For the past few years, I’ve made a conscious effort to switch more of my clothing to natural fibers such as organic/chemical-free cotton, hemp, linen and wool. Where I could, I’ve stopped buying synthetics. With recent advances in wool I’ve also switched most of my performance clothing to merino wool.

Why I made the move
I made the switch to organic natural fibers for several reasons.

The first is environmental and health. Most synthetics are made from plastics — a petrolum-based material that’s not biodegradable in the environment. The chemicals used in making these fabrics are also toxic to humans and animals alike. The less exposure we have to them the better. I also don’t want to support the petroleum industry any more than I have to.

The second is comfort. In the summer time, I find synthetics don’t breath as well as natural fibers. Nor do they feel as nice against the skin as cotton and linen. If you need wicking power, wool does as good of a job as synthetics. Plus wool has natural anti-odor/antimicrobial properties. You can wear the same wool base layer for days without stink. With polyester, forget about it.

The third is safety. Synthetics will melt. You don’t want to wear it near a fire or high heat source. Wool on the other hand is naturally fire resistant.

And fourth is performance. As mentioned before, wool will wick moisture and sweat just as well as synthetics. But wool is also naturally stain resistant. You’ll need some toxic man-made chemicals to treat synthetics to match that. In hot or cold weather, wool does a better job of regulating body temperature. It breathes better. It’ll keep you warm even when wet. Because it’s odor resistant, it is also perfect for multi-day use without smelling like a bum. It’ll help keep your pack light

Shopping for Natural Fiber Clothing – What to Look For

Go organic/pesticide free. Ordinary cotton, for example, requires a ton of pesticides to produce. If you want to buy cotton, buy organic or pesticide-free. Organic cotton is getting mainstream these days and is fairly easy to find so I’m not going to write too much about it.

Warm weather clothing. Cottons and linens work best for casual wear. For warm weather sports/performance, consider replacing your synthetics with merino wool. They make light weight merino wool t-shirts and underwear these days. They’re pricey compared to synthetics but they’re worth the investment. You won’t need as many of them to change into either since they’re odor and stain resistant.

Cold weather clothing. Switch to Merino wool for your base and light to mid weight insulation layers. Down for mid and outer layers. While it’s impossible to avoid synthetics altogether (esp in the shell material), less is a huge improvement. Plus down will compress better and weigh less than even the best synthetic garments.

Buying Used. Even natural fibers require energy to produce and will make an environmental impact. Check out your local thrift shops, consignment stores, eBay, Craigslist or speciality online communities for people letting go of clothes they no longer need. An added bonus is you’ll save money.

Buying Recycled Synthetics. If you must buy synthetic, check out Patagonia. They are one of the few clothing companies I know that make synthetic clothes from recycled materials. I have a nine year old fleece of theirs that was made from recycled bottle caps. They’ve made a lot of manufacturing advances since then and most of their current synthetics are now also made to be fully recyclable. This means you can take it back to them to recycle it. It doesn’t have to go into the landfill.

Buying wool clothing. I grew up hating wool because they itch. Merino wool has allowed me to wear wool next to my skin. But not all merino wool are created equal. The best in terms of comfort and environmental impact is Patagonia’s merino line. Typical companies will bleach their wool as part of the process to remove the scales that cause wool to be itchy. Unfortunately chlorine bleach isn’t so good for us or the environment. Patagonia slow washes theirs without using chlorine. Having tried several different brands, such as Icebreaker, SmartWool and Patagonia, I also find Patagonia’s wool to be softest and most comfortable.

Downsides to wool that you should be aware of. Wool isn’t perfect. Compared to synthetics, wool performance clothes are still expensive. Save some money by buying used, taking advantage of sales, or buying from outlets that sell previous season goods. It’s not hard to find stuff at 40%-60% off retail. If you have sensitive skin, even the best wool will still itch a little bit here and there. Then there’s static electricity, although this can be a positive or a negative depending on whether you get a kick out of zapping people/yourself. Lastly, wool is not as easy to care for as synthetics. For performance pieces, you can throw them in the wash, but most will recommend you air dry them and not use the dryer.

Questions about this article? Leave a comment below!

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As with most things in life, practice makes perfect in the realm of knowing how to dress. Even if you don’t need to wear business clothes in the foreseeable future, get a head start now. Start shopping for the clothes you will need. Start dressing up. This way you’ll get comfortable wearing business clothes and you’ll have a better understanding of how things go together.

For most of my life I didn’t need to dress up. I was accustomed to wearing loose fitting and flowy clothes like Hawaiian shirts and Thai fisherman pants. Yes I did have a lot of preppy clothes but they’re preppy, not business. The only times I really dressed up were for graduations, weddings, and funerals. And looking back on those photos I looked awful because I was clueless. Luckily most other people in the world are also clueless. Which means you’ll really standout when you get it right.

When I first started sporting dress shirts and ties on a regular basis, I felt like a fish out of water. I remember having trouble tying my tie. I bought shirts and trousers that didn’t fit well. I wore the wrong fabrics in the wrong seasons. My neck wasn’t used to having my shirts buttoned up all the way. Overall the outfits didn’t feel like they were my personal style.

By the time I got into the clinic I had most of the kinks ironed out: I had the dress clothes I wanted, I no longer felt awkward in what I wore, and I knew how to put together kickass outfits from head to toe.

There are a lot of nuances you simply won’t appreciate until you start getting it all together. You’ll overdo it and under do it until you find your balance. So get to it! Your future starts now.

Ok you’re looking sharp in that suit you just got altered to fit perfectly. Now let’s take a look at personal hygiene. Yes you brush your teeth and shower everyday. Good start but there’s more! Once again, it’s in the details.

It’s all good stuff not just for work but also for your personal life. Your significant other/better half/date will really appreciate it. Your body will appreciate it too. Take care of your body and it’ll take care of you.

Here’s a checklist of things you should be mindful of.

Shave:
If you have a mustache/goatee/beard, be sure to keep it trim and neat. Otherwise keep it clean and shave! You don’t want to look like you just rolled out of bed. That five o’clock shadow is also going to tear up the collars of your shirts.

Hair Care:
Whether you have short or long hair, you need to have it cut on a regular basis. If you’re waiting until you look like Shaggy from Scooby Doo you’re waiting too long. Cutting your hair isn’t just about keeping it trimmed. As hair gets old, it starts to dry at the ends, split, and get fizzy. Cutting off the old hair will make it look healthier and allow it to grow.

Be proactive and keep you hair looking good all the time by getting it trimmed before it starts to get wild. Short hair should be cut every 3-4 weeks. You can go a bit longer with long hair but, again, watch the split ends.

Wash your hair regularly and use a real shampoo. Soaps tend to dry out your hair. I recommend organic shampoos that are free of harmful chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate, a possible carcinogen. Trader Joes has a couple of shampoos that are affordable yet free of these chemicals.

Use a styling gel, pomade, etc to keep your hair tamed and styled throughout the day.

Deodorant:
Use deodorant to keep body odor under control. But avoid antiperspirants that prevent you from sweating. Sweating is a normal bodily function. It helps regulate the body temperature due to heat, exercise and stress. Antiperspirants contain a toxic aluminum based compound that pose serious health risks including Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. Deodorants, on the other hand, only take the odor away by killing the bacteria that causes it. I’ve personally been using the natural mineral crystals for years and it works great. Check out www.thecrystal.com

Clean clothes:
Wash your clothes regularly and iron them before wearing. Shirts should only be worn once before washing. Pants can be worn several times. This varies depending on how dirty they get.

Have a stain removal pen handy to keep stains from setting in before you have a chance to take care of it. It will save you from buying new clothes or wearing ones with stains on them. I personally like the Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover pen.

When you clean your clothes, follow the care instructions on the label. It’ll extend the life of your clothes and keep them looking great. Separate your lights and darks so you don’t have that new red t-shirt turn your white dress shirt pink. I tend to add an extra rinse cycle to my loads. One rinse isn’t enough to get all the detergent and dirty water out. It also prevents your white shirts from turning gray too quickly.

Don’t over dry your clothes as it will shorten their lifespan and generate more wrinkles. Take them out while they’re still a tad damp. And definitely never leave clothes in the dryer longer than they have to. If you have the option, hang them up to air dry. It’s more environmentally friendly, energy efficient and it’ll save you money.

If you do need to get clothes dry cleaned, make sure to go to a place that doesn’t use the common dry cleaning agent perchloroethylene (aka perc or PCE). It is a central nervous system depressant and a known carcinogen. Inhaling its vapors can cause dizziness, headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, unconsciousness and death. If you don’t have a choice, be sure to remove the dry cleaning bag outside. Let your clothes air out for at least a day but preferably four to five days before wearing them.

Nose and Ears:
Trim those nose hairs and clear out your nostrils. Visible boogers aren’t very sexy. Wash your ears and clean them out regularly with a q-tip.

Skin Care:
If you have dry skin, use a moisturizer. There’s stuff for the body, stuff for hands, stuff for the face, stuff for around the eyes, etc. If you’re just starting out, go with something general purpose for the whole body. I have dry skin so I apply moisturizer immediately after I shower. I tend to use a lighter body oil during the warmer months and a heavier body butter during the colder months. I like the organic stuff with a subtle natural scent. You’ll smell nice without having to use colognes/perfumes that are often carcinogenic. And if you do use fragrances go subtle. Less is more and some people have allergies.

Check out the skin care section of local Whole Foods. They usually have a bunch of products you can sample to figure out what you want.

Also, check out the all natural products by Golden Path Alchemy. They use Chinese and Western medicinals and botanicals in their products. You’ll love it.