensive was not worth it and that they were just markups that took advantage of cheap labour for higher margins. That might be true, but of course it’s more nuanced than that. And two things can be true at the same time. While living in Southeast Asia, I bought lots of cheap clothes without any idea or care about the material used. Most of it was one-size fits all and it felt like good enough to quality for someone who didn’t have a clue. But the end result was that most days I felt like I wasn’t showing much confidence in my dress and taking enough pride in how I looked (outside of work). Some days I felt like a young grandma and other days I felt like a child.
At some point I decided to buy from Shein. Most of my work clothes and all of my active wear came from there. I used them for a few years. When the controversy became a thing, I thought ‘well of course the big brands would come after them because they’re stealing all of their customers’. I didn’t think it truly had anything to do with the labour issues or the cost that they were selling things for. As usual if you follow the money, you’ll see that these news articles that come out are propaganda and you can usually decipher what the real motivations are behind them. But, I would come to realise, the fast fashion piece of it and how much it contributes to waste and pollution is undeniable.
That being said, eventually when I moved back to the west I (perhaps by design) fell into this feeling that I was dressing like a hippie who went on a spiritual journey around Asia and it didn’t seem to fit into the aesthetic of a working professional adult. So once again I changed my wardrobe—still not the work clothes. I kept those.
By the way, each time I do this I donate them or give them away to friends and strangers and never just throw them in the bin. I think it is a bit of consolation for constantly making these changes.
Nonetheless, I started to buy things that were a bit nicer, still from Shein but paying more attention to materials because I didn’t like the feel of the cheaper polyester. This small shift made me feel better about my place in this new professional world and also looking a little bit more refined in my personal life though still beachy island style. I kept the Shein exercise clothes still. I was most consistently doing Ashtanga yoga at a studio when I was in Cayman so I needed quite a few sets. Thankfully there was no shopping in Cayman so this gave me a bit of a pause, but it didn’t last too long.
Eventually, once I left, I realised I couldn’t be dressed for the beach every day anymore so I came to another cross roads. Then for my activewear I found Fabletics and made the shift quite quickly from SHEIN. After that, I got the hook up with Lululemon and I decided to give them a try to see what the all hype was about.
That didn’t last very long.
No sooner after I invested quite a bit of money into ‘quality’ active wear did I discover the scandal that is polyester and nylon and the reports about their clothes not being safe. This was the biggest rabbit hole so far. I dove into research about how they not only shed microplastics but can also cause endocrine disruptions and hormonal issues and a host of other things because of the chemicals used in the processing, which leech into your skin (your biggest organ) especially when you sweat.
This set me off.
If you know me, you know I’m always on a constant search for things that are safe and healthy. Even though it feels like a never-ending battle of trying to avoid toxins and poisons, I still can’t help but react when I learn certain things. Sometimes I manage to reason them out, but other times I feel it’s not worth the risk. In this case, I definitely wanted to be on the safer and more environmentally friendly side of things.
Throw in a lot of travel in different climates, baggage limits, weather differences, lifestyle changes (more walking), and unpredictability, and you end up buying things constantly. Not only was I trying to make a transition to healthier clothing but I was also moving around too much and finding myself often realizing I needed something that I already had (somewhere) but didn’t have with me.
To make a long story shorter I got rid of all the obviously polyester clothes but over the years each time going back to one place or the other where my clothes are stored I’d find that it was lurking in literally everything.
This revamp of my wardrobe has by far been the biggest. I’ve had to get rid of active wear, daily clothes, sleep clothes, work clothes, going out clothes, winter clothes, summer clothes, thermals, stockings, socks, bras—basically everything. Even my bedsheets came under scrutiny. I have looked at absolutely everything.
Polyester and plastic were lurking everywhere as:
- microfibre
- Seamless
- buttery soft
- sweat/moisture wicking
- Water resistant
- Acrylic
- Polyamide
- Nylon
- Spandex
- Elastane
- Fleece
- Satin
- Velvet
The list can actually go on. I’ve done an unimaginable amount of shopping in the last 2 years to try and clean up my act and my closet, but it’s been exhausting. It has me wondering if I am as impervious to the propaganda machine as I thought I was. (I’ve even gotten into jewellery but that’s a story for another day). Still, I couldn’t replace everything right away because I’m not wealthy, but activewear seemed like the best place to start.
Alas, that’s what this blog is about. I’ve gone on long enough.
Over the last year I have invested in numerous natural fibre and/or toxin-free activewear brands. Taking into consideration the following:
- Safe
- Non-toxic
- Good business practices (not telling people your clothes weren’t made for xyz people or that you came up with your name as a joke because some people wouldn’t be able to pronounce it)
- Good quality
- Good price
- Various colour options
- Different styles
- Pockets
- Availability (some brands only ship within the U.S. More on this later)
What I discovered as a result of my research was that there is definitely a benefit to using plastic in activewear. Mainly, it keeps its shape, stretches, and dries quickly. Also if you don’t like sweat stains, which I have to admit do embarrass me, they help with that too. So yeah maybe they aren’t just trying to kill us and have used these materials for good reason (besides it being cheap). However, there does need to be more care taken not just for our health but for the environment.
With all this in mind, this is what I have come up with:
The ones I like (and why)
Quince was one of my most exciting discoveries, which came on the heels of figuring out why polyester and nylon are such popular choices for exercise clothes. Quince makes clothes out of the same materials but their ultra-form collection is all OEKO-TEX certified. This is one of the things I’ve learned about in all my research and I can now tell you a lot more than before about certifications not just for quality of materials but also for better business practices. Basically this certification means that they have tested the material throughout the creation process and they are free from any harmful chemicals. They also feel exactly the same as Lulu align but for a fraction of the price.
This doesn’t solve the micro plastics problem, however, again I can see why these materials are used in exercise clothes so if you are a person who needs the benefits of them but wants to at least protect yourself from chemicals this certification is the way to go.
Just as a sidenote, I also purchase other clothes from Quince because they use quality materials and have them for a good price so I definitely recommend them as a brand in general. They also have household items and jewelry for a good prices.
The one drawback of this one is that their stuff is only available to ship in the US.
This was one of my earlier discoveries as I was looking into bamboo fabric as an alternative earlier in my research. I find that as a material it’s great for temperature regulation especially in a place like London where it can go from hot to cold in five minutes and back about 100 times a day. Their styles are nice, too, though the colour options are a bit limited and it’s definitely in the higher price range when not on sale. However, it takes forever to dry so if you are a person who sweats a lot or you’re doing something like hot yoga or you’re living in a place where it’s super hot, I don’t know if it’s the best. It will show your sweat depending on what colour you get and doesn’t have as much compression— but it holds its shape. I wore one of the tops once to hot yoga and it got soaked and stayed soaked, leaving me shivering through savasana. It took hours to dry.
That being said I have also purchased other clothes from them that I absolutely love. They’re great for winter clothes and just apparel that is incredibly soft and comfortable, though not necessarily stylish. You can get good deals when sales are on and they also have good customer service, but I believe returns from the US are not free.
Both of these brands are high-quality and their activewear is buttery soft just like Lulu—minus the chemicals. Also unlike Lulu, the prices are incredibly reasonable. Run, don’t walk.
This one is my most recent discoveries after I had already decided I wasn’t going to buy anything else. Their Dreamlux collection is also OEKO-TEX certified and they offer more colour options and styles than Quince. I’ve ordered a few things from them to test it out and they have now taken the lead over Quince for activewear in particular.
One thing to note with all of these companies, which I like but also can be frustrating, is that they don’t have unlimited quantities of their items. There might be times where you go to order something and everything is out of stock so you have to wait until they restock, which can take a few weeks. This is obviously a good sign because it means that they are not doing massive production and contributing to excessive clothing waste, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind if you are in need of something within a specific timeframe.
The ones that are OK, but I’m not getting rid of them (and why)
This one is the most innovative because they also make their stuff out of the usual materials, but they found a way to make it so that it biodegrades like a natural fabric. I really don’t understand why more companies don’t use this.
Anyway, I found them because I was looking for a kind of mustard yellow set and they were one of the few places where I could find it. I ended up getting a few different colours and while I do like them I have found that some of them are a little bit see-through. Also, one of the colours I got is a little bit too bright. It’s hard to tell the true colours from the website but this is definitely a brand for those who like bright colours.
I’d say the prices are mid range for this brand. Not cheap but not crazy expensive.
I think this might have been the first one that I purchased and it wasn’t cheap. I can’t really say I dislike them because I think they’re decent but they’re not the softest and they definitely show sweat stains. They also don’t have much variety, but I’m keeping the one that I got because I paid a pretty penny for it.
I’m not really sure if it’s worth putting this one on the list because they’ve decided to stop making activewear until they can figure out some things, but I got a few sets from them and I really liked them initially. But after one wear and wash, I noticed that they kind of stretched out and stayed that way. I think there’s something off about the sizing or the stretch of the material, which is probably what they’re working on.
In terms of colours and styles they are very basic and simple but they’re comfortable and good quality and definitely good for places that are not too hot because they also don’t dry quickly. I think it’s better for lounging and travelling than for exercising.
This brand makes their activewear out of hemp. It’s another brand I really wanted to like but it just didn’t quite make it for me. I ordered a colour that looked different when I received it and it’s also incredibly thin. It actually feels like it would pill like stockings do if you’re not careful. This also means that it is see-through and not great for colder weather. As a material on its own, I think they’re onto something soft and comfortable. But it’s very expensive and I do wish I could return the leggings set. The caveat, which is why I put it in the ‘like’ category is because I also got a tennis dress from them that I like a lot. It’s black so I don’t have to worry about it being see-through, but it’s also thicker and I always get a lot of compliments when I wear it. If it was cheaper and they had more options, I would probably get it in other colours.
I ordered from them only because I was looking for something in oat colour and that’s how I found this brand. Since it’s gotten it has the same drawback as the other natural fabrics, which is that it’s not very stretchy, it stays wet for awhile, it shows sweat stains, and it can lose it’s shape. These things don’t matter so much in the colour that I got and it’s a colour I really wanted so that’s why I like it. It’s also not so sick so if it does get wet it doesn’t feel heavy and uncomfortable. I haven’t worn it much because obviously I have to be careful about it getting dirty. But so far it hasn’t stretched out and has kept its shape.
The ones that I’ll get rid of eventually (and why)
I already explained this above and why it’s being placed in two categories. This categories specifically pertains to the leggings and the bra. Apparently they’ve made some adjustments to the fabric, perhaps making it thicker, so potentially their newer stuff will be better and I’d be willing to try it if it wasn’t so expensive.
Unless I plan to just wear these to lounge around, I don’t think they’re the best for high intensity or even high stretch yoga. After wearing them for a few hours, I find myself having to pull them up constantly.
The ones I didn’t like at all (and why)
This company obviously has a big marketing budget because I see it everywhere. They’re even inside of Whole Foods. They make their clothes from organic cotton and sell more than just active wear. That’s where I would probably focus if I were to buy from them again.
The exercise clothes have the same problems as all the other natural fabrics except that it’s not very soft and actually feels a bit stiff. I didn’t find them comfortable at all and definitely not suitable for my type of exercise.
These are made from bamboo. I kept it initially because they were the second ones I ordered when I started this shift, and they seem to have come from far because the shipping took forever. I was excited to get them and the disappointment was just as much. I think that these are made for women who are thin without much hips or thighs because they fit me at the waist but they don’t fit me below so well. I constantly have to be readjusting as they slide down during my workout. They also are not cheap and there are not many options available. Customer service isn’t great either. The material is alright but I’d say this is not worth either the price or the wait. There are plenty of other brands that can tick the same boxes for less headache.
This is the only one that I returned straight away. I didn’t like the colour. I didn’t like the fit. I didn’t like the style. The material was okay, but I don’t think it’s suitable for exercise clothes. They should just stick to normal clothes.
This brand came all the way from Bali and like most boutique clothing stores there catered toward tourists, it’s extremely expensive. That meant I would have to absolutely love it to be happy spending that much money on it. I didn’t. I think these are made for thinner women with not much shape and are more about style and comfort than function. This is the kind of stuff girls wear around in Bali on a daily. That’s not what I needed. It’s incredibly soft and comfortable to wear, but for exercising I don’t think it’s the best, particularly if you want something that really holds you. Again, as a natural fabric, it has the same drawbacks, except it’s more stretchy and I don’t think it would lose its shape.
Thankfully I was able to send it all the way back to Indonesia (which is unfortunate for carbon footprint but was necessary for my account) and get my refund but I lost $30 in shipping fees in the process. Would not recommend.
All in all it’s a shame that shopping now requires so much trial and error. I truly don’t know how things are going to fit or look until I receive them and by then they’ve already gone halfway across the world. Even in person it’s difficult because I don’t know which brands to trust and I’m always in new places where I don’t know what’s what. I’ve gone from reading ingredient labels to reading product material labels. It’s so exhausting having to be this vigilant about my health. It feels like everything is out to get us and I have to be on hyper alert constantly. I’ve developed some real trust issues. When does my nervous system get to rest?
I look forward to settling down somewhere and not having to buy any more clothes for the foreseeable future.
