The Backlash Against Polyester Has Gone Too Far
This article explores the growing consumer trend of rejecting synthetic fabrics like polyester in favor of natural fibers. It examines the motivations behind this shift, including environmental concerns and personal wellness, while noting the practical challenges of replacing synthetic performance wear.
Why it matters
It highlights a significant shift in consumer behavior and the fashion industry's sustainability discourse, reflecting broader societal anxieties about microplastics and chemical exposure.
Clothing made from natural fibers isn’t always better.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Kwangmoozaa / Getty September 1, 2026, 5 PM ET Share Save Lately, the men of the internet who are obsessed with self-optimization have found a new fixation: their underwear. Many standard pairs use polyester or spandex, or sometimes both. What are they doing to the environment and their bodies, wearing clothes that shed all of those microplastics and leach forever chemicals? They want the underwear of their ancestors—underwear made from natural fibers. On Reddit forums such as r/PlasticFreeLiving and r/SustainableFashion, people trade strategies for breaking up with polyester boxer briefs: “Any recs or leads to find linen cloth for making my own underwear?” one exasperated user wondered. Another wanted recommendations for all-natural underwear that would also be formfitting. He knew about organic cotton and hemp, he explained, but the problem was, they chafed.
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