Many of us have become quite good at reading labels. We check what is in our food, question what goes into our skincare and increasingly we want to know where the things we buy come from. We rarely treat clothing the same way. We notice colour, style and cut, but seldom ask what a garment is made from, whether it will last or what impact it may leave behind.
That is beginning to change as people become more mindful about what they consume. They are slowly starting to ask more questions about what they wear and how their choices affect the environment. And while there is no single perfect fabric or completely impact-free wardrobe, considering a few simple things can make it a little bit easier to choose well and keep our impact as gentle as possible.
Built For The Gulf
The right material should suit your environment and routine. In the UAE, that means heat, humidity and the constant shift between outdoor temperatures and air-conditioned spaces. You should consider whether a fabric is breathable, manages moisture well and feels comfortable against your skin. More so for innerwear, which experiences the most heat, friction and moisture, yet, is often bought with the least thought. Something beautiful that becomes uncomfortable after two hours and tends to end up at the back of the drawer, no matter how good it looked on the rail. It is not worth the spend when you are trying to build your conscious wardrobe.
Read Beyond The Marketing And Fabric Language
Words such as “natural”, “eco” and “premium” sound good, but do not say what a garment contains. The composition label gives you a better picture. Look at the percentages of fabrics: the main fibre will usually have the greatest effect on how the garment feels, breathes and performs, while smaller additions often serve a specific purpose. Elastane, for example, is a synthetic fibre, so it is not necessarily the most eco-friendly choice and can make blended fabrics harder to recycle. However, when used in small amounts, it provides stretch, improves fit and helps a garment maintain its shape, which may make it wearable for longer. It is neither simply good nor bad. The more useful question is why each material is there. Does it make the garment softer, stronger or better suited to movement? Or has it been used to cut costs? A quick look at the label can tell you a lot more than the language on the front of the tag.Choosing The Right Fabrics
Choose plant-derived fibres such as bamboo and modal, which produce fabrics that are softer, more breathable, and well-suited to warmer climates. The name of the fibre only tells part of the story. To be a more conscious shopper, you must also ask how it was sourced and processed, which is equally as important. What I have learnt through sourcing materials for Rawform is to look for specifics over broad claims. Two fabrics may both be labelled “modal”, but the wood may come from different sources, and the manufacturing processes might use very different amounts of water and chemicals. Sourcing helps us understand where a material comes from, how it is produced and what standards it meets before it reaches our skin. One method we use at Rawform is Lenzing Modal fabrics, which use wood from responsibly managed sources through a closed-loop process that recovers most water and solvents used. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 similarly means a textile has been tested for harmful substances. Looking for details like these helps separate specific, verifiable practices from broad sustainability claims.
Question Features You Don’t Need
Stain resistance, wrinkle resistance and water repellency suit technical clothing, but everyday garments do not always need them. Ask whether the feature is useful before the claim behind it persuades you. Thoughtful construction and a breathable fabric often do more for comfort than any added technology.
Pay Attention To The Finer Details
Pay attention to what a label cannot capture. Look where the seams sit, whether the waistband digs in and whether the fabric returns to shape after stretching. These are the details that are often missed, but play a crucial role in adding curated pieces to your wardrobe that will stay or never be worn again.
Buy For The Long Run
Fast fashion has taught us to treat clothing as disposable. We buy for the brief excitement of something new, wear it a few times, then move on to the next trend. This results in a wardrobe full of clothes that we don’t value and an environmental impact that continues long after we lose interest in them. But this mindset is beginning to shift as more people embrace conscious fashion and think carefully about what deserves a place in their wardrobes. This means choosing fewer pieces that are well-made and versatile enough to wear in different parts of our lives. A considered piece can feel just as useful dressed up as it does on a relaxed day. When we choose clothing that we enjoy wearing and can return to often, we naturally appreciate it more.
A more conscious wardrobe is measured less by size or price than by how much care went into each piece, how often it gets worn and how long it lasts. The best place to begin is with the question we should probably have been asking all along: what is this made of and how will it feel to live in? Conscious living starts with choosing clothes more thoughtfully, with greater care for what touches our skin and the effect our choices have on the world around us.
Words by Clarisse Mar, Founder of Rawform