Dear Layla,

Miss-matched Mom

Dear Miss-matched,

I’m no doctor, so I have no explanation as to why some people become allergic to things, and for that matter why it might be triggered by pregnancy. I can understand that a pregnant body goes through a lot of changes, and that the growth would also make previously sensitive skin even more so.

There is this buzz word going around that you might have heard of, it’s called organic. Well please don’t be fooled, we’re still working on what it means to be organic in the clothing industry. Maybe the fiber (i.e. cotton) is harvested without chemicals and bleach, it’s spun and woven or knitted, but then to get fun bright sellable colors, printed or dyed. Well most dyes and prints are not organic. Just because something is synthetic also does not mean it doesn’t have a base in organic matter either. For instance, modal is processed beechwood, but it took chemicals to process wood pulp into fiber then fabric.

What I’m trying to get at is, don’t assume you’re allergic to all synthetics because of an allergic reaction. I would recommend being cautious with your buying, of course. Just because you are buying an organic based fiber does not mean the final product is “green” or completely “organic”.

I would suggest cotton is a good place to start. I would stick with a fine grade pima cotton, but steer clear of mercerized cotton since it can involve a chemical process that might cause a reaction. On the plus side, the brands making pima cotton products happen to be doing something right on the style end!

Check out some of ADAM’s great lounge T’s and tanks. They really have a effortless look that I would suggest buying in black to avoid those thrills and spills I’m sure will happen around the house.

A couple of pieces I like are:

	the ADAM Three Quarter Sleeve Henley Shirt (EBJS27) great for layering or wearing alone,
	the ADAM Cap Sleeve Vee Shirt (EBJB14) for a simple, comfortable look,
	and the ADAM Traveling Gym Pant (E05S635) perfect for lounging, sleeping, or running those daily errands.

I think in the undergarment arena, On Gossamer offers clean sophisticated pieces with a great fit. Their signature elastic is virtually seamless under clothing.

A couple of standouts:

	the onGossamar Cotton Reversible Camisole (1427) perfect for layering under tops or sweaters
	and the onGossamar Cotton Hip Bikini (1402), a low-rise bikini that stays in place

And as a final word, I wouldn’t swear off all synthetics. I would take it on a trial basis. By swearing off synthetics you’re missing out on mesh, microfiber, and seamless technology. Unless you’ve seriously developed a lifelong allergy, I think you will find there are synthetic products that you can handle. It really depends on the fiber, the treatment of it with chemicals afterwards.

You might even try checking your brand of detergent! If you buy organic or natural clothing and wash it in harsh chemical detergent you might be having a reaction to that. After all you associate it with the garments next to your skin, but the chemicals from a detergent could be the culprit! We carry Soak Scentless which is affordable enough to give a try. It’s low suds, and so easy to use! I love this stuff!

Xoxo,

Layla

This entry was posted on Monday, March 2nd, 2009 at 5:35 pm and is filed under Get Fit Q&A, Fit Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.