Clothing and Textiles from Natural Materials

Clothing and textiles from natural materials can be hard to find. While sustainable clothing is all the rage right now, many “sustainable” materials are synthetically processed. For example, bamboo grows quickly but is almost always processed with toxic chemicals to make rayon from it. I like to reduce my exposure to unnecessary chemicals and even synthetic fibers, so I opt for natural materials, like organic cotton and wool. As a bonus, natural materials are biodegradable, so good for your body and good for the earth.

Clothing from natural materials, like organic cotton and wool, also feels awesome on your skin. Maybe you’re one of those people who wonder if wool could ever feel good on your skin. I used to be one of those people myself! In the past, I’ve always had issues wearing wool and would get an itchy, red rash. However, the organic merino wool products sold by Warmth and Weather (see table below) have been amazingly tolerable for my skin. I wear my wooly base layer all winter (and let’s face it, even for part of fall and spring here in Canada!).

You might also wonder if clothing from natural materials will break the bank, but some brands are actually quite affordable. In particular, I find H&M as well as Twik from Simons (see table below) are very reasonably priced. For other brands, keep your eye out for sales that will help them fit in your budget. To help with affordability and sustainability, I’ve only replaced my clothing as items wear out rather than attempting to replace my whole wardrobe at once.

Where to Find Clothing & Textiles from Natural Materials

Below is a table listing retailers where I have found organic cotton and wool clothing and textiles. It took me a while to track these down, so I thought it could be helpful for others who are looking to transition to clothing and textiles from natural materials.

(A special note about the Under the Canopy brand–they used to be sold through Bed, Bath & Beyond but don’t ship to Canada anymore. I use this cross-border shipper to deal with that problem. I also use that same cross-border shipper to get tall clothes from the Gap US store for my ultra-tall husband!)

More and more retailers are starting to offer organic materials, so I am sure that this table will expand over time. Happy shopping for clothing and textiles from natural materials!