Published May 3, 2026 03:38AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cTradition is a set of solutions for which we have forgotten the problems,\u201d wrote science fiction author Donald Kingsbury, in a book about an alien planet where bees and humans ate each other; \u201cThrow away the solution, and you get the problem back.\u201d Plenty of traditions deserve to die or evolve, but there\u2019s truth here, in the sense that so-called advancements can introduce new (old) problems of their own. I\u2019m talking, of course, about polyester clothing, which seemed like a miracle in the 1950s: Durable! Bright! Wrinkle-free! Now that almost two-thirds of all clothes are made of plastic, one finds oneself longing for anything that breathes.<\/p>\n
Synthetic clothing has its place\u2014it really is<\/i> bright, versatile, and wrinkle-free\u2014and that\u2019s particularly true in the outdoors industry, where advanced synthetic materials are often exquisitely high-performing. (You can pry my PrimaLoft Gold out of my dead hands.) But if you want to feel a bit more old-school these days\u2013and you want materials that are sustainable, biodegradable, and won\u2019t shed microplastics\u2013here\u2019s a rundown of gorgeous natural materials to consider for your clothing and gear.<\/p>\n A hemp or hemp-blend T might be shaped almost exactly like a standard (ie cotton) T, but it\u2019ll have a distinct je-ne-se-quais. It\u2019s about five times stronger than cotton and is odor-resistant like wool. Expect hemp fabric to feel heavy, with significant drape, meaning that it falls and flows beautifully.<\/p>\n Most hemp clothing comes in hemp-cotton blends, and the greater the proportion of hemp, the more its properties will dominate. A 30\/70 hemp-cotton blend, like what\u2019s used in Jungmaven\u2019s fantastic Ojai tee<\/a> ($48), feels like a perfectly softened vintage shirt, with a hair more weight than you\u2019d expect, while a 100-percent hemp tee like the Jungmaven Mana 10<\/a> ($120) is almost startlingly dense. If you\u2019re not yet acquainted with hemp fabric, I\u2019d recommend saving the heartier blends\u2013say, 50 percent hemp and above\u2013for outer and midlayers, because its weight and density make even fine fabrics feel substantial. I\u2019ve been wearing Astral\u2019s Sunrise Hemp Hoodie<\/a> ($99) (a 55\/45 blend) frequently for over a year, and always get compliments; I swear it gets better each time it\u2019s washed. The same is true for Jungmaven\u2019s Cropped Long-Sleeve Tee<\/a> ($88) (55\/45 hemp\/wool), which I\u2019ve had\u2013and worn and washed often\u2013even longer. It\u2019s the perfect combination of sweatshirt and T.<\/p>\n Although linen is easier to find in stores than hemp, it\u2019s not all created equal. The fabric varies by weight, thread size, and density; cheaper linen is flimsy, with short fibers that feel rougher to the touch. Linen fabric with longer fibers might start out rough, but with time, it\u2019ll soften without weakening, so it feels even better with age.<\/p>\n Linen fabric is measured in gsm, which means grams per square meter; the higher the number, the more substantial the material. Fabric in the 80 to 150 gsm range is light and gauzy; 200 gsm and above is heavier. For a pair of basic but high-quality linen pants, I like Siskin\u2019s Hawthorne trousers<\/a> ($135), which are in the medium\/heavy range of 210 gsm. They fit like \u201cmom jeans\u201d from the 1990s, with a loose cut, high waist, and deep pockets. They\u2019ll stretch with wear but snap back when you wash them; that\u2019s normal for linen and hemp, which have less elasticity than cotton.<\/p>\n Another great use for linen is as a lightweight blanket\/wrap. There\u2019s a reason that almost all cultures have some sort of beautiful, versatile cloth garment, like a sarong, pareo, or peshtemal\u2013and for a deceptively durable piece in that same vein, I love Goodlinen\u2019s Beach Blanket<\/a> ($110), which is a jack-of-all-trades textile that I use constantly in the summer months. It lives<\/i> in my car (and my kids\u2019 stroller). Need a wrap for your shoulders when it\u2019s chilly at night? A towel? A swimsuit cover-up? A picnic blanket? A sun shade? At about five by six feet, it\u2019s big enough for most purposes, while the 100-percent linen fabric has long fibers for durability but is thin and super-light, making it, interestingly, both tough and almost translucent to the light; it packs small and dries fast. It\u2019s also genuinely beautiful, with slightly variegated threads, so if you\u2019re a textiles nerd like me, you\u2019ll love using it for that reason alone.<\/p>\n When I lived in Norway, people used sheepskins for everything: lining baby strollers and dogsleds, tossing over chairs and couches, sitting on around the fire, and so on. It\u2019s a habit that stuck with me, because there is practically nothing cozier. Like all wool, sheepskins insulate beautifully and don\u2019t hold smells, although they do get matted with use; you can brush them back to fluffiness with a wire pet brush. Some fibers may come out, but trust that, like a husky in the springtime, a sheepskin can shed a lot and still have plenty of fuzz.<\/p>\n I like to get shmancy and use a two-pelt rug, like this extremely plush one from Overland<\/a> ($219), as a sleeping pad for camping. It\u2019s huge and heavy\u2014definitely not for backpacking\u2014but it\u2019s thick enough to bury your hand in and makes for an extraordinarily warm night, even (especially!) on snow. Just be sure, when you use your sheepskin outdoors, that you let it dry thoroughly every time! And be aware that if you have pets, they will try to claim it as their own. (Tell them they have to share. After all, they already have a beautiful natural coat of their own.)<\/p>\n Natural fibers are durable, but they also wear in; they soften, crease, and mat. That\u2019s good. These are\u2014or were once, at least\u2014living materials, and there\u2019s something lovely about an item that starts to tell a story over time. Don\u2019t be afraid to try your hand at mending<\/a> a favorite item that\u2019s well-worn, and if you\u2019re particularly inspired, try your hand at visible mending techniques like sashiko.<\/p>\n A garment or item\u2019s durability isn\u2019t just based on the material it\u2019s made from, but also the thickness of the thread, the length of the fibers, and the weave. Take Pendleton\u2019s famous wool blankets: most are woven on a jacquard loom, which makes for beautiful, intricate patterns, but creates long \u201cfloats,\u201d which is when one thread skips over several others in order to make a design. Since long threads can snag, the result is less robust\u2013plenty tough for a couch or bed, but not for, say, dragging over sticks. Pendleton\u2019s Yakima camp blankets<\/a> (from $228), on the other hand, are made with the same materials on a shuttle loom, which has shorter floats, making them hardy for use outdoors.<\/p>\n Natural fibers can command a steep price tag, but they\u2019re also extremely thriftable, especially if you\u2019re shopping for fiber content and not too picky about color or style. If you want to add more natural materials to your closet, don\u2019t feel like you need to spend a ton or do it all at once. These pieces have long lives, and you\u2019ll find them over time.<\/p>\n <\/div>\nHemp<\/h2>\n
![\"Goodlinen](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Goodlinen-Beach-Blanket.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Linen<\/h2>\n
![\"dog](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/sheepskin.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Shearling<\/h2>\n
![\"Some](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/thrifted-linen.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
A Note on Longevity<\/h2>\n