Round 1 – Comfort and Feel
Natural materials win easily. Gore-Tex, polyester, and similar fabrics against bare skin feel unpleasant. Fine merino wool, silk, and quality cotton, to name a few, feel magical.
The Boxing Match
Two heavyweights meet in the boxing ring. Who comes out on top? The membrane jacket or the cotton anorak? The polyester training shirt or wool?
There are practical advantages and disadvantages to both. You’ll get those. But while you're out exploring the world, think about this: Do you want to dress in oil, or do you want to dress in nature?
And most importantly: What makes you keep wearing a garment for a very long time?
FIGHT!
Round 2 – Odor
Knockout for plastic. Polyester smells like sour milk and fish with just a little sweat. Wool, in particular, can be worn for hundreds of days without washing.
Round 3 – Breathability and Moisture
You’ll feel much less clammy inside a cotton jacket compared to a membrane jacket. At the same time, natural materials absorb more moisture. A draw.
Round 4 – Waterproofing
Oil wins this one. You’d be surprised how well an impregnated cotton jacket holds up in light rain, but for true waterproofing, oil-based materials take the prize. (Just remember how wet you can get from the inside in membrane clothing.)
Round 5 – Warmth
Wool is the key here. It insulates even when wet. A damp polyester training shirt, on the other hand, will leave you freezing. In this round, oil has to throw in the towel—an overwhelming victory for sheep and other wool sources.
Round 6 – Weight
Natural materials take a slight hit here. Oil-based fabrics are often lighter, but natural fibers can still be engineered to be lightweight.
Round 7 – Price
Oil-based fabrics are cheap and easy to mass-produce. However, if you don’t wear the garment often, the cost per use becomes high. That’s why we believe high-quality natural clothing wins—because you’ll wear it for years. See Round 12 below.
Round 8 – Environmental Footprint in Production
No clear winner. Scientists debate this. Surprisingly, synthetic fabrics can have a lower footprint than some natural materials. However, oil is, of course, non-renewable. Both sides take a hit, but natural materials recover faster.
Round 9 – Microplastics
Easy win. Plastic clothing gets carried out of the ring on a stretcher. Synthetic clothes shed microplastics both during wear and washing.
Round 10 – Philosophical
It’s worth repeating: Isn’t it a bit strange to walk around in nature dressed in oil? Like a clammy, foul-smelling Berlin Wall keeping nature at a distance. Just a thought. Some researchers are actually studying this .
Round 11 – Durability
A tricky one to judge. Possibly a draw. Plastic-based materials often withstand more rough use. But—and this is a big BUT—natural materials are usually easier to repair, develop a beautiful patina (age well), and most importantly, the clothes you love the most last the longest. See the next point.
Round 12 – The Most Important Factor (According to Us)
You’re more likely to fall in love with a garment made from natural materials. That’s the key to wearing it for years, taking care of it, and repairing it. Research shows we discard plastic-based clothing much faster.
Just to Be Clear
Plastic-based clothing is made from oil. These are also called synthetic fibers. Examples: Polyester, elastane, nylon, and acrylic. About 70% of all clothing is made from oil.
It’s no secret that we root for natural materials. However, we’re not strictly religious about avoiding synthetics—some of our garments contain small amounts. Below, you’ll find a few of our plastic-free favorites.
PRODUCTS IN NATURAL MATERIALS
Our Philosophy
We choose to use as little oil-based material as possible. It’s a conscious decision—not just to reduce oil extraction and microplastic pollution, but also because it’s easier to fall in love with products made from natural materials.
That said, some of our products contain a bit of elastane or polyester. We try to avoid it, but in socks and underwear, for example, it’s hard to do without. (A boxer with some stretch is simply better.) In future projects, we’ll focus more and more on 100% natural fibers.
