If you follow this blog on any social media channels, you have probably seen some rantings against stretch or performance fabrics. I thought I might take some time to explain why I hate these fabrics so much. These days synthetic fabrics seem to be everywhere. Stretch, moisture-wicking, non-iron, wrinkle-resistant, performance (whatever that means), etc. dominate the clothing marketplace. They are so ubiquitous, everyone must love them, right? So how could someone hate them? And why aren’t they as good as natural materials?
For the purposes of this post, I want to be clear that I’m talking about two different types of fabrics, which I’ve lumped together because I despise them both. The first type are fabrics woven with synthetic materials, either as a mix with natural materials or entirely synthetic. The second are fabrics finished with a chemical wash working as some sort of half-assed preservative to maintain creases much longer than natural. Both of these types of fabrics are on my “no buy” list. I try to avoid them whenever possible. I’ve been able to do so except for a few instances which I’ll discuss in another post, but let’s start with why I dislike them.
They Are Not Environmentally Friendly
Let’s be clear about what synthetic fabrics are. They’re plastic. So what happens when a stretch fabric shirt finds its way to the municipal dump? A traditional cotton or linen shirt would biodegrade over time. However, the plastic in a stretch fabric shirt does not, and over time can have a negative impact on the environment, and potentially even human health. When it comes to non-iron and wrinkle-resistant fabrics, the results can be similar. The chemical washes that create the non-iron effect can contain formaldehyde. You know…the stuff from science class in the jars with the preserved specimens. I don’t want that dumped into my water supply or sitting on my skin for hours every day.
They Do Not Age or Break In
The entire purpose of these types of fabrics is to keep your clothes looking as new as the day you bought them. I don’t want that. Clothes should be worn, they should bear the marks of a life lived, they should adjust and mold to your body and movements over time. I want my chinos and denim to soften, I want patina, I want patches. I think our world today wants perfection. Society wants an airbrushed life. Everything needs a filter and to look Instagram-ready. That’s not real. That’s not how things actually look, and, to me, it is the sign of a shiny but unremarkable life, all fluff and no substance.
Personally, I think clothes look better with some time to adjust to your body. Remember how comfortable your favorite jeans were when you were a kid? (Probably Lee or Wrangler or Levi’s.) That’s because they were 100% cotton and had time to break in. The canvas inside your sport coat needs time to mold to your body. Once it does, not only does it fit better, but it also looks better on you too! I can always spot the guy who pulls out his suit 2 or 3 times a year. He looks stiff and uncomfortable. Do yourself a favor and wear your suits. Let them shape and form to your body.
This reminds me of discussions about linen. Mention linen to someone, either online or in person, and the comment you most often hear back is, “Oh, but it wrinkles!” Yeah, that’s the point! Linen looks best when it has some time to soften up, stretch out, and get beaten up. Linen is supposed to have a casual air to it. Your linen suit should tell people, “Sure, I’m in a suit, but let me ditch the jacket and tie, and I’ll join you on the beach for a drink.” The wrinkles are a design, not a defect.
My point to all of this is that stretch, non-iron, wrinkle-free fabrics don’t do any of those wonderful things. They don’t age. They don’t soften. They don’t break in. One of the tricks to looking good in clothes is to make them look like YOUR clothes. The only way to do that is to wear them often.
They Are Not More Comfortable
Another major selling point for synthetic fabrics is that they are more comfortable. Loyal reader, I am here to tell you that this is not true. Stretch fabric may move with you, but it always resets to factory settings. It never settles into a symbiotic relationship with your body. Non-iron and wrinkle-resistant fabrics can irritate your skin and chafe exposed areas. In an effort to eliminate ingrown hairs and blemishes skin frome my neck, I made two major changes. I began shaving with a double-edged traditional safety razor and I removed non-iron shirts from my wardrobe. Softer, unfused, natural fiber collars have been a godsend too. Moisture-wicking, performance fabrics do not insulate or breathe as well as natural fibers like linen, cotton, silk, and wool. Yes, wool!
Fabrics woven with natural fibers have small spaces between the different threads in the weave. They can let air pass through to keep you cool, like linen and wool weaves like hopsack and fresco do. Natural fabrics can also trap air in those spaces to keep you warm like other types of wool do. The synthetic fabrics are more akin to wearing a trash bag to cut weight like wrestlers do. They just become a sweaty, sticky mess. And those moisture-wicking fabrics? All they do is push the sweat to the outside of your clothes so you can look like you just jumped into a pool fully dressed. Instead, try wearing a thin cotton undershirt which can either function as a light baselayer keeping you warmer, or it can catch and absorb your sweat, actually keeping you a little cooler. We sweat to cool ourselves off when it’s hot out or when we order those extra spicy Buffalo wings. A cotton undershirt will also help protect your shirts from discoloration. Just make sure you use an aluminum-free deodorant!
Synthetic fabrics are quick fixes which don’t actually solve any of the problems they claim to. They aren’t sustainable or environmentally friendly. Plastic is plastic, and it will continue to damage ecosystems. There are many instances where plastic is useful and necessary, however, we should try to limit our use to where it’s needed. Stretch fabrics don’t look better. They just look like a paper doll’s outfit snapped on with no personality, style, or character. They’re not more comfortable. They just offer short term relief for the cost of long term pain. So, the next time you’re shopping for a new suit, some new shirts, or even a pair of chinos, ditch the stretch fabrics and look for some real cotton, linen, or wool instead.