BareFibre Ed 02

EDITION 02

barefibre

BareFibre

Edition 02

BareFibre Spring/Autumn 1. The truth: Natural Fibre activewear 2 - 5 2. Do you really need all those clothes? 6 7 3. A deep dive on Bamboo. 8 - 10 4. Brands spotlight: Wayvewear. 11 5. Fibres for your season: Spring/Autumn 12-13 6. Brands on the rise. 14 Curated by BareFibre

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WHO IS BAREFIBRE AND

WHATS OUR MISSION?

BareFibre is a brand on a mission to make synthetic-free, natural fibre fashion accessible for everyone. In a world where its becoming harder and harder to find synthetic free clothing, Barefibre is a place where you can not only find the brands making fully natural fibre clothing but also keep up to date with whats going on in the natural fibre fashion world. It's also a space where we can discuss and question the current fashion industry, and what is really being sold to us.

WHAT ARE BAREFIBRE EDITIONS?

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

BareFibre editions are a seasonal magazine with articles highlighting current trends in fashion, specifically in correlation to sustainable, natural fibre fashion. It also includes Fibre for your season (yes, both Southern and Northern) and a highlight of brands in the natural fibre space.

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The Truth: Natural Fibre activewear The truth: Natural Fibre activewear.

Why “100% Natural” and “activewear” most of the time don’t fit in the same sentence, and what this actually means for you.

We start this article with a statement.

BareFibre has a very transparent standard. It’s simple: 100% natural fibres, nothing synthetic ever. We hold this standard through every fibre, every brand and every article of BareFibre editions.

Activewear is where the standard can be hard to hold.

You deserve to know why this is the case and what your options are for natural fibre activewear.

The problem: The problem with activewear is stretch. Spandex, also known as Lycra or Elastane, can stretch by 500-800% of its original length and still return to its original shape. This offers a 4-way stretch that moves both lengthwise and crosswise. High-performing activewear needs a stretch percentage of 70-100% or more, especially for movements like squats or lunges.

Merino wool, which is the top natural fibre for activewear, has natural elasticity; by comparison only stretches up to around 30%. This is the tension of natural fibre activewear. The stretch that makes leggings, sports bras and compression gear function in the way we expect them is down to the synthetics in the clothing. This is because these synthetic fibres are more effective than the natural fibres. This isn’t just some marketing strategy it is textile physics.

So, it poses a question, is 100% natural fibre activewear even real?

To this question, the answer is largely no. Not in the way the phrase suggests.

It really comes down to what consumers are expecting when it comes to activewear. If we want something that stretches or shapes your body, then you will have to expect a small percentage of spandex (Lycra or elastane). Some brands may use natural rubber instead.

Even Icebreaker, which is one of the most well-known and respected merino wool activewear brands in the world, has many streetier pieces that have a small number of synthetics. They do offer 100% natural merino wool pieces, but these t-shirts are items like t-shirts that don’t need to be ‘stretchy’. When you look closely at any ‘natural fibre’ activewear brand, you will find a consistent pattern, which is that there is a small amount of spandex or nylon in their product. Typically, this sits around 5 to 10% of the total fabric, which will be blended with cotton, bamboo or wool to provide the stretch and support performance activewear requires.

This is different from a brand that is 100% synthetic activewear and calls it somehow conscious. We wanted to be clear about this distinction. But it also makes it different from the BareFibre standard, which we apply to everything else in the BareFibre editions.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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BareFibre

What does this mean for the BareFibre standard?

We have thought about this carefully, and we have landed on an idea.

Under the BareFibre standard, even a piece that has even 5% synthetics does not pass our standard. We need to uphold this standard to be consistent and reliable.

We also believe in being honest with you rather than pretending a clothing is cleaner and more natural than it is. So in our activewear coverage, we will always tell you exactly what percentage of synthetic a garment contains and categorise these accordingly.

- BareFibre Approved – 100% fibres, zero synthetics - BareFibre Reduced – predominantly natural fibres with a small synthetic stretch component, under 10% - Does Not Pass – Over 10% synthetics are found in the item This is to give you a full picture rather than false information.

Though, to note, there is a genuine difference between 5% and 95% synthetic.

When the amount of synthetic fibre used is free of chemicals like PFAS and BPA, and then only makes up around 5-10% of the total fabric, with the rest being made up of natural fibres, it represents a micro-plastic reduction of roughly 90-95% compared to a fully synthetic piece of activewear.

This is not a little thing. That is a genuine reduction in the chemicals and microplastics exposure to your body. A pair of leggings made of 90% organic cotton and 10% Elastane is still a more meaningful product for both your body and the environment than a pair made from 100% synthetics.

So, what does 100% natural activewear look like?

100% natural activewear does exist, but it just isn’t in every category of activewear. It is often also with trade-offs, which are worth knowing about.

The closest thing to a natural performance fibre is Merino Wool.

Merino Wool as a fibre regulates your body temperature. If you’re hot, it helps cool you down and vice versa. Its fibre absorbs moisture vapour and moves it away to evaporate, keeping sweat at bay. It also locks away odour molecules, which are then only released when washed.

There are so many merino activewear items that is 100% merino wool with no synthetic content whatsoever. This is typically seen in t-shirts, base layers, and lower-stretch pieces, where demand for extreme elasticity is lower. © 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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Another fibre that works for natural fibre activewear, but has some limitations, is Organic Cotton Organic cotton is breathable and soft, but it has a limitation as it can lose shape if it isn’t blended with a stretch fibre. Brands are making 100% organic cotton activewear, with leggings made from 100% cotton with no Elastane at all, and every component is disclosed down to the label link. The trade-offs of this are typically less compression and a looser fit over time compared to blended alternatives.

An example of a brand making these leggings is Aya. They make their leggings from 100% organic cotton and are sewn with 100% cotton threads.

A last fibre that works well for lower-stretch activewear is Hemp Hemp, like organic cotton, has a lower stretch factor as a natural fibre. When they are combined with a small amount of elastane for stretch, it does offer a durable, breathable and natural moisture-wicking alternative to synthetic activewear. To note, fully synthetic activewear without any stretch component does not exist for items like shorts and T-shirts.

Where Synthetic Stretch becomes unavoidable.

To be fully transparent with you, there are activewear categories that can be made from 100% natural fibres, but there are some options that are genuinely hard to find.

These are: High compression leggings for activities like running, HIIT or weightlifting. These movements almost always require some synthetic stretch component to hold its shape and support through intense, repetitive movement.

Sports bras with support requirements need a percentage of synthetic fibre for structural integrity, which lower-impact options like merino wool or organic cotton don’t provide.

Swimwear is the most difficult category and is used for any active movement in the water. No swimwear exists without significant synthetic content. This is because natural fibres do not perform adequately in sustained water exposure.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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A note on Synthetic activewear.

We have covered health research in other spaces at BareFibre, the PFAs, the microplastics, and the associations with hormonal disruption and respiratory conditions. We won't repeat all of that here.

What is worth mentioning is that PFAS are used in most synthetic activewear, specifically to make it water-resistant, stain-resistant and quick-drying. These PFA’s don’t break down easily once they're in your body. The activewear industry has had decades to solve the stretch problem without synthetic chemistry. It largely hasn’t been tried because the production of synthetic fibres is cheaper and easier to engineer than the alternatives.

This doesn’t mean that natural fibre activewear is a lost cause. It means this area requires more careful navigation than a t-shirt or a pair of trousers. It also means you deserve a publication willing to tell you that honestly, rather than promising something that doesn’t exist just yet.

The BareFibre position.

We would rather tell you the truth about a hazy area of natural fibre fashion than pretend it’s simple.

100% natural fibre activewear does exist in some categories; think merino base layers, organic cotton basics, hemp shorts and tees. In other areas like compression leggings, structured sports bras and swimwear, a small synthetic percentage remains for now, and it’s a realistic trade-off for genuine performance.

Choosing a 90% natural fibre, 10% synthetic leggings over a fully synthetic pair is not a failure. It is still an honest, informed choice. These are the ones we will always tell you the truth about.

This is what doing the research means.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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Do you really need all those clothes?

This is a question that sits more uncomfortably in the heart of conscious fashion consumers. It’s also a question for sustainable brands. Ethical marketplaces and well-meaning publications are hesitant to ask because the answer is bad for business.

So, we are going to ask it.

Do you really need all those clothes?

The average person today has about 100-150 garments, excluding accessories, sitting in their wardrobe. But studies show that up to 50% of these garments are never worn. So that is 50-70 garments sitting in one wardrobe, never getting worn.

In the 1930s, women owned around 40 garments in their wardrobe, and this includes accessories (like shoes and hats).

This equated to a total of nine outfits.

Nine.

So, there was something between 1930 and now that convinced us that more isn’t just better but necessary. Our wardrobe needed to be expanded rather than maintained. Getting dressed and choosing an outfit was a problem requiring an ever-growing solution.

But really, it questions who is benefiting from our overconsumption?

The answer is not you. The fashion industry generates between $1.7 trillion and $2.5 trillion in revenue each year. It can generate this revenue by producing a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. It creates trend cycles so quickly that your last season’s purchase feels so obsolete before it’s even been worn ten times. They produce clothing so cheaply that discarding it feels easier than caring for it. That buying new feels like a necessity. This system needs your participation to function.

This system requires you to believe that what you have and own isn’t quite enough. Your perfect outfit is just one purchase away. No matter how full your wardrobe is, it has gaps that need to be filled. None of these feelings is accidental, but all are by design.

And when we are talking about overconsumption in fashion, we often only frame it as an environmental problem, which it is, and the statistics are documented and alarming.

But there is a human cost that isn’t discussed as much. Every garment in existence has required someone to make it. Hands to cut the fabric, hands to operate the machine, hands sewing the seam.

In a fast fashion supply chain, the ones who make your $12 top and $8 trousers possible are the hands of people who are working in conditions that are unsafe for any humans and for wages that make that price tag possible for you. It’s on the backhand of people working in conditions and for wages that make the price tag possible for you. The economics of cheap, fast-produced clothing are simple and brutal.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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So, what do you need if you don’t need all those clothes?

An uncomfortable truth is that humans and clothing are that we need very little of it.

We need necessities like warmth and protection. We need to have appropriate clothing for contexts in our life like work, home, occasions and exercise. We do need to feel like ourselves. But none of these requires 100 garments. They require at most a fraction of what most of us own.

I want to bring up the Japanese concept of ma. It is the idea of negative space and the power of absence. This applies well to a wardrobe, as it does to architecture or music. A wardrobe with too much in it is a wardrobe where nothing can breathe. Nothing stands out, and getting dressed becomes a daily exercise in decision fatigue rather than a quiet act of self-expression.

The most stylish people in the world aren’t the ones with overflowing wardrobes. Instead, they are the ones who have learned, through combinations of wisdom and restraint, that less is not a limitation but a form of clarity.

So where do we at BareFibre sit with all this?

BareFibre exists to help you find natural fibre clothing in a world drowning in synthetics. Therefore, in doing that, we are in some sense part of the fashion ecosystem. We feature brands; we highlight products. We make it easier for you to consume natural fibre fashion. We know there is tension in that. So, we want to be clear about what we believe in.

We do believe that you should buy less. We believe that garments you do consume should be made from natural fibres. This isn’t because it makes consumption virtuous, but rather it makes it something going to be made, worn, and eventually returned to the earth. It should be made from materials that start and end with the earth.

We believe a smaller wardrobe of things made better is not a compromise, but it is the point. BareFibre is not here to help you consume more. We are here to help you consume less and mean it more.

So the next time you make your next purchase, I want to let three questions sit with you.

Do I need this, or have I been made to feel like I should need it?

There is a difference between an actual need for an item and a feeling of need that has been forced onto us through a business design. Finding that line is one of the biggest steps a consumer can take.

How many times do I think I will wear this item, at least thirty?

30 wears is a benchmark to try and turn people away from fast fashion. Though it isn’t a backed number that proves a certain offset from fast fashion, it’s still a good benchmark to use when deciding your next purchase. If you don’t think you will wear it at least 30 times, do you really ‘need’ it?

What is it made from, and where will this go when I'm done with it?

If you choose an item that is made from natural fibres, it will return to the earth. An item made from polyester will not break down for hundreds of years. The end of an item’s life is as important as the start of it. Knowing what is made of helps you understand the kind of future it has.

So on an end note, what is the most important garment you have?

It’s the ones you already own; the second most important is the one you will buy once and use for years; and the least important is the item you bought on an impulse, wore twice and got rid of because a new trend cycled around.

Natural fibres matter, ethical production matters and verified brands matter.

But this doesn’t matter as much as simply purchasing and consuming less. We are here to outline that at BareFibre.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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A deep dive into the fibre of Bamboo: Bamboo is currently everywhere in the conscious and sustainable industry right now.

We see it: bamboo socks, bamboo activewear, bamboo bedding, bamboo underwear and the list goes on. It is marketed as a natural, breathable, antibacterial, hypoallergenic and sustainable fibre. Bamboo has become a go-to fibre for brands that want to appear environmentally responsible without changing their product. But there is a problem with bamboo. It’s that over 95% of bamboo fibres sold are chemically processed rayon or viscose, not actually the natural bamboo fibre. The bamboo you’re buying isn’t 100% pure bamboo. Instead, you are being sold A chemically processed version of Bamboo, which the fashion industry is aware of.

Let’s break down the difference between a bamboo plant and bamboo fabrics.

What is Bamboo? It is simple. It is a plant. But it has genuine, remarkable qualities.

Bamboo plants grow up to 92cm a day. It doesn’t require pesticides. It regenerates from its own root system without replanting. It absorbs significantly more carbon dioxide than other stands of trees. It is a raw agricultural crop, meaning it is one of the most impressive crops on earth.

Raw bamboo is a hard, woody grass. It doesn’t have a natural silkiness or any drapey qualities that more bamboo fabrics have. To turn this rigid plant into a soft wearable fibre, the plant must undergo intensive chemical processing. A bamboo plant and a piece of bamboo fabric are not the same thing.

A plant’s foundation and eco-credentials do not automatically transfer to the textile it is made from. What happens from plant to product is where the problems arise, and where most consumers are being misled.

So how does the bamboo plant change into a fibre?

There are three main ways a bamboo plant is turned into a textile fibre. Understanding this is the most important thing a conscious consumer can know about this material.

1. Bamboo viscose (most common, and most problems) The process involves with viscose can consume around 59,000 kg of freshwater per kg of finished fibre.

The bamboo is chipped and processed into dissolving pulp. That pulp is then chemically dissolved using sodium hydroxide and carbon disulphide. This is a highly toxic solvent linked to serious neurological damage that factory workers are exposed to over time.

This liquid is filtered and extruded through spinnerets to form filaments, then washed and turned into fabric. The result is a fibre that is chemically identical to viscose rayon, regardless of the bamboo plant it came from. The chemical process removes any trace of the original bamboo plant’s properties. © 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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This is the method used to produce most of the bamboo fabric on the market. It is because it is cheap, scalable, and produces a soft, drapey fibre that consumers then associate with bamboo clothing. The thing is that it isn’t natural and not sustainable in the way marketing pushes it to be. The finished fibre has nothing meaningful in common with the bamboo plant it originated from.

2. Bamboo Lyocell (better but doesn’t pass the BareFibre standard) Bamboo Lyocell, which can also be marketed as bamboo Tencel, uses a closed-loop solvent system that recovers and reuses its chemical solvents at higher rates than conventional viscose.

One method recovers over 99% of its chemical solvent, while another dumps roughly half its hazardous waste into the environment. The gap between these two methods is enormous. Bamboo Lyocell represents a step towards environmental improvement over bamboo viscose. The production is cleaner, and the solvent used is NMMO, which is non-toxic and largely recovered. But there is still a chemical process. It does still require dissolving bamboo pulp in a solvent to create the fibre. The finished fabric is still a semi-synthetic fibre, not a natural one.

Under our BareFibre standard, bamboo lyocell does not pass.

We do, however, acknowledge its advantages over viscose. But a fibre that requires any chemical processing to exist is simply not a natural fibre.

3. Mechanical Bamboo (the only genuine natural option) Mechanical bamboo, which can also be called bamboo linen, is produced by mechanically crushing bamboo stalks and extracting fibres without undergoing any chemical processing.

The result is a natural fibre that is processed the same way flax is processed into linen. It is rare and significantly more expensive than viscose bamboo. The fibre, when finished, is less soft than the chemically processed alternative. But the most important part is that it is natural.

If you can find a product labelled bamboo linen, and can verify it was mechanically processed, it may pass the BareFibre standard. We say may for complete transparency about mechanical bamboo processing because it is still limited, and third-party verification is.

The soft, silky bamboo fabric sold in most clothing? It is viscose.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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Marketing vs reality: When marketing bamboo fibres, the properties used to sell bamboo are their antibacterial and hypoallergenic properties. These are properties of a raw bamboo plant but not the properties of the chemically processed rayon fibre that these companies are selling. A study by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that bamboo viscose shows no inherent antibacterial activity unless specifically treated with antimicrobial agents during finishing. This is one of the most significant deceptions in conscious fashion.

When a brand tells you their bamboo activewear is naturally antibacterial, they are describing the property of the bamboo plant. This property doesn’t survive the chemical processing required to turn bamboo into a fabric. The antibacterial bamboo plant becomes conventional rayon. The marketing doesn’t change to reflect this.

Marketing bamboo rayon as a ‘’chemical-free bamboo fibre’’ or ‘’organic bamboo fibre’’ is a common compliance mistake, which the FTC is actively pursuing enforcement actions for exactly this.

So why do brands keep using bamboo?

The answer is simple, really. Bamboo viscose is cheap to produce. Bamboo plants themselves grow rapidly and at low cost. The process for creating viscose is well-established and scalable. The result is a fabric that is soft, lightweight and performs well commercially. The marketing writes itself. Bamboo sounds natural to consumers; it sounds sustainable. It resonates with conscious consumers in ways that ‘viscose rayon’ doesn’t. The brands using bamboo viscose and marketing it as a natural, sustainable fibre are neither specific nor open about the trade-offs. They are using the plants’ credentials to sell a chemically processed, synthetic-adjacent fabric.

So, what does this mean for the BareFibre standard?

Bamboo fabric, in all its common commercial forms, does not pass the BareFibre standard.

This includes: - Bamboo viscose - Bamboo rayon - Bamboo modal - Bamboo lyocell/Tencel The only bamboo that may pass our standard is mechanically processed bamboo linen. This would require verified documentation of the processing method before approving any brand making this claim. The BareFibre standard exists to reduce the confusion caused by bamboo marketing. When we say natural fibres only, we mean natural fibres only. They are from the earth and, upon reaching your wardrobe, haven’t undergone chemical or synthetic processing. 95% of bamboo fabrics fail this standard.

To sum up, bamboo is a plant that is genuinely impressive. Bamboo as a fabric is one of the fashion industry's most successful greenwashing stories. The gap between these two things, between what bamboo is in the ground and what it is when it is in your wardrobe, is the kind of gap BareFibre exists to illuminate.

We do the research, so you don’t have to.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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Brand spotlight: WayveWear. An activewear brand that proves performance doesn’t need plastic.

Who is WayveWear?

WayveWear was founded in Los Angeles in 2024 by Yahil Malchin.

He started this after learning about the health impacts of synthetic activewear and finding that no brand was doing it properly. His solution to this was simple: build activewear from entirely natural fibres. Before synthetics, there was cotton, wool, hemp and linen.

Breathable, durable and biodegradable. These are real materials from the earth. At WayveWear, they aren’t inventing anything that is new; instead, they saw what has always worked and brought it back.

The fibre checks of WayveWear.

Every WayveWear product contains no polyester, no microplastics, no PFAS, no phthalates. Their standout and hero produce if the Quad Short. This shows everything they stand for in a single product.

The Shell is 100% organic cotton, and the built-in liner is 100% merino wool. There is no spandex, no elastane and no DWR water-repellent finish. The fit of the shorts comes from the internal drawstrings and an athletic cut rather than from a stretch fibre. WayveWear also publishes specific certifications on every product.

GOTS-certified organic cotton, RWS merino wool, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 low-impact dyes. This makes it transparent to the consumer what they are getting.

Now, why does this matter so much for activewear?

As we recently covered in this edition, the activewear industry had a significant PFAS and microplastics problem. Most activewear sits against your skin when your pores are most open; this is when you are sweating and when absorption is at its highest. Every WayveWear product is made from 100% natural fibres, organic cotton and merino wool. Neither sheds microplastics. Neither requires PFA treatment to perform.

Their merino wool liner in the quad short is particularly significant. Merino regulates body temperature, resists odour and provides natural stretch, without any synthetic fibres. This is what solving the activewear problem without petroleum looks like.

One final note on WayveWear. Currently, it is primarily a menswear activewear brand, with its core range built around men’s shorts, tees, and training pieces. Their women’s range is currently limited. As a new brand, they're worth watching closely as they grow. Their commitment to 100% natural fibre across everything they make means that as their range expands, they will expand cleanly.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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Fibre for your season: Spring/Autumn edition Spring and Autumn are seasons that let natural fibre shine. These are seasons where synthetic fibred clothing can’t decide whether to insulate or breathe and ends up not doing either well. Natural fibres were built exactly for this.

The challenge is simple: your body doesn’t know whether it’s warm or cold from one to the next.

Polyester insulates, or it doesn’t. It’s either warm or it’s cool and doesn’t adapt. Compare that to merino wool, which absorbs moisture when you heat up, and then releases it when you cool down. Linen allows air to circulate when the sun appears, then provides a natural barrier when the wind picks up. Silk can regulate your skin, while a wool layer manages everything above it. Together they create a system, not just individual garments. This system covers a temperature range that synthetic clothing would require multiple wardrobe changes to match.

The fibres: Lightweight merino wool.

This is the single most versatile natural fibre for Spring and Autumn. Warm enough for cool mornings.

Breathable enough for warm afternoons. Fine enough to layer without bulk. The sweet spot for transitional seasons is 150-200 GSM. Merino wool is best worn as fine-knit cardigans, base layers, and lightweight turtlenecks. Look for ZQ merino or Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certified

Medium-weight linen.

When people think of linen, they automatically think of it as a summer fabric, which is true is a great summer fabric, but it also stands out in transitional seasons. During transitional seasons its becomes something different; it’s a structured, breathable layer that works across a wider temperature range than it’s known for. A linen blazer over an organic cotton T-shirt covers a 12-degree temperature range comfortably.

Linen is best worn as: Blazers, structured shirts, trousers. Look for European Flax or GOTS-certified.

Medium weight 180-200 GSM is the sweet spot.

Organic cotton: Organic cotton is the backbone of nearly every aspect of natural fibre fashion. A medium-weight organic cotton layer that is worn as a base layer under a merino knit or linen blazer creates a thermal system that covers most spring or autumn scenarios.

Organic cotton is best worn as base layers and medium-weight sweatshirts. Look for GOTS-certified organic cotton.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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Cashmere and Wool: When Autumn deepens in the Northern Hemisphere, cashmere and wool become the anchors of a natural fibre wardrobe. Cashmere for its amazing warmth-to-weight ratio. Virgin wool and lambswool for structure and durability in outerwear and knitwear.

Cashmere and wool work best as: cardigans, knits, blazers and coats. Look for Good Cashmere Standard or SFA-certified cashmere and RWS-certified wool.

Silk: The most underrated transitional fibre, worn as a base layer under wool or cashmere, silk creates a thermal dynamic unlike any synthetic layering combination. Together, this dynamic creates a 15-degree temperature range without discomfort.

Silk is best worn as: base layers under wool, standalone blouses on warmer days. Look for OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified silk.

Here is a quick guide for your hemisphere/season: Southern Hemisphere Spring – September to November Merino and cashmere still relevant for cooler mornings. Linen starts to re-enter for warmer afternoons. Organic cotton as a transitional backbone.

Northern Hemisphere Autumn – September to November Wool and cashmere become the primary fabric through October.

Merino wool as the everyday foundation. Silk as the base layer under heavier pieces.

Finally, to leave off, a natural fibre transitional wardrobe only really needs 5 good pieces that work together, that layer together and that respond to the body to work. You don’t need an abundance of natural fibre clothing, rather just a few good quality pieces that work.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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Brands on the rise Three natural fibre brands worth knowing about right now.

The natural fibre movement is growing, and with it comes a new generation of brands building something worth paying attention to. These are brands on the rise.

WayveWear – Los Angeles, USA Founded in 2024 by Yahil Machin after learning about the health impacts of synthetic activewear. He found no one was solving the problem properly, so he made his activewear out of 100% natural fibres.

GOTS-certified organic cotton. RWS-certified merino wool. No spandex, no Elastane, no compromise.

These are things the activewear industry said weren’t possible.

Full article on WayveWear in this edition.

Jungmaven – Los Angeles, USA Jungmaven is built around one belief: that hemp is the most underrated fibre available. Their hemp and organic cotton blends are GOTS certified and Fair Trade. They are cut and sewn in Los Angeles. They are casual, considered, and genuinely natural.

© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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BareFibre online marketplace Coming soon...

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© 2026 Bare Fibre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from BareFibre.

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