Best and Worst Fabrics for Your Health: What to Wear and What to Avoid
In general, men are busy with work, their profession, or their business, and they often don’t find time to take care of themselves. Especially, when it comes to suits, they just take two minutes to shortlist and finalise the fabric—no attention toward the quality or make of the fabric. In the long term, this can seriously affect their skin and health. That is why we have curated a short list of the best and worst fabrics you need to know. Just save this post and take a look at it the next time you shop.
Firstly, how can fabrics affect your health?
In this modernized world, fabrics are the ones that get processed several times and are heavily exposed to chemicals such as polyacrylonitriles, petroleum, caustic soda, or dihydric alcohol. When worn on a daily basis, these chemicals can penetrate your skin and get mixed in the blood as toxins, resulting in various complications. Moreover, man-made synthetic fibers are not as breathable as natural fibers.
Secondly, why is fabric selection very important?
Though pure and natural fiber-made fabrics are still available in the market, they have become expensive, and not all men can afford such pure fabrics for tailoring their suits. That is why it is essential for every man to know what fabrics to avoid and what fabrics to wear.
The 5 worst fabrics that you need to avoid at any cost
- Polyester
Made of synthetic polymers, this is one of the worst fabrics for men’s suits. Wearing clothing made of these fabrics can release huge microfibers into the environment, affecting the individual and society.
- Rayon
It is a semi-synthetic fiber that mimics natural fibers in terms of breathability and flexibility. However, it is made of chemically-processed wood pulp and not natural plant fibers.
- Stain-proof
When the men’s shirt says stain-proof, then it means the fabric is already chemically treated. Notably, Teflon-like fluorinated chemicals are heavily exposed to these fabrics.
- Nylon
In general, nylon fabrics undergo a series of chemical treatments, such as acid dyeing and silicon softening. After that, they are again treated with some chemicals to get water-proof, stain-proof, or bacteria-resistant characteristics.
- Acrylic
A few research studies so far have confirmed that acrylic material can cause cancer when worn regularly due to the polyacrylonitriles.
The 5 best fabrics to choose for your suits and clothing
These fabrics are considered organic or natural fiber-made fabrics with minimal or no chemical treatment. Hence, these are better than the above-mentioned chemically treated ones.
- Linen
This fabric is made of flax plant fibers, making it sustainable and organic. These fabrics have two or three times the strength of cotton.
- Cotton
Made from cotton plants’ seeds, these are the most widely used natural fabrics across countries. They are highly breathable and weigh less.
- Bamboo
These are made from pulp of Bamboo trees and mimic the characteristics of cotton and linen. However, a slight chemical treatment is involved when making these fibers.
- Silk
These fibers are naturally spun by silkworm insects feeding on mulberry leaves. These fibers can refract light rays. Hence, that shiny look.
- Wool
Unlike the previous fabrics, these are made from animal skin or hair—preferably sheep, goat, rabbits, or camels.
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