Buying Pains:
Harm to consumers that results from poorly labeled clothes.
Meet Liz!
Liz has textile contact dermatitis, so buying new clothes can be difficult and painful.
What is contact dermatitis? Click here to read more.
A lot of clothes make Liz flare up with itching and rashes.
Her doctor did a patch test to figure out what she was allergic to.
(hover over each patch test circle below)
Textile Series:
Dimethylol
Dihydroxyethyleneurea
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This resin-like fabric treatment releases formaldehyde over time and is highly allergenic for Liz.
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In textile production, it enables wrinkle-resistance, permanent press, and antimicrobial properties.
Fragrance Series:
Sandalwood oil
Metal Series:
Nickel
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Nickel is a hard metal used in coins, magnets, and metal alloys. Nickel is toxic at very large doses.
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Liz might come into contact with nickel in jewelry, buttons, and buckles. In addition, Liz is allergic to contact with other metals, including silver.
Standard Series:
Quaternium-15
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It is formaldehyde releasing and has antimicrobial effects.
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Once Liz learned about this allergy, she saw it throughout her house: in her shampoo, makeup remover, and laundry starch. Her allergist told her it’s likely in the paint on her walls.
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This oil is made from steam distillation of sandalwood trees and is typically produced in India.
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Used topically or ingested, it is highly allergenic for Liz.
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This oil is used in skin and beauty products, mouth fresheners, incense sticks, deodorants, and more. It is said to improve digestion, relieve anxiety, and induce calm, among other purposes.
Even though Liz knows what she's allergic to, it's still hard to find accurately labeled clothes.
According to the label, these pants only contains cotton and elastane.
99% cotton
1% elastane
However, the rivets that hold the pockets and seams together are made with nickel, which Liz is allergic to.
Labels only refer to the fabric fiber. The materials used in the trim (zippers, buttons, rivets) are not listed in labels.
How common are nickel allergies?
According to the label, this scarf only contains wool.
Anti-microbial
100% wool
However, this scarf was made with silver nanoparticles to give it anti-microbial properties. Liz is allergic to silver.
According to the text on the label, this shirt only contains cotton.
100% cotton
It may have been treated with a formaldehyde-releasing resin to make it wrinkle-free. Liz is allergic to Dimethylol Dihydroxyethyleneurea, a resin commonly used in wrinkle-free treatments.
The care symbol, however, suggests that the shirt is permanent press.
What are resins? Click here to read more.
To really protect Liz, brands should be required to name every additive, treatment, and material in a garment. Accompanying the ingredients list with a certification would also help.
Ingredients are listed in our cosmetics.
Why not our clothes?
Why don't clothes come with a complete list of materials?
Attempts to regulate chemicals in clothes have had mixed success.
What laws exist, and where? What laws have failed?
Despite the challenges, movements and organizations strive for consumers’ rights, workers' rights and sustainability.
How can I get involved in advocating for change?
One great way to create change is to contact a political representative about your interest.
Use this email template to contact your legislators and ask for action.
You can also contact your favorite clothing brands. Consumer pressure is a very valuable tool, often causing companies to shift their practices.
What can you ask brands to do?
new section
As a consumer, you also have power
in your purchasing decisions. You can choose to stop supporting brands that don’t meet your needs or ethical standards.
How can you buy differently?
If you have contact dermatitis, you can protect yourself by changing your laundry habits.
What can you do differently?
Keep learning about biology and stay updated about trends in materials and textiles.
Where can you keep learning?
Interested?
Get in touch with us!
Meet The Team!
Caitrin Lynch
Caitrin Lynch, Ph.D., is Professor of Anthropology at Olin College of Engineering, where she teaches courses in anthropology, design, engineering, and entrepreneurship.
Adam Coppola
Adam is an online courseware developer with a background in software engineering. His hobbies include making DIY projects and playing disc golf. Adam is a graduate of Olin College.
Jasper Katzban
Jasper is a student at Olin College, where he's exploring the intersection of design and engineering to create sustainable, human-centered experiences.
Jennifer Lee
Jen is the illustrator on the team and a designer and engineer by day. She's also a student at Olin College and she specializes in assistive tech.
Meagan Rittmanic
Meagan is a graduate of Olin College and a mechanical engineer. She is very passionate about adventures in the outdoors and crafting.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the following:
Marybeth Martello, Director of Sustainability for the Town of Wellesley, Massachusetts; Kristin Draper, Wendy Barrows, and Bethany Pollock at Draper Knitting Company in Canton, Massachusetts; several allergists, dermatologists, and environmental scientists; faculty at Olin College of Engineering who shared perspectives with the research team (thanks especially to Tim Ferguson Sauder, Scott Hersey, and Jean Huang); Olin alums Margaret Rosner and Andrew Holmes, who were involved in the project when it first began; Ben Retik, who worked on the project when we were deep in the COVID-19 pandemic; and the many other friends and colleagues who provided feedback along the way. Adam Coppola deserves special thanks for being on this project from start to finish. Adam is the best, and this project wouldn’t have been finished without his leadership and excellence.
Support from Sketch Model, an initiative at Olin College funded by the Mellon Foundation to explore deep integration of humanities and STEM. This project received Sketch Model Summer Studio project funds for early project collaboration and design work with motion designer and animator Conor Collier. Thanks to Conor for work at that critical early stage.
Support from the National Science Foundation for the larger project on "Textiles, Technology, and the Return of Manufacturing in the United States."