women's natural fiber sweaters

Acrylic is a synthetic made from petroleum. It does not breathe or wick the way wool does, so it holds sweat and odor against the skin, and it sheds plastic microfibers in the wash. It is warm and cheap, which is why it is everywhere, but it behaves nothing like the fiber it imitates.

Merino has a finer fiber diameter, which is why it feels soft rather than scratchy and can be worn against bare skin. Both are wool and both breathe and regulate temperature. Merino is the one to reach for if coarse wool irritates you.

Toxome reads each garment's fiber composition and scores it on what that fiber does to your body, not on a brand's sustainability marketing. A higher score means a cleaner fiber. Composition is taken from what the brand publishes, so the score reflects the label, not our opinion of it.