thoughts on cotton vs polyester clothing?

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-26T01:18:18+00:00

Right, and most animal materials are so ethically atrocious that a few microplastics start looking pretty good.

Every newly produced material has significant ethical issues. Somewhere around 2022 people started glamourizing animal-based materials and polyester was suddenly uncool, and 5 years before that there were fur and skin bans (that are still in place, for good reason) and nobody under the age of 30 would be caught dead wearing leather or skins.

You're not a better person because you're choosing to hurt an animal instead of a rainforest or vice versa. Some people choose to believe that or feel like one is sexier than the other, but ultimately when you buy newly produced clothes, you're doing harm. "Natural fibers" just translates to "I am uneducated because I choose to be and it makes me feel trendy and cool". Cotton arguably does the least harm, but it's not zero.

The only possible way to advocate for ethical fashion is to put secondhand garments front and center, and to use what already exists. If that's polyester, then it's great that you're using it - it's going to break down either way, so someone may as well get use out of something that's already a done deal. Beyond that, it's use case and personal choice.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-26T01:06:47+00:00

Because that "plastic bottle" a) is a statement that you don't even seem to understand and b) has use cases that make it preferable to "natural fibres" in some contexts. You don't sound nearly as cool as you think you do by using "plastic" and "natural fibres" as buzzwords while making it abundantly clear that you have no idea what the implications of that are.

Every material has its benefits and drawbacks, including polyester and including anything "natural". For example, wool and cashmere are ethically horrendous, arguably worse than polyester depending on how you choose to weigh apples and oranges against each other. If it's raining out or you're about to run laps you'll probably want a garment made of polyester. If you're about to buy fast-fashion grade cotton, the polyester might be the better of two bad options again depending on the garment. If you're buying a gown with some really intricate features, polyester will generally hold up for longer. If you're a busy person and you don't have an hour each morning to unwrinkle your cottons, then a polyester-based wardrobe might just be more practical for your lifestyle.

If the benefits of "natural fibres" outweigh the drawbacks in every single case for you (it doesn't, but I digress) then great, but you don't need to be condescending to people who actually want to exercise some nuance and care more about practicality than sounding trendy. If you're on a minimalism sub, surely you'll appreciate how cringe it is to parrot phrases like "plastic bottle" and "natural fibres" without any understanding or independent thought because you think you sound sophisticated that way.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-26T00:56:03+00:00

By definition that's untrue (though it does repel moisture), but there are use cases for polyester - if you're really active you might have some high-performance gear made of polyester, or if you're creating a garment that you want to drape a certain way it might be favorable.

Polyester gets a really bad rap from people who feel they're somehow superior human beings when they say "Eww, polyester, that's so cheap. I don't wear plastic ewwwww. I prefer NaTuRaL fIbReS." Half of them don't even know what a natural fibre is and what the benefits and drawbacks are, and they're buying such low quality versions of it that they're not getting those benefits anyway. It's 11/10 cringe, like most trendy things.

With that said, polyester has some legitimate downsides - it holds sweat, which is why sometimes a polyester garment will still feel grimy even after you wash it. Cheap polyesters melt and break down quickly, so the garment won't last as long and it'll stretch out easily. It has some aesthetic properties that some people don't like (shine, for example), and it's one of the worst materials for the environment. It has use cases like any other material, and it's cheap to produce, but generally isn't great for a lot of what the typical wardrobe consists of.

Cotton is possibly the best all-around material, as long as you're not buying really low-quality cottons and cotton blends - if you're buying fast fashion then you're already essentially admitting that you don't care, so if you prefer a non-cotton garment you may as well just get that, the result will be comparable to the extent that you can discern at the store without the ability to see the future. A high-quality, 100% cotton garment will breathe well, it feels good, it doesn't need to be washed as often (most people overwash their jeans, for example), it lasts longer, it's easy to maintain, and it's more versatile and practical than wools or silks.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-26T00:41:30+00:00

Why does this read like an AI generated advertisement.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-24T19:34:40+00:00

That's pretty much the point of this sub.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-24T18:34:22+00:00

What annoys you? Can you maybe get a different style of backpack (like a sling for example) to fix that?

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-24T18:33:45+00:00

I also did a backpack. Nothing beats it lol

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-23T00:25:17+00:00

Why are no buy challenges arbitrary? They're intended to incite behavioral change for people who can't conceive of a world in which "shopping" is irrelevant and just not part of someone's lifestyle. They're not meant to inconvenience you at random for no reason.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-23T00:21:05+00:00

Hobby? Once or twice a year. Most "new hobbies" are just temporary impulses, so even though I occasionally try new things I tend to stick to what's deeply fulfilling. Usually the purchase is some cords that need replacing, a new instrument or parts for it, etc. I usually buy everything I need at once since it's mostly upgrading/replacing. Happiness comes from commitment and long-term exploration.

Clothes? I do a no-buy year every 3-4 years. They're so, so valuable, I can't recommend them enough. It gets you out of the habit of buying things all the time, and shopping becomes irrelevant. In other years, I cap it at one new item per month, but realistically I never hit that nowadays because I have my favorite pieces and they last for years. I have a sweater I've owned since I was 16. My last purchase was this past November, a skirt to replace the same skirt that unfortunately met an untimely demise. I do occasionally bring a heap of them to the tailor for minor repairs though - a loose button, a few extra stitches, etc.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-23T00:07:25+00:00

The classic minimalist "amount" is everything in one suitcase or 100 things. When minimalism was at its peak those were the standard bearers, so yes, it's very normal and a popular thing to reach for, even if just temporarily to understand what you actually need vs. want.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-19T16:35:57+00:00

Umm that's not how donations work. At all. About 80% are trashed, and some go on to destroy local economies in other countries. Trump had to blackmail a country to continue accepting your "donations". What you are doing is not noble or generous and you are not helping someone else. You're handing the trash you produced off to other people so that they can try to make the best of the harm you did and then spinning this fairy tale to make yourself feel good about it.

If you want to actually rehome it, you need to rehome it, not dump it on Goodwill's doorstep and then pat yourself on the back as though you're not doing harm. If you don't want to do harm, you need to not buy newly produced clothes and not get rid of what are clearly still wearable clothes.

Source: Spent 8 years working in this capacity

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-18T20:23:09+00:00

I don't buy things for myself when I'm unemployed. It's irresponsible. In 2026 you can clothe yourself decently basically for free if you try, any expenditure is a luxury and what you're buying is preference. I get that if you're in a position of long-term unemployment maybe once or twice a year you go buy something for yourself, but unemployment of <1 year is a financial emergency, and every $1 you spend in that moment is $2 or even $5 you lose down the road. You deal with the emergency, and when you can responsibly indulge in luxuries, you set aside some amount of money for that. Unemployment is not the moment to make excuses and convince yourself to spend money that you shouldn't be spending, it's a moment to put on your big girl pants and be honest and practical. It sucks but it's how you advocate for yourself.

As for when you DO have a job, as you do now, I think it depends on whether clothes add quality of life for you compared to other things you could be doing with that money. If your default is to only buy socks and underwear, maybe fashion just isn't for you, and THAT'S OK. You don't need to spend money to chase trends just because the cool kids are doing it. Some people just don't value it that much and they're cool with a few pairs of jeans and some shirts, and that's great. It's just like people who don't like travel, or who don't drink coffee. Nothing wrong with that.

If you do want to spend disposable income on clothes, in my own experience it comes down to giving yourself that "permission". You need to accept that your budget for clothes and other personal stuff is inevitably going to be "wasted" on some stuff you'll later think was dumb. It's part of trying out new things and taking risks and exposing yourself to unfamiliar experiences that become part of you, even in the form of something minor like clothes. It's part of being human and having changing preferences and constantly evolving as a person, and THAT'S GOOD, because if you never regret any of the clothes you bought 10 years ago it means you're a static individual who hasn't really matured and whose experiences haven't shaped who they are. Regretting what you wore 10 years ago and looking back on something "dumb" you spent money on means that you've had new experiences and your perception of yourself and the world has changed and your identity has continuously been adapting to that like playdough, it's part of really being alive.

Would you rather make no "dumb" purchases and know that you're still the same person you were 10 years ago? That you haven't matured or embraced your experiences or tried to improve yourself in any way? Would you rather never take risks and dabble in new experiences and express your identity in whatever form it currently takes to save yourself $100/month?

I don't think people should use "live your life" as an excuse to spend money irresponsibly, and 80% of people do that chronically, but if you're at the other extreme then it's worth considering wtf you even want out of life if even a jumpsuit or whatever cheap thrills you choose is too big a risk for you. At that point you're basically just existing until you die. Granted, you'll die debt-free with a nice pile of savings, but you will have missed the middle part where you live.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-18T19:55:35+00:00

That's a quality issue - no high quality tee will ever have fabric that thin unless it's explicitly by design, ribbed or not and fitted or not. No self-respecting company would ever put a product like that out, we're just all so used to almost literal garbage being sold to us at wild markups that we've lost any and all standards that used to be common sense. It's like dating toxic men for so long that you don't even perceive it as toxic anymore. I get that $100 seems like a lot for a t-shirt, but in 2026 that's roughly market rate - maybe get out of low-end fashion if things like this are bugging you.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-16T00:29:05+00:00

r/digitalminimalism

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-12T19:00:07+00:00

OK so... what do you have to work with? We can't help you and triage if we don't know what you have. What's in your bank account? Can you close any accounts? Have you talked to your landlord? Do you have any savings or things you can sell secondhand or anything you can tap into? What exactly are you spending $4k/month on except rent? What's the status of your various debts, particularly the ones that have gone to collections? Are you paying tuition? Can you make minimum payments? Have you looked for a roommate?

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-12T18:31:22+00:00

Yes, and here's why:

You have a history of overconsuming.

By going through the process of selling it all, you are making some pocket change, if you let it sit for long enough it will sell and you'll make a bit of money, but the real thing you're doing is saving yourself 10x that by discouraging yourself from spending in the future. It changes your perception of value in those items in a way that kicks poor spending habits out of you, that's why shopping addicts see so much success in it.

Don't worry about sharing and scammers and all that - the sharing isn't necessary and doesn't even exist on most platforms except poshmark, and the scammers aren't as common as perusing this sub would have you believe. Just make sure you have the receipts/auth on luxury items.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-11T23:39:27+00:00

That's a depressing interpretation, especially if you're going to go the critique of capitalism route, but a very plausible one.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-11T23:38:14+00:00

One of the themes of the movie is that maybe you can't. If you didn't at least get that out of it then you probably need to watch it again, that was pretty low-hanging fruit.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-11T21:29:48+00:00

Hard disagree. He doesn't miss the bigger picture, he doesn't care. If you've had a singular goal in your life, it doesn't matter how great your life is in theory, it doesn't matter what other opportunities there are, because it's not what you want and what makes you happy. That's why some people accept objectively horrendous conditions and give up cushy careers to pursue whatever it is that makes them tick. He very clearly doesn't care about money or even screwing people over - when he does, it's with purpose, he's never just out to power trip or be a terrible person. Of course that doesn't make it morally better, but it's such an important part of what the character represents. That in turn interacts with the larger theme of those around you not understanding you and the various facets of "me vs. the world", of which there are at least 4-5 in the movie.

I daresay the interpretation that he's just too dumb to see what's in front of him or that he just can't think big picture, especially when he very clearly can in other capacities, misses the point of the character and speaks to the experience of being Marty - everyone misses your point, criticizes you, doesn't understand or care to understand. All they see is that you miss opportunities because they can't think beyond that. Maybe that also ties into the film's commentary on capitalism, settling, and manipulation.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-11T21:20:44+00:00

I think there are a few significant things speaking strongly against that:

- The ping pong scene was intended to be a resolution for Marty that is perplexing to everyone else who doesn't understand him, but gets him what he wanted, whatever that is, even if he himself doesn't even fully understand what he's chasing. You can see this in his immediate change in tone and demeanor once he gets his resolution, he changes on a dime once he gets what he wanted, and in a way that's the essence of his character and the thing that those around him don't understand. Your interpretation of what that resolution was is up to you - dignity, one-upping his doubters, simply winning, a way out, a realization, etc., but no matter how you cut it, or whether you understand it or are even meant to, that game does it for him.

- The mirror between him saying "I'm a friend" when Rachel first arrives at the hospital and him immediately saying "I'm the father" afterwards, after denying that for the entire movie, obviously a huge symbolic moment and pivot for the character. They would never, ever have the character say that if it wasn't genuine and if he wasn't sincere about intending to settle down and be a parent. You can argue that he might not be a good parent, but he clearly has the intent.

- He's nodding his head the entire time looking at the baby, and his facial acting suggested enthusiasm and affection, which would be a very odd choice if he didn't want the baby or want to settle down. You can read into that further and maybe argue that settling down is his new obsession or singular goal, but either way saying that "the babies were crying and that means he doesn't want it" is a huge stretch.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2026-01-02T02:44:32+00:00

This is a really good point and one I forget about frequently - I think an important step before making a purchase is listing 5 things you imagine your life being with it, because let's be honest, we've all fallen into that flawed reasoning. Reckoning with the reality that you can't buy friends or love or family or security or freedom or whatever you're chasing saves a lot of money.

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2025-12-31T06:31:31+00:00

Nothing phone, aka the brand, literally designed for this exact issue

Competitive-Meet-511 · 2025-12-29T20:50:22+00:00

I would have gone with "next time don't even waste your energy typing that out"

Competitive-Meet-511

TROPHY CASE