Maha is coming for your clothes

Between suet fries, raw milk, and vaccine denial, the Make America Healthy Again campaign has set its sights on another slice of life: our clothes.

“The MAHA movement isn’t about what we eat, it’s also about what we wear,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a news conference. job On X in late May. “For decades, America has moved textile jobs overseas and allowed foreign plastic-based synthetic materials to dominate the apparel market.” Rollins went on Fox News to promote a new Department of Agriculture campaign called the “Great American Cotton Plan.” initiative Which promises to provide subsidies to American cotton farmers, stimulate domestic manufacturing, pursue more favorable trade policies with other countries, and launch a marketing campaign targeting consumers Urges them to buy “Plant, not plastic” campaign is at least partly problematic Made by the Trump administration: Cotton farmers themselves He said Tariffs and increased costs make the task more difficult and more expensive.

The focus on cotton clothing and textiles as part of MAHA’s ideology comes at an opportune time for the movement. There has been a wave of interest in clothing made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool and linen, rather than synthetic materials such as polyester which are common in fast fashion in particular, but also in clothing in general. Some brands are Taking advantage of growing consumer interest in clothing made from natural fibresand marketing their products using imprecise and unregulated buzzwords like “non-toxic” and “clean.” At every turn, influencers are documenting their efforts to replace plastics and other synthetic materials in their homes with “natural” alternatives. Now, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., MAHA is including cotton as part of the official platform.

The government’s appeal to consumers to buy, wear and use cotton products over other products seems on the face of it to be fairly innocuous – Cotton Clothing He does I feel good. It is a versatile fabric that comes in an endless variety of textures, weaves, colors, weights and prints. It’s breezy in hot weather, especially with the loose weave that’s not tight on the skin. There are some products that I will only buy if they are 100% cotton, like pajamas, graphic tees, or denim. Cotton, like all fibres, has its place in our wardrobes; However, MAHA missionaries and beneficiaries rarely break down the nuances.

One category of clothing that has received significant attention in recent years is sportswear, which tends to be made of synthetic materials for performance and comfort purposes, and is often worn close to the skin. On social media, Influencers They stuff their leggings, sports bras, and underwear to excess In garbage bagsThey pledged to throw away their clothes and replace them with cotton products. Influencer content often creates maximum panic. (“If you want to have kids someday, get rid of all your gym clothes.” One video starts. It promotes a so-called “low-toxin” sports brand.)

But some regular consumers are also concerned about working out with petroleum-based materials, noting that polyester clothing sheds microplastics and the possibility of their skin absorbing chemicals from their clothing. piece of Wire cutter Specifically dealing with Plastic sportswear question It explains some of the complicating factors: When it comes to exposure to chemicals, it’s not clear what risks clothing poses compared to eating or drinking, for example. And still scientists Trying to understand What are the effects of microplastics on the human body, or how to best measure microplastics to begin with. Synthetic fabrics and materials also play an important role in comfortable and durable clothing: you need elasticity in the waistbands and legs of underwear, for example, otherwise they won’t stay in place. Socks made from 100% wool or cotton will wear out faster. Even “low-toxic” sportswear brands promoted by influencers contain some amount of synthetic fibers of unknown origins in the fabrics they use — 100 percent cotton leggings won’t have the same stretch.

There’s another fact that a lot of “non-toxic” and MAHA brands ignore: just because clothes are made from natural fibers like cotton doesn’t necessarily mean the clothes are safer or chemical-free. Manufacturers sometimes treat fabrics (including cotton) to make them more resistant to stains or wrinkles It can result in the presence of chemicals such as formaldehyde In clothes. Some early research too It has been questioned It claims that the natural fibers actually biodegrade, as manufacturers and brands often claim.

The USDA’s Great American Cotton Plan angered some of MAHA’s influencers, who… He says It is a scheme supported by the agricultural industry to sell more pesticides. Cotton consumes large amounts of water to grow, process and dye it, and uses huge amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Their preferred course of action is to focus on organic farming, but even that comes with a caveat: generalized organic labels are squishy, ​​and reporting is done by the New York Times Evidence of fraud found Along the supply chain of certified organic products. In other words, it’s a mess.

But one thing is for sure: consumer concerns about what clothing is made of is great for business. There are “low-toxin,” “natural,” and “clean” clothing brands popping up every day, with seemingly cute but disorganized claims about safety and health with sparse detail — but with plenty of product for consumers to buy. MAHA Action, a group that says it is “committed to supporting President Donald Trump’s MAHA agenda,” celebrated America’s grand cotton plan on social media. True believers can fill their shopping carts at MAHA Action’s online store, stocked with a range of organic cotton T-shirts – and plenty of polyester, too.