Make a conscious choice by supporting these non-polyester and toxin-free fabric brands
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In a world where conscious consumerism is on the rise, the demand for sustainable and toxin-free fabrics has never been higher. This surge in awareness is not merely driven by a desire to lessen our environmental impact, it’s rooted in a fascinating aspect of textile science — fabric frequencies. In the age of the internet, we’re uncovering that fabrics possess unique vibrational frequencies. Wool and linen, for instance, resonate at an impressive 5000 Hz, while organic cotton vibrates at a healthy 100 Hz, the same frequency as a healthy human body. In contrast, fabrics like nylon, rayon and polyester languish at a mere 15 Hz.
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This knowledge empowers us to make informed choices about the materials we wear, not only to make us look good but also to feel good about our choices. So today we’re shining a spotlight on clothing brands that harness the power of high-frequency, health-conscious fabrics. Read on for our curated list of the best non-polyester threads for every occasion, including a short-list of honourable mentions at the end.
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Overall Summary
Best Canadian brand: Tentree
Best for workwear: Everlane
Best overall: KOTN
Best bang for your buck: Organic Basics
Best basics for women: Mate the Label
Best for outerwear and pullovers: Patagonia
Best for the whole family (and home): Pact
Best Canadian brand: Tentree
Tentree is a brand you’ll love for its unwavering commitment to the planet and its people — and for fair prices. With every purchase, they plant trees worldwide, fostering ecosystem regeneration, carbon capture and community employment and their Earth-first approach ensures ethical, safe working conditions. They exclusively make their goods with sustainably sourced and recycled materials such as Tencel and organic cotton, and when they use polyester, it’s recycled. In addition to all kinds of clothes for women, men and kids, they offer accessories like hats, socks, beanies and backpacks. And if you need one more reason to be obsessed, they have an online consignment shop!
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Why you’ll love them: Canadian brand, carbon-neutral, variety of clothes and home goods, B-corp
Affordability: $-$$
Items we love: Women’s Highline Cabled Cardigan | Men’s Highline Cotton Crew Sweater
Where to buy: Tentree
Best for workwear: Everlane
What sets Everlane apart is their “Radical Transparency” approach, which means they share the true cost of every product, from materials to labor, ensuring you know exactly what you’re investing in. Committed to fair wages and ethical manufacturing, Everlane takes pride in their choice of materials, favouring toxin-free options such as organic cotton and recycled materials, reducing the environmental impact of their line.
Why you’ll love them: Price transparency, unisex styles, variety of clothes, shoes and accessories
Affordability: $-$$
Items we love: Women’s The Linen Oversized Blazer | Men’s The Organic Short Sleeve Oxford Shirt
Where to buy: Everlane
Best overall: KOTN
Kotn began with a humble mission to create exceptional t-shirts without compromising quality, affordability, or the well-being of those involved. And we can vouch that their tees are top-notch in terms of fit and comfort. As a certified B Corporation, they hold one of the highest B Impact Scores among North American apparel brands, a testament to their commitment to ethical practices. They not only craft some exceptional cotton clothing and home goods, they have actually created their own cotton-farming communities in Egypt, creating jobs, developing infrastructure and educating in the communities they are part of, contributing to sustainable growth and poverty alleviation. Pretty impressive. With a “seed to stitch” philosophy and a dedication to biodegradable natural fibres, Kotn is more than a clothing brand — they’re a transformative force for good, driven by ethical responsibility and a commitment to positive change.
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Why you’ll love them: Variety of clothes, accessories and home goods.
Affordability: $-$$
Items we love: Women’s Fitted Turtleneck | Men’s Rugby Shirt
Where to buy: KOTN
Best bang for your buck: Organic Basics
Organic Basics offers comfortable, eco-conscious wardrobe staples made in Copenhagen and produced ethically in Europe. Known for its timeless, simple designs and high-quality materials, this brand started as an underwear subscription brand and now offers a wide range of clothing essentials made from organic cotton, Tencel, and recycled materials. What sets them apart is their dedication to transparency, fair wages and ethical production, in addition to being pleasantly affordable — although you may have to pay duties.
Why you’ll love them: Simple, timeless, high-quality pieces at an affordable price point.
Affordability: $
Items we love: Women’s Core Baby Tee | Men’s True French-Terry Sweatpants
Where to buy: Organic Basics
Best basics for women: Mate the Label
Founded by women, run by women and focused on making products for all women, Mate The Label is our top choice for stylish, toxin-free lounge and activewear. This LA-based brand specializes in producing season-less basics with strict policies in place to ensure that carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and other toxins are kept out of their supply chain and off your body. You won’t ever find polyester, nylon, or polyamide in any of their products — and we love that they are also plastic-free, meaning no plastic labels, packaging or sleeves. We also appreciate that their activewear line MOVE by MATE only uses 8 per cent spandex (significantly fewer synthetic fibres than typical activewear).
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Why you’ll love them: Fair-trade, carbon-neutral, variety of clothes and home goods
Affordability: $$
Items we love: Women’s Organic Cotton Classic Tee Bundle |
Where to buy: Mate the Label
Best for outerwear and pullovers: Patagonia
While Patagonia doesn’t exclusively offer high-frequency fabrics, they have been using 100% organic virgin cotton in their products since 1996 — and they continue offering a growing list of healthy and sustainable fabrics for literally everyone, no matter your age or activity. Under each category, simply use their product filter ‘Materials & Processes’ to view products made with hemp, wool, organic cotton, recycled fishing nets and more. While they still have clothes containing nylon and polyester, they are aligned with the growing desire for more natural and recycled materials and only use recycled versions. With winter coming up, you can’t go wrong with a cozy woollen sweater!
Why you’ll love them: Variety of clothes for every activity and age
Affordability: $$
Items we love: Women’s Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T Fleece Pullover | Men’s Retro Pile Jacket
Where to buy: Patagonia | Amazon
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Best for the whole family (and home): Pact
Pact is a brand that understands the importance of comfortable, toxin-free living without compromising colour or style. While some of our picks err on the side of basics, Pact has everything from jackets and sleepwear to bedding and towels. That’s right — in addition to clothing for kids, women and men alike, they also offer home goods. If you appreciate versatile, toxin-free fashion and fabrics for the home, designed with the whole family in mind, Pact is our pick.
Why you’ll love them: Fair-trade, carbon-neutral, variety of clothes and home goods
Affordability: $$
Items we love: Women’s Woven Twill Safari Jacket | Men’s Fireside Flannel Button Up Shirt
Where to buy: Pact
Honourable mentions from Canadian brands:
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Originally posted 2023-09-20 23:28:14.
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