In the previous article “Why am I getting rid of most of my clothes” I explained the reasons behind my decision to simplify my wardrobe and keep only the clothes I truly like and fit me well. One thing that could prevent someone from having a minimalistic wardrobe is the fact that their life is busy and cannot make laundry all the time. I get it. It was one concern of mine as well.
Moisture repellant vs absorbent materials
It all comes down to this. Some materials repel moisture and some absorb it. If you are wearing clothes that repel moisture, your sweat won’t have a chance to evaporate, it will stagnate and, not only will make you feel uncomfortable by creating those terrible sweat marks, but also will create odors that will bring you to wash your clothes more often. Whereas, by wearing moisture absorbing clothes, they will suck all the moisture your skin produces and ventilate, so that you can dry faster.
This is valid no matter the season. At least in Nordic countries. If you think one doesn’t sweat in wintertime, well, you’ve never been to Finland, where everyone continues to bike and walk long distances despite of the arctic weather. Here it gets so cold that one is forced to wear down jackets and ski pants for many months in a row. Underneath that external layer, though, Finns have understood that the first material in contact with the skin has to be wool, because it has an amazing ability to absorb moisture and keep you dry without making you feel cold.
Natural materials? Cotton, linen, bamboo, hemp and wool are the words.
I might go on with nettle, lyocell, modal, ramie, but I am not (yet) an expert on those. I have a couple of silk dresses which I love in summertime, but be careful because silk is a moisture repellent material.
Of course, the topics considered in this post are valid not only for clothes, but also for beddings, towels, curtains, carpets and every textile.
Hypoallergenic and antibacterial textiles
We are talking wool and linen here. These materials have the ability to keep bacterias and microbes at bay, lessening therefore the risk to develop allergies.
Regulator textiles. What does are they?
Continuing on the wool and linen combo, these materials can detect both body and external heat and act accordingly; if the body starts to warm up, wool and linen will allow heat to shift from the body through its fibers to the environment whereas, if the external temperature is colder than body temperature, it will act as a shield to keep the heat in the body. In fact, they are a natural regulator of temperature. Amazing, right? So wool and linen are materials that can be worn all year round.
Air you natural clothes after each wear
Sometimes your natural clothes are not actually dirty, but they just need to open up their fibers and have some air circulate. This is especially true with wool. So remember to hang your clothes and let them be for a few hours in a balcony, yard or airy room. Really, it can do wonders and, going back to the first objection we laid at the beginning of the article, will save you a couple of washes.
