Polyester allergy- shopping nightmare???
I was recently contacted by a client asking for my help to detox her wardrobe, discover her body shape & colours and help her plan out some 'everyday' outfits. When returning her client consult form to me she made it clear that she has a very well established 'daily uniform'- as in she has an idea of what suits her/works for her and sticks to wearing it EVERYDAY! I'm not going to lie, I was a little confused as to what my role here would be! The client had told me she is very particular, has her own daily uniform and knows what suits her- yet she is employing me to help?!! Five minutes into our session and it all became clear.......
'L' has an allergy to polyester. This has massively effected her clothing choices over the years. She was diagnosed with this not long after having a baby, so the allergy putting restrictions on fabrics, coupled with her body changing after childbirth had led to her feeling safe in jeans and a long sleeved top. This quickly became her 'uniform'. It made her feel safe, hid the parts of her body she no longer recognised and met the requirements of her allergy.
What is Polyester Allergy?
Polyester is a man-made material used to make clothes, bedding, carpets and soft furnishings.
This type of fabric is often preferred by fashion designers because of its capacity to store heat, therefore, keeping people warm. It is also hydrophobic- repels water, and this is why many jackets are made of the material.
Despite all its positive qualities, polyester can lead to the over-reaction of immune systems in many people. For these people physical contact with the material leads to the development of allergy symptoms, such as hives, redness of the skin, itching, eczema and in extreme cases, shortness of breath, breathing difficulties and anaphylaxis reactions. So imagine being told you are allergic to a fabric that is found in most of today's high street clothing??
We chatted in depth about 'L's body shape and the different ways she could make small, subtle changes to her 'uniform' to ensure it flattered her assets and introduced more colours, colours that flatter her skin tone, eyes and hair. Having acknowledged that the uniform had become her security blanket for the last 7 years, it would be unrealistic to think that after one session I would have convinced her to ditch it! #babysteps
'L's main concern about deviating from jeans and a long sleeve tee was that she knew these items contained no polyester, finding 100% cotton items that were affordable, practical for life as a mum, suited her shape, in a range of her colours just seemed unachievable. I love a challenge!!!!
"I will find you 3 or 4 new items to add to your wardrobe, building on your 'uniform, all 100% cotton, perfect for your body shape and in your colours" said The Fairy Clothes Mother- aka ME!
Very, very quickly it became clear how almost all of the high street offerings contain some form of polyester/man-made fibres. Be it lycra, elastane, polyester, viscose or nylon. Choices are incredibly limited! But having made a promise to find 100% cotton bootcut jeans, tee's in autumnal shades and short/cropped cardi's I wasn't about to give up!
My search online threw up some fabulous companies, with some very credible options, in terms of price and style.
https://www.wearethought.com- started in 1995, in Australia, by David & John. Two guys looking for a solution to the heat as well as a sustainable option.
This company has some great options for women & men as well as accessories!
http://www.cotton-clothes.co.uk- This is an amazing website! xxx has done all the hard work, trawling through brand websites, item descriptions etc to put all of their 'cotton only' clothing into one big database. They include Women, Men, Children and Babies. The only downside is that the database isn't regularly updated so some links to items don't work.
https://mudjeans.eu- I featured this fab brand in my blog about sustainability. Their concept of recycling old cotton/denim items to make new, along with their 'lease' a pair of jeans option makes them a great eco choice. Plus polyester free so great for allergies!
https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/home- This is a Japanese brand, with a focus on sustainability and practicality means most of their range is 100% cotton.
All that's left for me to do is put the finishing touches to the LookBook I am creating for 'L' to showcase her purchase options. That's exactly how easy shopping is with me when you opt for my 'Virtual Shopping package'!
I will encourage 'L' to leave a comment on this post so we can find her out what she thought of the options I have found for her!
Be you, Always xx