If Everyone Loves Cotton, Why Are We Still Wearing Plastic?

Let’s be real for a second.

You walk into a fast fashion store. Everything looks fresh—trendy tops, flowy dresses. You touch something that looks soft and summery, flip the tag... and it says 100% polyester or it just says 100% cotton but is not.

Wait. What?
Facts right?

Didn’t we all grow up loving cotton? That soft kurti that made summers bearable. That old tee you refuse to throw away. Your grandma's or mom’s handloom saree that still smells like home.

So here’s the big question:
If we love cotton so much… Why does fast fashion still dress us in plastic?

1. Cotton Is Rich in Soul, But Polyester Is Cheap on Paper.

Fast fashion doesn’t care how fabric feels. It cares how fabric sells.

Polyester and other synthetic fabrics are cheap to make. They're spun in giant factories from petrochemicals (yes, plastic), and they can be churned out faster than you can say "new drop."

Cotton? That takes time. Land. Water. Farmers. Seasons. Love.

2. Speed Kills Craft

Big brands need styles in stores - yesterday’s trend is not today’s. Cotton takes its own sweet time to grow, spin, dye, and weave—especially if it’s organic or handloom.

Polyester doesn’t complain. It can be printed, cut, and shipped in record time.

So the question becomes: Do we want fast and empty, or slow and full of story?

3. Synthetic Fabric Looks New Longer—But It’s a Lie

Polyester holds color like a pro. It doesn’t wrinkle. It feels smooth on the outside.

But underneath? It doesn’t breathe. It clings. It sweats with you (but never lets the sweat go). And if you’ve worn polyester in a humid Indian summer… you know what I mean.

Cotton, on the other hand, softens with every wash. It ages beautifully. Like your favorite pair of jeans or your dad’s old cotton shirt—it tells a story.

But fast fashion isn’t interested in stories. Only shelf appeal.

4. We’re Buying Labels, Not Looking at Labels

Let’s be honest. Most people don’t check fabric tags.
They check the price. “The trend.” “The influencer link in bio.”

And polyester helps brands say: “Get 3 for ₹999!”
Cotton can’t compete with that... unless we change what we value.

5. The Hidden Cost: Your Clothes Are Polluting the Planet

Here’s the part that no brand puts on their website:

> Every wash of a polyester garment sheds microplastics.

> These tiny fibers flow into our oceans. Our rivers. Our drinking water.

> They stay on the earth for hundreds of years.

> And every year, the fashion industry dumps 92 million tonnes of textile waste.

So What’s the Answer?

We’re not saying never wear synthetics. But maybe… pause before you add to cart.

Next time, check the label. Touch the fabric. Ask yourself:

> Will this feel better the more I wear it?

> Is this piece worth loving, not just buying?

> Does this breathe with me—or suffocate me?

The future of fashion isn’t about having more.
It’s about choosing better.

And that's better? If it looks a lot like cotton.

Let’s Go Back to the Fabric of Us

Cotton isn’t just a fiber. It's a memory. It's the school uniform that makes you feel grown up. The lungi your granddad wore reading the paper. The first saree you gifted yourself.

Maybe it’s time we bring that feeling back.
Not just for nostalgia—but for comfort and for something as simple as the right to breathe in what we wear.