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Comment by analog31 | Hacker News Reader

I admit that I've largely given up on cotton. I know there's still the issue of micro-plastic waste to consider, but in other respects, synthetics just seem to work better. They last longer, are quick-drying, and stain resistant.

The latter two features are important since I get around town by bike, and am at the mercy of the weather, plus annoyed when my pants touch my bike and acquire permanent black stains. That stuff washes right out of my synthetic pants.

Meanwhile, I perceive that cotton clothing has gotten worse, most notably wearing out sooner. I probably won't buy any more blue jeans, even name brand, though it's not unthinkable that the ones I've gotten recently are counterfeit.

Fortunately I live in a casual town, and my job is "engineering casual." ;-)

I'm not sure about the relative environmental impact of a pair of cotton jeans that lasts a year, or a pair of hiking pants that lasts six years.

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The plastic waste thing is a pretty big deal in my eyes.

I try to completely avoid any synthetics and wish they were taxed into oblivion to account for externalities like polluting entire ecosystems.

Mind you, high quality synthetics are probably fine if you plan on wearing them for 20+ years.

What bothers/worries me is that fast fashion is pretty much entirely synthetics based and sells enormous quantities.

What's actually happening to the plastic? It can't be coming off my clothes in the washing machine at any profound rate, yet remain good as new for years. If I dispose of something in my locale, it goes to a sanitary landfill and will never see air, water, or sunlight.

I'm oblivious to fashion, much less fast fashion ;-)

Is there an ecologically responsible way to use synthetic clothing? Natural materials are not without their environmental impact either.

Have you checked your lint trap?

Yes, the cotton fabrics (sheets, towels) produce a lot of lint, the synthetics practically none. That's consistent with the cotton stuff wearing out more quickly.

I can tell by the way you are hyping up synthetic clothing that you've never stepped foot in a humid town/city where you are constantly sweating buckets. The way synthetic clothing sticks to your skin would probably make you want to walk around naked all day.

But there are synthetics that handle sweat/moisture way better than cotton. For example: it's technical wear, but Patagonia's sun hoody [1] is one of my all-time favorite pieces of clothing.

Consider what football players wear. Nobody's wearing wool or cotton jerseys any more! Synthetics wick better, stretch better, and dry better. The biggest downside is the microplastics they make when you launder them. Supply-chain wise, they might still be better than most cotton, though.

1) https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-tropic-comfort-natura...

Proper synthetics handle sweat much better, so much so that i can barely wear cotton in the summer (live in hot climate). Also i remember throwing away cotton clothes much more often. I wish there was more synthetics beyond sports clothes because they make life just so easier (they also wash and dry easier)

I have synthetic shorts [1] and collar shirts [2] that aren’t, and don’t look like, sports clothes. They are great, you can wash them in the shower at night and have them (mostly) dry by morning.

1: https://www.billabong.com/crossfire-mid-submersible-shorts-1...

2: https://www.target.com/p/men-39-s-jersey-polo-shirt-all-in-m...

> ...I perceive that cotton clothing has gotten worse...

Well documented problem. There has been a drastic decline in production of high quality cotton over the past two decades. I think the biggest change has been in Egypt, but there was also a major shift in USA production. Lower quality cotton gets larger crops and has been more profitable. Egyptian cotton used to be high quality because a government agency forced farmers to produce the better stuff in order to maintain the reputation of "Egyptian Cotton". The political turmoil after the Arab Spring disrupted that. You can find many articles about the resulting decline in quality of cotton clothing and bed linen.

Wool is the ideal natural fiber for bad weather. Definitely not cotton.

Wool is not good in hot weather though? Of course neither is cotton, really, it gets soaked in sweat and is slow to dry.

Cotton or linen only in hot weather. Not that thick fruit of the loom stuff but some good fabric that is thin enough to breathe, but it's still cotton so it's wicking moisture. Evaporation results in a cooling effect so long as the cotton is thin enough. That's the only way to go in the heat (imo). Cheap old men's dress shirts from the 80s that are still 100% cotton and have been washed too many times.

Merino wool t-shirts are pretty great in hot weather.

I’ve never tried running in them, but lightweight wool socks (e.g. darntough) are pretty great for summer wear. Last a lot longer than cotton too.

I run in wool socks [1] all the time. Wool is moisture wicking too [2].

1: https://www.smartwool.com/shop/mens-running-socks

2: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/what-does-moisture-w...

I use wool socks year round, even during summer for hiking or general purpose except at the gym. They are excellent for rains too.

Cotton is probably bad for biking anyway as it’s a sponge so your sweat will just leave you with a drenched shirt.

But I am trying to avoid plastic clothes because of their environmental impact, and possible leachate ending up in (or through) my skin.

Wool, and cotton/wool blends work for me even in the summer. Amazingly a return to my childhood in this regard! But they are a little more work to look after than the plastics.

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