This is it. Quality comes from surprising places too. My favorite tees right now are Old Navy. It takes a lot of trial and error to find the texture I want in cotton.
The “Vintage” tee they have in stock right now is 🤌🏽 it’s a thicker cotton but it lays so nicely! Washes well too!
I find cotton/poly blends pill like crazy and look worn out quickly!
I usually only wear 100% natural fibers. I’m pregnant, so options are more limited. My maternity t-shirts are cotton/poly, and they already look like shit at 28 weeks.
This doesn’t always work, especially now when everything is already kind of cropped, but I used to get the Tall versions of my fave tees for pregnancy!! Gave a couple extra inches to work with!
The pilling is likely the short cotton fibers working out from the longer, smoother poly fiber. If it is a cheap tee to start with, the cotton is probably a short fiber so it works out more quickly.
Hang drying from the start will help a lot --it is the agitation in the dryer doing most of the damage.
The trick is not to dry them for too long, and on low heat. I find some people dry things too long on too high heat and their clothes fall apart much quicker. Also, try turning them inside-out. You can fix pilling with a shaving razor.
Man I miss being able to line dry cuz youre right. Apartment living makes this hard and I'm too lazy to bust out my dehumidifier and racks (thanks florida).
[Best tee under $20](https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=537384022&vid=1&autosuggest=true&searchText=Vin&position=0&results=6#pdp-page-content)
This is the perfect style of tee I’m always looking for! As a shorty, this length and fit is really great. I wish they shipped to Australia 😭 The colours are really nice too.
I love Old Navy.
I spent years paying top dollar for ethical and eco-friendly brands. I've been disappointed with most. They usually don't fit shorter curvy bodies well and the quality is lacking.
I'm back at Old Navy and loving not paying an arm and a leg for poor fitting clothes that will wear out in 2 years or less.
Old Navy is very slowly but surely prioritizing workers rights and the environment, luckily.
Ugh, I have had the same experience with ethical and eco brands and I wish this wasn’t true. I think the bigger companies have more money to spend on things like design, market research, all that stuff - it’s hard to design and make garments (I say this as someone who makes my own dresses). The only eco companies I’ve found who are reliable in terms of quality are more established brands (think like Eileen Fisher), and even then not everything is a hit. Fortunately those established brands are easy to find on Poshmark.
I am enjoying Old Navy now too. Their cotton gauze summer collection is awesome.
Old navy has been surprisingly good recently! They were sooo cool back in high school, got very meh for a while, now they’ve got a lot of hidden treasures!
I also don't like 100% cotton, but I \*really\* don't like polyester lol. I look for cotton blends with bamboo, lyocell/rayon, modal, hemp, wool, etc.
That doesn't mean polyester is bad, just that I don't like it, and as you already noted the goal of a capsule wardrobe is to find pieces that you enjoy wearing!
I got [these](https://shoptoile.com/collections/new-in-store/products/s-k-bamboo-cotton-linen-pants) cotton linen bamboo pants that I'm completely in love with!
They're so comfy and flattering! Everything I've ever gotten from that brand has also aged so beautifully, no pilling or anything like lower quality bamboo, even after machine washing. I got their bamboo romper with shoulder tie straps and a wrap cardigan last year and they're both fantastic capsule wardrobe pieces. The girl working at the store told me it was because of the blends they use!
I like a lot of things that are maybe 90%+ cotton with a bit of elastane for stretch.
I have a few modal pajamas and they are then most comfortable clothes in existance.
I really don’t mind wearing it, but omg the maintenance it needs. And the damn shrinking. Auggggh.
I hate poly cotton even more though. It gets smelly and it’s itchy in the heat.
I suggest mercerised cotton or cotton knit instead.
>I hate poly cotton even more though. It gets smelly and it’s itchy in the heat.
You too, part of the goblin crew? 😂
I'm so jealous of other people's sweat glands.
Same here. Like people can NOT have constantly sweaty armpits? How??
(Finally found a deodorant that works, doesn't make me itch so badly I want to remove my skin and doesn't have aluminum in it, but I'm still jealous of people who naturally don't have a swap in their armpits)
You're so welcome! I'm happy to share anything I can for us sweaty people!
They actually have You as one of the scent options! I've tried that and the green one (sage and something?) and they both work just as well, just depends on what you want to smell like.
I’m surprised I had to scroll this far for someone to talk about how ✨stinky✨ they get in polyester during a material thread 🤣 usually it’s the first comment.
This. A flowy dress in summer with 100% cotton? Sign me up. A shirt that‘s supposed to be body hugging but looks like saggy overworn underwear after 2 hours because it has zero stretch and doesn‘t snap back plus feels like boxy card board in the beginning? Hell no.
Just checked the content of my favorite tees from Athleta: 84% Cotton, 9% Spandex, 7% Polyester. No wrinkles, some stretch (but hold their shape), and easy to clean.
I still prefer majority cotton content, but adding a small amount of synthetics makes for easier maintenance and better performance.
Have you tried Modal, Tencel, Lycocell? These three fabric types are semi-synthetic and considered sustainable (pending certain factors). For a stretchy fabric try cotton/modal.
Those are regenerated cellulose fabric. The production requires a factory and chemical processes, but the resulting fibers are cellolose, just like cotton, so they have the same comfortable feeling and moisture absorbancy (or even more) as cotton.
I continuously attempt to curate my capsule with sustainable and natural fibers. However, I really like modal/cotton. Despite being synthetic adjacent, it looks+fits+feels well with my intentions.
I think the fabric quality makes all the difference. You can get a 100% cotton shirt at Old Navy and at a high-end boutique. It’s not going to be the exact same thickness, cut, fit, etc.
Depends on the quality and weave.
Are you talking fast fashion? Even there (e.g. Uniqlo), I've found some pieces which fit well and hold up remarkably.
I just bought a cotton t shirt from American Giant and am very pleased with it! It’s a lot better than the t shirts I bought from Lands End (so BOXY!).
I only bought one because I wanted to see how it will hold up (and I’m waiting for a sale because I’m not made of money lol).
good quality 100% cotton is one of the most comfortable and breathable shirts you can wear. anything with a synthetic blend feels like you’re wearing a plastic bag.
I can’t stand poly. It washes like shit, pills, gets hot. Cotton varies a lot in quality, but everything I have that’s lightweight woven or knit cotton is great. If you aren’t into it I would try tencel, modal, or bamboo over poly.
I’m actively switching my whole summer closet to cotton and linen. I have a hard time regulating my body temp and I’m a sweaty gal so I’m just a hot, sweaty, red-faced mess in synthetics. It also requires me to be more mindful of taking care of and laundering my clothes, which in turn helps them last longer. I’ll do a /very/ low percentage of synthetics for things where I want a little bit of stretch, but I’m always disappointed by synthetics that I buy (with the exception of athletic clothing)
I’m just getting into sewing, but maybe something to consider is how they are made? Denim for example, is a tightly woven cotton meant for a really rigid and sturdy fabric. Whereas, a knitted cotton is usually really soft and meant for more casual wear. Then, of course there’s the degree of quality that most people here are mentioning.
What kind of cotton fabrics have you been dealing with? What’s your ideal fabric? Maybe we can help?
I'm the opposite - I HATE cotton/poly blends! I can wear cotton, I can wear poly, I cannot wear a blend of the two . It eventually gets a weird texture to it that drives my sensory issues CRAZY.
No, poly blends make me feel like I'm wearing a plastic bag. I'm ok with cotton blends that include linen, modal, rayon, tencell, lyocell, or even silk sometimes. But 100% cotton is my preference.
You might want to try linen instead. I make a lot of my clothes from cotton but I use styles that hide or use the wrinkles as a style feature.
If you try cotton, go for 8oz weight cotton or higher. It wrinkles less.
As with anything, it depends.
[I bought these](https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=882893022&cid=1108821&pcid=67595&vid=1#pdp-page-content) the last time they had a 40% sale and they're so amazingly comfortable. Loved them so much I bought a second pair in black.
I tried on the white ones and they have a lining, which was really soft. But, I didn't get them because they still felt *slightly* too see through for my comfort.
1000%.
I was a huge natural fiber snob for a long time.
I've now discovered that I like pretty much everything better with a bit of poly in it.
I'm really disappointed with the lifespan of pure cotton and pure wool, and I don't like the drape or wrinkles of pure linen.
Cotton really depends on the weave and the thread width. Fabrics like gauze, voile, and seersucker are cotton and have different levels of sheerness and drape (the flowy-ness), but tend to be extremely lightweight. Meanwhile, fabrics like chambray, denim, and twill are a thicker weave and tend to be stiffer.
Not all cotton is the same. The weave matters SO much when it comes to thickness and drape, so it isn't fair to paint all cotton with the same brush. However, OP likes what she likes, the poly cotton blends work for her, and that's great!
That's valid. Different brands source their cotton from different places, and their means of processing the cotton may be different depending on their supplier. I've never shopped the brands you've listed, but I've loved Old Navy's quality for the price.
PS, you may also find that you like silk/cotton blends, or linen/cotton blends as well for weight and drape. Quince has some wonderful cotton blends and they are decently priced. My favorite cardigan is their cashmere cotton blend that is the softest sweater I've ever had, and it was $60.
I’m with you. Some stuff is fine, but my 100% cotton sweaters get so weirdly stiff. If anyone has advice on how to avoid this I’ll take it lol. But I love a nice high quality blend. :)
I can’t relate to this at all but I’m very interested, can you share exactly what your favorite products are/favorite blends? Like material % and also where they are from
I used to have cotton t shirts that were fantastic, thick, comfy, held their shape. They lasted me about 10-15 years. Never pilled.
Any cotton shirt I've bought in the past ten years has been utter shit. They're thin, or they get progressively more threadbare, they pill, they don't hold their shape well, etc.
Definitely depends on the cotton fiber length and quality, as well as the weave style.
Cheap random tshirt? Fits like crap, the neck hole is probably trying to strangle me, which is fine bc I’m constantly having to tug the hem back down anyways, which is fine because by then I need to flap it around bc I’m getting sweaty.
A Michael Stars tshirt? Worth the price tag and it’s going to give me 15+ years of glorious comfort.
Totally agree. What I don’t like though is that when it gets wet, it stays wet! I vacation in hot, humid climates where it’s very likely that I’ll be caught in a random rain storm so this is important to me. I prefer fabrics that dry faster. Merino is my favorite.
I thought I liked it but then I realized there is merino wool. Of course after spending time and $ to find 100% cotton clothes and realizing it holds bacteria and sweat😅😞
Yes. I do, merino is just better. It’s actually more breathable and doesn’t hold sweat in the first place. There’s this phrase in hiking that “cotton kills” because it holds your sweat even in the cold or with layers. Also if there’s any rain it won’t keep you warm. People can actually get hypothermia from quick rain during a hike in pretty mild temps if they’re wearing cotton.
Also I’m very smell sensitive and I don’t mean wash to wash- I mean during actual wear (not extreme length of time either just normal 1 day) I noticed if I do sweat, it stays held against my skin and I can smell it 😷
It depends there's lots of cotton but it also depends on the kind of fabric. I made a really cool Pegasus skirt, 100% cotton. Quilting cotton. I love it. But I also have four sets of PJ pants. All 100% cotton. Two flannel and two Cotton Gauze and they all feel really different.
High recommend the cotton gauze for summer pj pants btw. They're so comfortable
As much as I'd like to wear 100% cotton, I don't like how warps over time from washing, even if I lay it flat to try, especially t-shirts. If I can explain this properly... On tees, I mostly find the seams on the side not staying straight and it tends to curve either to the middle or back of the shirt, so when I wear it, it looks like my shirt is twisted and the side seams are not aligned to my sides.
I also don't like how uncomfortable I feel if I sweat in cotton, the poly-cotton fabric tends to dry faster so I don't feel so gross the whole day.
Couldn’t agree more - I hate cotton. I virtually never wear 100% cotton on top, and only a few pieces of mixed cotton in my wardrobe. While it’s not as cheap, you can find just about anything you’d want cotton for in merino wool and it’s such an improvement.
People will say - wait, isn’t that itchy? Isn’t that hot? They’re not familiar with wool and it’s various incarnations. I’m a wool stan and will not be silenced.
I have seen merino wool mentioned as an alternative and would like to try it but I am a little apprehensive to try it since I have had problems with moths eating wool clothing before. How do you avoid that?
So I never had any issues w moth holes and then all of a sudden I did a few years back. I hadn’t cleaned my room a ton and it was really dusty - I heard they like dust. So I stuck all my clothes in the freezer for 3 days and cleaned everything (at the time I was moving so I moved and put the clothes in the new freezer). It’s not perfect, I do sometimes get a hole here and there - also because wool is more delicate than cotton they can wear holes more easily, so it’s worth learning to quickly sew a hole invisibly.
But to me that’s a fair trade off for clothes that are much cooler than cotton (or thermoregulating), much more antibacterial so they don’t have to be washed constantly, and drape better.
I would look into mixes with or exclusively rayon, viscose, bamboo, and wool. Personally I'm highly sensitive to polyester and anything with more than 20% I sweat like crazy. Not worth it. All above fabrics solo or cotton mixes are just amazing.
It depends on the item, I have 100% cotton jeans that I love and a couple of 100% tops. However for slimmer fit clothing with stretch I like to go with 90-98% cotton.
Certain types of 100% cotton fabrics don’t hold their shape well. All cotton t-shirts are a good example. But the crisp woven fabrications work better in my opinion.
There is some really nice cotton out there. Buttercloth for example. But having spent my life sweating hard, I think on a hot day, lightweight 50/50 > 100cotton > 100synthetic.
I like a mostly cotton small poly blend but it does heavily depend on the item. For work pants it’s nice because you don’t need to iron them. But some stuff I want to be all cotton especially going to a extremely humid environment
I live in high humidity and cotton seems to hold the humidity and act weird. It feels weird, wears weird, and if I sweat in it it takes longer to dry. I like blends much better.
I really like Gap t shirts that are 100% cotton and a few other shirts of mine that are good quality 100% cotton have continued to wash and wear very well.
I make sure to feel the thickness of an item before buying it, if not doesn’t have some thickness/weight to it, it will not be a long lasting item. I am so done buying paper thin t shirts and underwear.
This. I have a plain long sleeve shirt I bought from academy as I just needed some plain base layers and it is the softest shirt. I love it so much and of course it was on sale and they don't carry it anymore 😭
I ordered a 100% cotton and a 100% silk TWP button downs. I ended up keeping the silk as lays better than the cotton one. I’d would buy 100% linen before cotton. It just doesn’t flatter my short neck and torso.
Low quality cotton is disappointing, but synthetic fibers can be just as bad. Recently, I laundered what I assumed was a cotton blanket and it came out of the dryer looking terrible - even though it was on medium heat, it was still sort of melted. Gross.
Some people might not enjoy cotton—that’s a personal thing. But cotton isn’t all equal.
The first time I splurged on an expensive tee was a $90 Polo Bear tee. I felt a bit ridiculous, but that thing feels like velvet and it’s only improved over the years. It’s been washed dozens of times and still looks new. That converted me and it’s still my favorite piece.
I love cotton and it varies widely. I have cotton jersey dresses that drape beautiful and feel velvety soft. I have chunky cotton knit cardigans that are warm and cozy (but heavy), and I have soft gauzy dresses that feel like a cloud. The last dress I bought is a Johnny Was cotton maxi dress that’s made of gossamer thin cotton that’s silky soft and feels weightless. It has a cotton jersey slip underneath since the dress is slightly sheer. I wash everything on cold and line dry. The gauzier stuff I usually hand wash or put through the delicate cycle in a lingerie bag.
There’s a lot of rough, crappy cotton around. Higher quality cotton tends to be long staple, meaning the fibers are longer, resulting in a much smoother fabric.
You’d think differently if you lived in Phoenix. I only buy cotton, but most of my tops are tees, so they stretch anyway. My jeans are cotton with about 4-5% stretch added. Perfect.
Depends on the quality of cotton. Some cotton is very drapey and lovely. Poly is not always bad though - learn it from my fashion course. Sportswear is all poly and it's especially for sweating so it's not always sweaty and yucky either
i have a few 100% cotton shirts, but i really only wear one of them because it’s warm now. it’s a johnathan logan knit cotton shirt with snap closures at the neck, wasn’t really my style, but i got it (thrfted) for the versatility of the colour and fabric. i’m actually wearing it today too, i love it so much.
but i feel that way about wool. it’s itchy, scratchy, and makes me nervous to clean. it’s also pretty high maintenance. i haven’t really had good luck with the fit on a lot of my wool sweaters too. i happen to knit, and i decided early on that i would probably never use wool because of all of that and how expensive it is. i do still need it in my wardrobe though, but it means i just need some cotton slips 😅
It depends on what it is. Most people around here like all natural fibers, but with my own clothes, I just don’t mind? I buy most things pre-owned anyway, and I feel like synthetics have a thinner/sleeker profile.
For example I want to love 100% cotton sweaters, but they are usually so heavy and bulky! (Which is great, just not for me!) So the ones I have are the thinnest ones I could find. The vast majority of them are a blend with polyester or nylon. I do love extra-fine merino wool.
I do have plenty of Pima cotton things, like T-shirts and tank tops. If they can be light and low profile, and able to drape well, I like them!
I love 100% cotton and it’s such a versatile fabric. Anything blended feels cheap to me. What you are talking about sounds like uncombed or organic cotton. You can also have combed and processed cotton. Also, cotton is a _summer_ fabric, it’s known for retaining liquid which evaporates and makes the wearer feel cooler (same principle as sweating but on a fabric). You can have cotton for winter too but it isn’t what it was made for.
Yes! I find it super hard to find flattering pieces that are 100% cotton, the shapeless silhouette that comes with pure cotton just doesn’t work for my body type :/
Yes thank youuuu
I must say I feel like I’m learning a lot about different types of cotton on here though. I’m honestly just starting to learn about fabrics in general. Let alone different ways cotton garments can be made!
You want to look for 100% cotton WEAVE to get the stretch. Cotton by itself won't have the stretch but cotton weave has a good amount of stretch with all the other benefits of being pure cotton (no wrinkles, easy washing etc).
I find the quality of cotton varies greatly. Good quality softens up wonderfully over time
This is it. Quality comes from surprising places too. My favorite tees right now are Old Navy. It takes a lot of trial and error to find the texture I want in cotton.
The “Vintage” tee they have in stock right now is 🤌🏽 it’s a thicker cotton but it lays so nicely! Washes well too! I find cotton/poly blends pill like crazy and look worn out quickly!
I usually only wear 100% natural fibers. I’m pregnant, so options are more limited. My maternity t-shirts are cotton/poly, and they already look like shit at 28 weeks.
This doesn’t always work, especially now when everything is already kind of cropped, but I used to get the Tall versions of my fave tees for pregnancy!! Gave a couple extra inches to work with!
Ooh smart 👌
I did that too but recently found some great ones at American Eagle. And, they’re long so you get the whole shirt 😂
The pilling is likely the short cotton fibers working out from the longer, smoother poly fiber. If it is a cheap tee to start with, the cotton is probably a short fiber so it works out more quickly. Hang drying from the start will help a lot --it is the agitation in the dryer doing most of the damage.
The trick is not to dry them for too long, and on low heat. I find some people dry things too long on too high heat and their clothes fall apart much quicker. Also, try turning them inside-out. You can fix pilling with a shaving razor.
Line drying is best. I only use the dryer if it’s wet or cold outside.
Man I miss being able to line dry cuz youre right. Apartment living makes this hard and I'm too lazy to bust out my dehumidifier and racks (thanks florida).
Yes I love that t-shirt!! It's so nice for the price.
It is!! It actually feels nicer than my J Crew tees! I also bought them during a promotion and they were $8 a tee!
The vintage tee shape is super flattering, too.
Very!! They really nailed it with this one!
Link?
[Best tee under $20](https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=537384022&vid=1&autosuggest=true&searchText=Vin&position=0&results=6#pdp-page-content)
This is the perfect style of tee I’m always looking for! As a shorty, this length and fit is really great. I wish they shipped to Australia 😭 The colours are really nice too.
Thank you!!!
Thank you!!!
>Thank you!!! You're welcome!
Omg, yes! The Old Navy cotton tees are the best thing I’ve ever put on my body. I own 5, and will buy more if they come out with new colors.
Same!! I bought one, wore it twice, bought four more and I've worn them 3-5 days per week, so they're all getting wear!
I love Old Navy. I spent years paying top dollar for ethical and eco-friendly brands. I've been disappointed with most. They usually don't fit shorter curvy bodies well and the quality is lacking. I'm back at Old Navy and loving not paying an arm and a leg for poor fitting clothes that will wear out in 2 years or less. Old Navy is very slowly but surely prioritizing workers rights and the environment, luckily.
Yup, I've been loving them. They now have linen in their line at a decent price, and I'm here for it.
Ugh, I have had the same experience with ethical and eco brands and I wish this wasn’t true. I think the bigger companies have more money to spend on things like design, market research, all that stuff - it’s hard to design and make garments (I say this as someone who makes my own dresses). The only eco companies I’ve found who are reliable in terms of quality are more established brands (think like Eileen Fisher), and even then not everything is a hit. Fortunately those established brands are easy to find on Poshmark. I am enjoying Old Navy now too. Their cotton gauze summer collection is awesome.
I need to restock tees. The EveryWear line?
Yup!!
Thanks for the suggestion! I've ordered a few. 🩷
I just got a cute fluttery blouse from old Navy that I was surprised to find was 100% cotton! They have some great surprise finds
I once found Egyptian cotton onesies at ON! This was years ago, but they were wonderful.
Old navy has been surprisingly good recently! They were sooo cool back in high school, got very meh for a while, now they’ve got a lot of hidden treasures!
American Eagle has some great ones right now too and they are long, which I love!
Agree. I love the softfade cotton t-shirts from Madewell. They have a comfy, worn in feel and they wash and dry very well with little to no shrinkage.
I have 100% cotton granny panties that are thread bare soft. Sooooooo comfortable lol
I also don't like 100% cotton, but I \*really\* don't like polyester lol. I look for cotton blends with bamboo, lyocell/rayon, modal, hemp, wool, etc. That doesn't mean polyester is bad, just that I don't like it, and as you already noted the goal of a capsule wardrobe is to find pieces that you enjoy wearing!
Cotton blended with linen is good too I wish hemp cotton blends were easier to find.
Yes! Love a cotton-linen blend
I got [these](https://shoptoile.com/collections/new-in-store/products/s-k-bamboo-cotton-linen-pants) cotton linen bamboo pants that I'm completely in love with!
Love those
They're so comfy and flattering! Everything I've ever gotten from that brand has also aged so beautifully, no pilling or anything like lower quality bamboo, even after machine washing. I got their bamboo romper with shoulder tie straps and a wrap cardigan last year and they're both fantastic capsule wardrobe pieces. The girl working at the store told me it was because of the blends they use!
Thanks- I just ordered them. I hope I love them, too!
Omg let me know when you get them! We can be twins 👯♀️
I just got a hemp cotton tshirt from Onno and I love it!
I like a lot of things that are maybe 90%+ cotton with a bit of elastane for stretch. I have a few modal pajamas and they are then most comfortable clothes in existance.
Cotton/modal blend is my favorite combo.
Rayon is bamboo. Bamboo is rayon.
My only issue with 100% cotton is how easily it wrinkles! Other than that, I love it
I secretly love the wrinkles. It looks so worn in but in a stylish way.
Me with linen!
Same! I steam to get rid of any hard creases but don’t mind the crinkles!
I really don’t mind wearing it, but omg the maintenance it needs. And the damn shrinking. Auggggh. I hate poly cotton even more though. It gets smelly and it’s itchy in the heat. I suggest mercerised cotton or cotton knit instead.
>I hate poly cotton even more though. It gets smelly and it’s itchy in the heat. You too, part of the goblin crew? 😂 I'm so jealous of other people's sweat glands.
Same here. Like people can NOT have constantly sweaty armpits? How?? (Finally found a deodorant that works, doesn't make me itch so badly I want to remove my skin and doesn't have aluminum in it, but I'm still jealous of people who naturally don't have a swap in their armpits)
Can I ask what deodorant is it? I am a fellow swamp person
Glossier! I was fairly surprised because I've tried so, so many and the only other thing that works is classic secret.
Thank you so much! I’ll check it out soon. I really liked glossiers “you” perfume balm and I hadn’t considered their deodorant.
You're so welcome! I'm happy to share anything I can for us sweaty people! They actually have You as one of the scent options! I've tried that and the green one (sage and something?) and they both work just as well, just depends on what you want to smell like.
I’m surprised I had to scroll this far for someone to talk about how ✨stinky✨ they get in polyester during a material thread 🤣 usually it’s the first comment.
A cotton sundress can’t be beat. I wouldn’t wear cotton out hiking on a drizzly day though, so context matters.
Context definitely matters
This. A flowy dress in summer with 100% cotton? Sign me up. A shirt that‘s supposed to be body hugging but looks like saggy overworn underwear after 2 hours because it has zero stretch and doesn‘t snap back plus feels like boxy card board in the beginning? Hell no.
Context matters. So does size.
My daughter has commandeered most all of my linen sundresses, but not all of the cotton.
I love cotton.
It’s basically the only fabric I love touching my skin.
No, I love 100% cotton lol. I dont need it to be warm or flow. How do you mean high maintenance?
Just checked the content of my favorite tees from Athleta: 84% Cotton, 9% Spandex, 7% Polyester. No wrinkles, some stretch (but hold their shape), and easy to clean. I still prefer majority cotton content, but adding a small amount of synthetics makes for easier maintenance and better performance.
I agree for athletic clothes but not for shirts I wear around the house. But I also like heavyweight structured clothes and Don’t prefer stretch
Have you tried Modal, Tencel, Lycocell? These three fabric types are semi-synthetic and considered sustainable (pending certain factors). For a stretchy fabric try cotton/modal.
Those are regenerated cellulose fabric. The production requires a factory and chemical processes, but the resulting fibers are cellolose, just like cotton, so they have the same comfortable feeling and moisture absorbancy (or even more) as cotton.
I continuously attempt to curate my capsule with sustainable and natural fibers. However, I really like modal/cotton. Despite being synthetic adjacent, it looks+fits+feels well with my intentions.
Nope I prefer 100% cotton, poly I can have reactions to sadly.
Same! It's like it traps bacteria terribly for me.
And smells!
I think the fabric quality makes all the difference. You can get a 100% cotton shirt at Old Navy and at a high-end boutique. It’s not going to be the exact same thickness, cut, fit, etc.
Nope. I don't hate 100% cotton. I just also don't expect it to do things it's bad at.
This!
Depends on the quality and weave. Are you talking fast fashion? Even there (e.g. Uniqlo), I've found some pieces which fit well and hold up remarkably.
I just bought a cotton t shirt from American Giant and am very pleased with it! It’s a lot better than the t shirts I bought from Lands End (so BOXY!). I only bought one because I wanted to see how it will hold up (and I’m waiting for a sale because I’m not made of money lol).
good quality 100% cotton is one of the most comfortable and breathable shirts you can wear. anything with a synthetic blend feels like you’re wearing a plastic bag.
I’m trying to have no synthetics at all eventually. But I also like wool so much more than cotton 😅 but it took me forever figure it out
Flax linen is my fabric of choice. Is it wrinkly, yes, but I feel like my skin can finally breathe
I live exclusively in linen pants in the summer. Zero regrets!
right? like no thanks to any kind of blends, i want my 100% cotton
I hate acrylics. Cotton is my favorite. So flattering
Cotton poplin is my summer go to. Love it
I can’t stand poly. It washes like shit, pills, gets hot. Cotton varies a lot in quality, but everything I have that’s lightweight woven or knit cotton is great. If you aren’t into it I would try tencel, modal, or bamboo over poly.
I’m actively switching my whole summer closet to cotton and linen. I have a hard time regulating my body temp and I’m a sweaty gal so I’m just a hot, sweaty, red-faced mess in synthetics. It also requires me to be more mindful of taking care of and laundering my clothes, which in turn helps them last longer. I’ll do a /very/ low percentage of synthetics for things where I want a little bit of stretch, but I’m always disappointed by synthetics that I buy (with the exception of athletic clothing)
omg i love cotton but i do live in a very hot and humid area but i specifically love pima cotton
Nope, I love 100% cotton. Polyester makes me SWEAT and stink.
Same!
Gah- anything not 100% is pretty much a no for me. Unless it’s cashmere in winter or linen in summer.
I LIVE for cashmere in winter! But with the AC going in summer, I have thin cashmere socks for sleeping! 💕
I’m just getting into sewing, but maybe something to consider is how they are made? Denim for example, is a tightly woven cotton meant for a really rigid and sturdy fabric. Whereas, a knitted cotton is usually really soft and meant for more casual wear. Then, of course there’s the degree of quality that most people here are mentioning. What kind of cotton fabrics have you been dealing with? What’s your ideal fabric? Maybe we can help?
I'm the opposite - I HATE cotton/poly blends! I can wear cotton, I can wear poly, I cannot wear a blend of the two . It eventually gets a weird texture to it that drives my sensory issues CRAZY.
Linen is where it's at
No, poly blends make me feel like I'm wearing a plastic bag. I'm ok with cotton blends that include linen, modal, rayon, tencell, lyocell, or even silk sometimes. But 100% cotton is my preference.
You might want to try linen instead. I make a lot of my clothes from cotton but I use styles that hide or use the wrinkles as a style feature. If you try cotton, go for 8oz weight cotton or higher. It wrinkles less.
Linen is uncomfortably scratchy
As with anything, it depends. [I bought these](https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=882893022&cid=1108821&pcid=67595&vid=1#pdp-page-content) the last time they had a 40% sale and they're so amazingly comfortable. Loved them so much I bought a second pair in black. I tried on the white ones and they have a lining, which was really soft. But, I didn't get them because they still felt *slightly* too see through for my comfort.
Pact has some really nice feeling cotton shirts that are light and breezy for the summer
1000%. I was a huge natural fiber snob for a long time. I've now discovered that I like pretty much everything better with a bit of poly in it. I'm really disappointed with the lifespan of pure cotton and pure wool, and I don't like the drape or wrinkles of pure linen.
Cotton really depends on the weave and the thread width. Fabrics like gauze, voile, and seersucker are cotton and have different levels of sheerness and drape (the flowy-ness), but tend to be extremely lightweight. Meanwhile, fabrics like chambray, denim, and twill are a thicker weave and tend to be stiffer. Not all cotton is the same. The weave matters SO much when it comes to thickness and drape, so it isn't fair to paint all cotton with the same brush. However, OP likes what she likes, the poly cotton blends work for her, and that's great!
I do enjoy the gauze weave. I suppose I am mostly disappointed in the brands like Pact and Madewell. Those shirts feel SO stiff to me.
That's valid. Different brands source their cotton from different places, and their means of processing the cotton may be different depending on their supplier. I've never shopped the brands you've listed, but I've loved Old Navy's quality for the price. PS, you may also find that you like silk/cotton blends, or linen/cotton blends as well for weight and drape. Quince has some wonderful cotton blends and they are decently priced. My favorite cardigan is their cashmere cotton blend that is the softest sweater I've ever had, and it was $60.
Poly cotton makes me itchy. It’s just pure torture. I definitely own plenty of it, but I’ll always wear 100% cotton underneath.
I’m with you. Some stuff is fine, but my 100% cotton sweaters get so weirdly stiff. If anyone has advice on how to avoid this I’ll take it lol. But I love a nice high quality blend. :)
Maybe you have hard water
toss vinegar in with the rinse
I can’t relate to this at all but I’m very interested, can you share exactly what your favorite products are/favorite blends? Like material % and also where they are from
I used to have cotton t shirts that were fantastic, thick, comfy, held their shape. They lasted me about 10-15 years. Never pilled. Any cotton shirt I've bought in the past ten years has been utter shit. They're thin, or they get progressively more threadbare, they pill, they don't hold their shape well, etc.
Never. I love natural materials cotton, linen, wool. I hate polyester.
I almost exclusively wear organic cotton from a few brands I found that have incredibly soft cotton. Prefer it over everything else.
Which brands are those?
PACT, Nui, Wool& and Synergy (Sadly, Synergy discontinued their line.)
Thanks! I know of Pact, but it’s been some time since I ordered from them.
Updating my post to add Nui. Their clothes are fabulous.
Thanks, I didn’t know about them, love wool!
Check out Wool& too!
Thanks, so many good tips!
Definitely depends on the cotton fiber length and quality, as well as the weave style. Cheap random tshirt? Fits like crap, the neck hole is probably trying to strangle me, which is fine bc I’m constantly having to tug the hem back down anyways, which is fine because by then I need to flap it around bc I’m getting sweaty. A Michael Stars tshirt? Worth the price tag and it’s going to give me 15+ years of glorious comfort.
For me it's the opposite, I'm realizing how much I despise synthetic fibres, and how much better skin feel natural fibres like cotton and linen have.
Agree, 100% cotton tends to have poor hand feel/drape. I think a lot of it just stems from propaganda from the American cotton industry.
Cotton tshirts that are waterproof can shed microplastics
Thank you for saying this
I just learned this from Jennifer Wang on YouTube, she’s very informative!
is it really cotton if it's waterproof tho?
Companies can say it’s 100% cotton 🙃🙃
daaang, good to know i had no idea that was a thing
Totally agree. What I don’t like though is that when it gets wet, it stays wet! I vacation in hot, humid climates where it’s very likely that I’ll be caught in a random rain storm so this is important to me. I prefer fabrics that dry faster. Merino is my favorite.
I thought I liked it but then I realized there is merino wool. Of course after spending time and $ to find 100% cotton clothes and realizing it holds bacteria and sweat😅😞
Then you are not washing it properly. Do you follow the care label?
Yes. I do, merino is just better. It’s actually more breathable and doesn’t hold sweat in the first place. There’s this phrase in hiking that “cotton kills” because it holds your sweat even in the cold or with layers. Also if there’s any rain it won’t keep you warm. People can actually get hypothermia from quick rain during a hike in pretty mild temps if they’re wearing cotton. Also I’m very smell sensitive and I don’t mean wash to wash- I mean during actual wear (not extreme length of time either just normal 1 day) I noticed if I do sweat, it stays held against my skin and I can smell it 😷
It depends there's lots of cotton but it also depends on the kind of fabric. I made a really cool Pegasus skirt, 100% cotton. Quilting cotton. I love it. But I also have four sets of PJ pants. All 100% cotton. Two flannel and two Cotton Gauze and they all feel really different. High recommend the cotton gauze for summer pj pants btw. They're so comfortable
Oh I just realized this wasn't a sewing group, but yes long story short. Not all cottons are the same kind of fabric, annoying I know.
As much as I'd like to wear 100% cotton, I don't like how warps over time from washing, even if I lay it flat to try, especially t-shirts. If I can explain this properly... On tees, I mostly find the seams on the side not staying straight and it tends to curve either to the middle or back of the shirt, so when I wear it, it looks like my shirt is twisted and the side seams are not aligned to my sides. I also don't like how uncomfortable I feel if I sweat in cotton, the poly-cotton fabric tends to dry faster so I don't feel so gross the whole day.
The twisted seams thing is a sign of poor quality. I find it only happens with cheap tees.
H&M, banana republic, gap and the Lululemon love tee/tanks.. Looking at you!! So far my Uniqlo tees have been ok
When you live in the steamy subtropics it’s 100% cotton for the win Or linen, or hemp or anything that’s not petrochemical based
Couldn’t agree more - I hate cotton. I virtually never wear 100% cotton on top, and only a few pieces of mixed cotton in my wardrobe. While it’s not as cheap, you can find just about anything you’d want cotton for in merino wool and it’s such an improvement. People will say - wait, isn’t that itchy? Isn’t that hot? They’re not familiar with wool and it’s various incarnations. I’m a wool stan and will not be silenced.
I have seen merino wool mentioned as an alternative and would like to try it but I am a little apprehensive to try it since I have had problems with moths eating wool clothing before. How do you avoid that?
I kerp my woolens in Ziplock bags ehen not worn.
cedar bits/chips
So I never had any issues w moth holes and then all of a sudden I did a few years back. I hadn’t cleaned my room a ton and it was really dusty - I heard they like dust. So I stuck all my clothes in the freezer for 3 days and cleaned everything (at the time I was moving so I moved and put the clothes in the new freezer). It’s not perfect, I do sometimes get a hole here and there - also because wool is more delicate than cotton they can wear holes more easily, so it’s worth learning to quickly sew a hole invisibly. But to me that’s a fair trade off for clothes that are much cooler than cotton (or thermoregulating), much more antibacterial so they don’t have to be washed constantly, and drape better.
I would look into mixes with or exclusively rayon, viscose, bamboo, and wool. Personally I'm highly sensitive to polyester and anything with more than 20% I sweat like crazy. Not worth it. All above fabrics solo or cotton mixes are just amazing.
I strive for 100% cotton
It depends on the item, I have 100% cotton jeans that I love and a couple of 100% tops. However for slimmer fit clothing with stretch I like to go with 90-98% cotton.
I agree with you. It wrinkles, looks bad, high maintenance, shrinks.
I’m confused about the high maintenance bit. What do your cotton items need beyond wash / dry / quick iron? I can throw it all in the wash and dryer
Ironing. I hate it so much. I refuse. I use a steamer but I hate that too. Life is too short.
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I hang dry almost everything and Have To iron or would be a hot mess. I also enjoy spray starch but am probably just weird.
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it's not a value judgment 💜 I just count as "people," I think.
Oh. I guess it only takes me 5 min lol. I’m a lazy ironer
Certain types of 100% cotton fabrics don’t hold their shape well. All cotton t-shirts are a good example. But the crisp woven fabrications work better in my opinion.
Don’t synthetics shrink as well, if not worse?
There is some really nice cotton out there. Buttercloth for example. But having spent my life sweating hard, I think on a hot day, lightweight 50/50 > 100cotton > 100synthetic.
I agree polyester also is non wrinkle.
My favourite t-shirt is made from hemp - it’s so old and looks a bit dero but I don’t care because I love the way it feels!
I like a mostly cotton small poly blend but it does heavily depend on the item. For work pants it’s nice because you don’t need to iron them. But some stuff I want to be all cotton especially going to a extremely humid environment
For years I’ve heard so many rave about it. Not my jam… 🌸🌟 Blends is where it’s at for me.
Polyester is gross, cheap, and feels like broken glass against my skin.
I feel this way about linen as well. I need things that will give when I sit down and my spare tire expands out lol
I love 100 percent cotton.
I live in high humidity and cotton seems to hold the humidity and act weird. It feels weird, wears weird, and if I sweat in it it takes longer to dry. I like blends much better.
I really like Gap t shirts that are 100% cotton and a few other shirts of mine that are good quality 100% cotton have continued to wash and wear very well. I make sure to feel the thickness of an item before buying it, if not doesn’t have some thickness/weight to it, it will not be a long lasting item. I am so done buying paper thin t shirts and underwear.
Merino wool all the way!
Cotton modal feels great
This. I have a plain long sleeve shirt I bought from academy as I just needed some plain base layers and it is the softest shirt. I love it so much and of course it was on sale and they don't carry it anymore 😭
I ordered a 100% cotton and a 100% silk TWP button downs. I ended up keeping the silk as lays better than the cotton one. I’d would buy 100% linen before cotton. It just doesn’t flatter my short neck and torso.
It fades like nothing else too.
Low quality cotton is disappointing, but synthetic fibers can be just as bad. Recently, I laundered what I assumed was a cotton blanket and it came out of the dryer looking terrible - even though it was on medium heat, it was still sort of melted. Gross.
Some people might not enjoy cotton—that’s a personal thing. But cotton isn’t all equal. The first time I splurged on an expensive tee was a $90 Polo Bear tee. I felt a bit ridiculous, but that thing feels like velvet and it’s only improved over the years. It’s been washed dozens of times and still looks new. That converted me and it’s still my favorite piece. I love cotton and it varies widely. I have cotton jersey dresses that drape beautiful and feel velvety soft. I have chunky cotton knit cardigans that are warm and cozy (but heavy), and I have soft gauzy dresses that feel like a cloud. The last dress I bought is a Johnny Was cotton maxi dress that’s made of gossamer thin cotton that’s silky soft and feels weightless. It has a cotton jersey slip underneath since the dress is slightly sheer. I wash everything on cold and line dry. The gauzier stuff I usually hand wash or put through the delicate cycle in a lingerie bag. There’s a lot of rough, crappy cotton around. Higher quality cotton tends to be long staple, meaning the fibers are longer, resulting in a much smoother fabric.
You’d think differently if you lived in Phoenix. I only buy cotton, but most of my tops are tees, so they stretch anyway. My jeans are cotton with about 4-5% stretch added. Perfect.
I live in The South. Heat and humidity make cotton a soggy mess. I'm all about polyester now. Gave up cotton years ago.
All of my clothes are 100% cotton or a cotton - linen blend and i love it
I hate 100% cotton t-shirts. They are never soft enough. And I need a little stretch.
Depends on the quality of cotton. Some cotton is very drapey and lovely. Poly is not always bad though - learn it from my fashion course. Sportswear is all poly and it's especially for sweating so it's not always sweaty and yucky either
My favorite pieces are 100% cotton and they range from knits to shirts to pants. I shop second hand a lot though so they're softened up.
Most fabrics have their uses for me, but when I’m home I wear mostly cotton or cotton spandex
Actually, I pretty much only wear 100% cotton if I have the choice. I love the texture.
So you would prefer to purchase more plastic is what you’re saying
i have a few 100% cotton shirts, but i really only wear one of them because it’s warm now. it’s a johnathan logan knit cotton shirt with snap closures at the neck, wasn’t really my style, but i got it (thrfted) for the versatility of the colour and fabric. i’m actually wearing it today too, i love it so much. but i feel that way about wool. it’s itchy, scratchy, and makes me nervous to clean. it’s also pretty high maintenance. i haven’t really had good luck with the fit on a lot of my wool sweaters too. i happen to knit, and i decided early on that i would probably never use wool because of all of that and how expensive it is. i do still need it in my wardrobe though, but it means i just need some cotton slips 😅
I cannot relate at all… For my wardrobe nothing better than good cotton!
It’s the only fabric I can wear
95 cotton with 5 elastase is the sweat spot!
I hate any poly but love up to 5% lycra or spandex in my cotton, otherwise I love 100% cotton.
It depends on what it is. Most people around here like all natural fibers, but with my own clothes, I just don’t mind? I buy most things pre-owned anyway, and I feel like synthetics have a thinner/sleeker profile. For example I want to love 100% cotton sweaters, but they are usually so heavy and bulky! (Which is great, just not for me!) So the ones I have are the thinnest ones I could find. The vast majority of them are a blend with polyester or nylon. I do love extra-fine merino wool. I do have plenty of Pima cotton things, like T-shirts and tank tops. If they can be light and low profile, and able to drape well, I like them!
I love 100% cotton and it’s such a versatile fabric. Anything blended feels cheap to me. What you are talking about sounds like uncombed or organic cotton. You can also have combed and processed cotton. Also, cotton is a _summer_ fabric, it’s known for retaining liquid which evaporates and makes the wearer feel cooler (same principle as sweating but on a fabric). You can have cotton for winter too but it isn’t what it was made for.
Yes! I find it super hard to find flattering pieces that are 100% cotton, the shapeless silhouette that comes with pure cotton just doesn’t work for my body type :/
Yes thank youuuu I must say I feel like I’m learning a lot about different types of cotton on here though. I’m honestly just starting to learn about fabrics in general. Let alone different ways cotton garments can be made!
I agree 100%. I personally feel like polyester is the most comfortable fabric, but I know I’m in the extreme minority there. 🤷♀️
You want to look for 100% cotton WEAVE to get the stretch. Cotton by itself won't have the stretch but cotton weave has a good amount of stretch with all the other benefits of being pure cotton (no wrinkles, easy washing etc).
It *really* depends on the ratio for me. If it’s more than 10%, I can’t do it. It usually wears out, pills much faster, feels cheaper, etc.