6 Eco-Friendly Fabrics We’ve Fallen in Love With

Silk:* The reasons to love this ancient fabric might begin with the practical—it’s lightweight, warm, breathable, durable, and washable. But silk’s whisper-soft feel and unrivaled elegance elevate it to heirloom status. Whether you’re throwing on a blouse, sliding into pyjamas, or zipping up an evening gown, there’s really nothing quite like it. Yet over the past several decades, polyester and poly-blend fabrics have proliferated as a cheaper, trendier, lower-maintenance alternative. These synthetic materials come with major ecological downsides, including the very problematic fact that like all plastics, they are not biodegradable—an issue that warrants increasing scrutiny in today’s fast-fashion culture.* A better silk alternative is rayon.

MAN-MADE FABRICS

Ready for some science? There are two basic categories of man-made fabrics: “plastics” and “cellulosics.” To understand the difference, think back to tenth-grade biology and see if the word cellulose rings a bell. It’s an organic material that occurs naturally in fibrous plants like cotton, hemp, bamboo, etc., and it can be chemically processed to create textiles. When cellulose is made into fabric, it’s called rayon. Rayon differs from plastic fabrics such as polyester because, although both are created through a chemical process, rayon is created out of botanical matter while polyester is created out of petroleum. Still with us? Good.

Modal and Tencel are the names of trademarked rayons. Along with Cupro, these fabrics are produced in a 'closed loop,' which means the chemicals used can be extracted (rather than dumped) after processing, and the water can be reused. Closed-loop fabrics are considered to have a lower environmental impact than other man-made materials, and lots of sustainable-fashion advocates consider them among the best choices for consumers. They’re also light and absorbent like cotton, they have a silky hand, and they drape beautifully.

But if the process still feels overwhelming, at the end of the day remember that the best way to shop sustainably is to buy deliberately, investing in pieces that speak to you and which are thoughtfully constructed out of materials that will last. When you purchase a garment you truly love and will enjoy wearing repeatedly for years to come, you’re making a choice for style over fashion, and quality over quantity. Which is what sustainability is all about.

*Because silk is an animal product that traditionally involves killing the silk worm during the production process, some people avoid this material. Ahimsa silks (also known as “peace silks” or “cruelty-free” silks), which allow the worms to evacuate the cocoon before harvesting the silk, have become an accessible alternative.

**Much of the information for this article came from the books To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? By Lucy Siegel and Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline. Both are excellent references for anyone wishing to learn more about sustainable fashion.