This post was written by Abbie from The Filtery.
The textile industry is very unregulated. There are an estimated 8,000 different chemicals used in fabric production, but if you think about it, the only materials they are required to actually tell you about are the primary fibers used.
When you look at the tag on a t-shirt, it might say it’s made from 50% cotton and 50% polyester, but it won’t tell you whether formaldehyde was added to make it wrinkle-resistant, or whether toxic azo dyes are giving it its color, or whether PFAS were added to make it water-resistant.
The good news is that there are a lot of non-toxic clothing brands out there that are using safer materials and dyes.
If you’ve been wanting to “detox” your wardrobe, this guide will help you get started.
Here are some of my favorites:
This article contains affiliate links, upon purchase I earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Cottonique (geared towards sensitive people)
Carries: Options for men & women.
Sweats & loungewear, sweats, tops, underwear, socks, pajamas, thermal wear, tees & tanks, knits, shorts.
Price range: $20-95
Cottonique has built their whole brand around making allergy-friendly clothing and underwear for people dealing with sensitive skin, contact dermatitis, eczema, and similar conditions.
You’ll find mostly casual pieces and loungewear for both women and men.
The majority of their natural garments are made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton, with nothing like latex, synthetic fabrics, harsh dyes, or chemical treatments in the mix.
A good chunk of their clothing is left completely undyed, though they also offer a few black, blue, and gray options colored with non-toxic dyes.
In addition to GOTS, they also carry other third-party certifications such as OEKO-TEX, B Corp, and even MyMicrobiome Textile-Certified (for skin-microbiome compatibility!).
Their pieces are definitely not the most up-to-date with fashion trends, necessarily, but if you have sensitivities and are going for function over style, you should check out what they have to offer.
A lot of super chemically sensitive people that I know like this brand.
Jungmaven (best for natural hemp clothing)
Carries: Casual, everyday clothing for adults.
Tanks & tees, pants & shorts, sweats, button downs, activewear, dresses, underwear.
Price range: $40-480
I like Jungmaven for laid-back staples, from tees and dresses to button-downs and shorts.
Most of their plastic-free pieces are cut and sewn right in Los Angeles, CA, USA by partners who hold Garment Authority (GA) certification, which signals ethical working conditions and fair wages.
Hemp is their key fabric, but they also use other natural fibers like organic cotton and wool.
They use low-impact dyes and work with third-party certified partners whenever possible, including OEKO-TEX, bluesign, and more.
A couple of my personal favorites are their Makena Hemp Short and their bodysuits.
They’re both really comfortable, breathable, and great for working from home, running errands, or just everyday wearing.
Harvest & Mill (100% made in the USA)
Carries: Loungewear for adults – tees & tanks, sweats, shorts, pants, socks.
Price range: $11-185
If you’re looking for non-toxic clothing that’s made in the USA, Harvest & Mill is about as localized as it gets!
They actually go “beyond sustainable” by making regenerative cotton clothing using an impressive all-American supply chain.
By partnering with local farmers and US-based textile and sewing factories, they’ve managed to make their supply chain five times smaller than the typical one.
On top of that, Harvest & Mill colors its clothing with all-natural, non-toxic dyes like indigo and pomegranate.
They have undyed options as well.
Reprise (for non-toxic activewear)
Carries: Women’s workout clothes.
Leggings, sports bras, tanks, zip-ups, and sweats
Price range: $25 – 150
Reprise has become one of my favorite brands for non-toxic activewear.
They primarily use TENCEL fabric which is made from wood pulp.
It is a plastic-free semi-synthetic that is less problematic than conventional synthetics, but still performs well.
Organic cotton leggings can be good for some things, but I’ve found them to be less durable and not always adequate for harder workouts.
TENCEL is a great happy medium for this purpose.
Their OEKO-TEX certified leggings are super soft and comfortable too. Plus, I love the convenience of the pockets.
They also have a maternity collection!
Neems (best for non-toxic denim)
Carries: Custom denim jeans for men & women.
Price range: $179-229
If you’re going to invest in a pair of high-quality non-toxic jeans, you might as well make sure they fit you perfectly, right?
Neems creates custom jeans based on your own measurements.
You choose the style (straight, wide-leg, bootcut, etc), the wash (light, dark, white, black, etc.), the rise (high, low, mid), the length (full, ankle, cropped), and whether you want stretch or not.
Then you’ll get a link to their body scanner so that your jeans can be made according to your specific body shape and measurements.
Their non-stretch denim is made from 100% cotton and their stretch versions contain a small percentage of elastane.
All of their denim is OEKO-TEX certified.
Q for Quinn (best for underwear & basics)
Carries: For men, women, and kids.
Socks, underwear, & bras.
Price range: $10-113
If you’re looking for organic and non-toxic underwear for the whole family, Q for Quinn is one of the best places to look.
Their pieces are made mostly from GOTS certified organic cotton with 5% elastane/Spandex (and the elastics are OEKO-TEX certified polyester).
I appreciate how they have gradually expanded their collection, so they have something for everyone, whether you want something that’s totally dye-free, or if you’d prefer a plant-dyed option.
I have re-purchased from Q for Quinn several times over the years. My husband likes their stuff too!
A lot of chemically sensitive people do well with this brand.
MagicLinen (best for non-toxic linen clothing)
Carries: Casual clothing for men & women.
Dresses, button downs, tops, pants, shorts, robes, and more.
Price range: $38-229
I’m a big fan of MagicLinen’s garments. (I’ve got one of their bath robes that I reach for just about every day!)
Pretty much everything they carry is made of 100% European flax linen that’s OEKO-TEX certified.
They have a lot to choose from when it comes to natural fiber clothing for adults.
(And they also have a lot of other bed, bath, & home linens as well!)
hahaha (best non-toxic clothing for kids)
Carries: Casual clothing for kids.
Tees, hoodies, pants, shorts.
Price range: $44-88
I love the concept behind this brand.
hahaha is proving that non-toxic clothes for kids do not have to be boring!
Their garments come with velcro on it, so you can grab different sets of patches for your kids to stick on. Girl power patches, gamer patches, car patches, and more… They’re so cute!
What I really love is that your child can swap the patches out as often as they like, rolling with their interests and moods as those (inevitably) shift.
Their OEKO-TEX certified clothes are made in Los Angeles using USA-grown GOTS certified cotton.
Industry of All Nations (undyed & plant-dyed)
Carries: Everyday clothing for adults.
Tees & tanks, shorts & pants, sweaters & dresses, denim jeans.
Price range: $25-595
Here’s another plastic-free brand that works exclusively with 100% natural materials.
Many of their pieces are left completely undyed, which could make them a great pick for folks with sensitive skin.
A lot of their fabric is organic cotton, but they also weave in recycled cotton, alpaca wool, and vegetable-tanned leather.
Their signature blue comes from a fermented natural indigo dye, and they lean on other natural dyes too—iron vinegar for black, beetle resin for pink, and chebula seed for green.
Pact (most affordable)
Carries: Casual clothing for men & women.
T-shirts, pants, shorts, dresses, button-downs, pajamas, bras & underwear, and more.
Price range: $15-195
Pact is one of the most affordable non-toxic clothing brands out there.
They’ve honestly paved the way for organic, Fairtrade clothing that a) won’t break the bank, and b) offers a wide variety of practical clothing.
All of Pact’s clothing for men and women is made with GOTS certified organic fabrics.
Sizes run from XS to 2XL, and there’s a pretty wide range of styles to choose from.
I’ve re-purchased from Pact several times over the years – especially their bras and underwear. It’s super comfortable.
I have some of their bedding as well, which I also like.
A note for chemically-sensitive shoppers from Corinne:
The consensus on Pact is mixed for chemically sensitive folks. It has long been a popular brand in the MCS community, and I (Corinne) used to buy this when I was super sensitive. But like all things aimed at those super sensitive, expectations are higher than normal and results will be mixed; some chemically sensitive people still do well with it, especially after washing. But some report that newer Pact items arrive with fragrance residue, chemical, musty, or India cotton odors, and require multiple washes, airing out, sunning, or other processing before they can wear them. Some people are too sensitive all together, and don’t do well with the brand.
Other brands that the chemically sensitive have liked:
Fair Indigo: Here’s another brand that’s gotten good reviews from chemically-sensitive folks. They mostly carry women’s clothing, but they do have some options for men and kids as well. They offer casual garments like t-shirts, sweaters, and dresses that are made mostly out of GOTS certified organic cotton. The dye they use is OEKO-TEX certified and REACH compliant (which is the EU standard).
Quince: Personally, I have mixed feelings about Quince. I don’t experience their clothing to be very high-quality compared to the other brands listed here. I have doubts about some of their claims. I would not be surprised if they went the way of Everlane. That said, they are one of the most affordable brands that offer a wide variety of natural fiber clothing, some of which is OEKO-TEX certified. A lot of chemically-sensitive folks have said Quince works well for them. So while it wouldn’t necessarily be at the top of my list of recommendations, if you’re on a budget and need something more affordable, Quince is not the worst option either!
Rawganique: This brand is similar to Cottonique in that their products are specifically made with sensitive people in mind. They have a wide variety of products – not just clothing but also home goods, accessories, and more. Most of it is totally plastic-free (for example, they use natural rubber for their elastics) and a lot of it is also dye-free. They certainly don’t have the trendiest designs, but they are practical!
What to Look for in Non-Toxic Clothing
There are two primary components of clothing that we want to consider:
- the actual fibers (for example, cotton or polyester)
- and what else is used in the process: chemicals used to grow or manufacture the fabric, what is added to the textile afterward (like dyes or finishes)
Natural Materials
A lot of people are only just realizing how much of their wardrobe is made of plastic!
Polyester, nylon, spandex, elastane… it’s almost all petroleum-derived plastic. (Nylon is one example that has a petroleum-free, version but it’s rare to find).
And in fact, synthetic fabric has been found to be a huge source of microplastic pollution; every time we wash our polyester leggings, for example, tiny plastic particles shed off of the fabric and get washed down the drain.
Natural & low-tox fabrics to look for include:
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton: As you probably already know, organic cotton is grown and processed without the use of toxic synthetic pesticides, so it’s better for our overall environment and farm workers.
But the GOTS certification also looks at other parts of the manufacturing process as well, including wet processing (dyes and finishes).
GOTS is a third-party organization, which means that textile manufacturers are being audited by an outside party, according to a specific set of standards.
There are a few other organic cotton certifications, such as Organic Content Standard (OCS) and Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC), but those are much less common.
Linen: Made from the flax plant, linen is one of the most naturally low-impact fabrics out there. Flax needs very little water and few (if any) pesticides to grow, and the finished fabric is breathable, durable, and biodegradable.
Hemp: Another low-impact powerhouse, hemp grows fast without much water or pesticides and actually helps replenish the soil. It’s strong, breathable, and gets softer over time, and it’s often blended with organic cotton.
Wool: A renewable, biodegradable fiber that’s breathable and naturally temperature-regulating. Look for Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certified and/or organic wool, which supports better animal welfare and skips the harsh chemical finishes (like superwash) used on a lot of conventional wool.
TENCEL: A semi-synthetic, this is my favorite option if you want or need something that provides a similar performance and feel that synthetic fabric does, but in a low-tox way.
TENCEL is a type of lyocell that’s sourced from wood pulp, but then it goes through a pretty heavy manufacturing process.
The difference between TENCEL and other types of lyocell/modal/rayon is that it’s manufactured using less toxic chemicals and a closed-loop system (so nothing gets dumped into the environment).
Non-Toxic Finishes
We’ll also want to consider what is added to a fabric.
Dyes: There are a lot of different types of dyes that can be used, from azobenzene dyes (aka “azo dyes”), which can break down into carcinogens (though these aren’t used as often anymore!) to safer synthetics and plant-based dyes.
There are more companies that use OEKO-TEX certified dyes, which are safer. These can either be synthetic or natural (as natural textile dyes do not always mean totally chemical-free due to other additives added to the dyes).
Those with the most sensitive skin may want to look for completely undyed clothing when possible (especially for underwear, since it’s directly against the skin for long periods of time).
Performance Finishes: Watch out for these types of ‘performance’ claims on textiles:
- Wrinkle resistant
- Sweat proof
- Iron free
- Easy care
- Permanent press
- Anti-cling
- Stain-resistant
- Anti-microbial / anti-bacterial
- Odor-resistant
- UV-resistant
These claims do not always mean that toxic chemical(s) have been added to the fabric, but it can be an indicator that they have.
For example, formaldehyde can be used to make things wrinkle-resistant, or triclosan can be added to make something antibacterial.
The problem is that there’s nothing requiring clothing companies to actually tell you what chemicals are used to make these.
The OEKO-TEX certification can be a good thing to look for in non-toxic clothing.
While the GOTS certification looks more at the raw fabric and holistic manufacturing process, OEKO-TEX tests finished products to ensure they are free from a long list of toxic chemicals.
Pretty much any type of material, whether it’s cotton, linen, hemp, or something else, can be OEKO-TEX certified.
bluesign is another third-party certification that checks for toxic chemicals, but it’s less common than OEKO-TEX.
While third-party certifications like GOTS and OEKO-TEX are not perfect (they have their pros and cons!), they are definitely helpful tools as you transition to a more natural wardrobe.
What about PFAS-free apparel? It’s actually a common misconception that a lot of clothing brands contain PFAS “forever chemicals.”
The truth is that, for the most part, PFAS have only been intentionally added in water-resistant clothing, such as rain jackets or hiking boots, period underwear, not regular casual apparel like jeans or sweaters.
But regardless, PFAS are on their way out of clothes altogether.
Several states have banned intentionally-added PFAS in consumer clothes, and because of this, we are already seeing a measurable decrease in PFAS in clothing.
About the Filtery
This post was written by Abbie Davidson from The Filtery. The Filtery is an educational hub website for non-toxic living
It provides curious citizens with well-researched and practical solutions for reducing toxins in their homes and bodies.
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