Before we joined the slow fashion movement, we hardly ever looked to see what our clothes were made of. If we liked the style, and if the price was right, that was enough for us to buy something. Made of polyester? 100% linen? Grown using pesticides? We reluctantly admit these considerations never crossed our minds. Those days are happily behind us and now, we could never imagine buying something without knowing what it’s made of.

The materials in our clothes, also known as fabrics or textiles, are produced by weaving together fibers or blends of fibers to produce a finished garment. Fibers are exceptional materials because they serve two purposes simultaneously: form and function. In other words, we expect that our clothes will both look a certain way and perform a certain purpose. We need our clothes to keep us cool, help us stay warm, wick away sweat if we’re running, drape a certain way if we’re wearing a formal dress, and so on. The fibers in our clothes tell a much richer story than the few words on a tag reveal. Follow us through farms, fields, and factories as we take a closer look at what we’re really wearing.