Seasonal
the knitwear report
the sweater aisle is mostly acrylic. here is what the alternative costs.
Seasonal
the sweater aisle is mostly acrylic. here is what the alternative costs.
acrylic is plastic knitted into the shape of a sweater. it is the default fiber in mass-market knitwear because it is cheap and takes dye brilliantly, and it is also the reason those sweaters pill in a season, hold static, and shed more microplastic in the wash than almost any other fabric. this edit is alpaca, hemp, merino and organic cotton, each one scored on its published composition.
read the editAcrylic is a plastic fiber made from acrylonitrile. It does not breathe, it builds static, and it releases more microplastic fibers per wash than polyester. It is not acutely dangerous to wear, but it is a synthetic sitting against your skin all winter, and it is the fiber Toxome scores lowest in knitwear.
Alpaca, by a clear margin. Its fibers are hollow, which traps more air than wool at the same weight, so an alpaca knit is warmer and lighter. Merino is the best all-rounder for temperature regulation, and hemp and organic cotton carry the lighter transitional knits.
Fiber content is what touches the skin. Toxome reads each garment's composition and rates it, so the score reflects what the clothing is made of, not a brand's marketing.
