The Frequency Trap: Why Your Clothes Might Be Making You Sick (And What to Do About It)

June 9, 2025

The Frequency Trap: Why Your Clothes Might Be Making You Sick (And What to Do About It)
By Nineteen Collective

We live in a culture of "wear once, wash twice, replace often." But have you ever stopped to consider what your clothing habits are doing—to you and the planet?

At Nineteen Collective, we’ve been asking a new question:

If you're eating clean, moving your body, and living mindfully...
why are you still putting plastic on your skin 12 hours a day?

The Hidden Cost of Frequent Wear

The average person wears just 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time, according to a study by Movinga (2018). That’s a small rotation of clothing coming into frequent contact with your skin—the body’s largest organ.

Here’s the catch:
Most of that 20% is made from synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and acrylic.

According to the Journal of Hazardous Materials (2020), these plastics can release BPA, phthalates, and microplastics through friction, heat, and washing. These compounds have been shown to:

Disrupt hormonal balance
Cause skin irritation and inflammation
Accumulate in organs over time (yes—your liver, kidneys, and even brain)

So when you wear your "go-to gym tee" every day... you may be dosing your body with low levels of toxins every single time.

Fast Fashion + Frequency = Accelerated Harm

The World Economic Forum reports that the average person buys 60% more clothing today than they did in 2000—yet keeps each item for half as long.
This means we’re:

Wearing more low-quality materials
Washing synthetic fabrics more frequently (releasing 700,000+ microfibers per wash – Environmental Science & Technology, 2016)
And letting toxins build up with each wear against warm, sweaty skin

What we wear often… matters most.
Because it stays close.
And it stays long.

Enter: Nineteen Collective

We designed our clothing with a simple principle:
High-frequency pieces should be high-integrity pieces.

Every Nineteen garment is:

Made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton from Portugal
Dyed using algae-based, non-toxic inks
Completely free from polyester, BPA, and plastic-based blends
Breathable, skin-safe, and designed to be worn again and again

Our tees and hoodies are built for daily use—minus the slow drip of endocrine disruptors.

The Science is Clear: What Touches Your Skin, Touches Your Health

Let’s talk numbers:

Over 65% of gym clothing sold globally is made from synthetic plastic (Textile Exchange, 2022)
91% of synthetic fibres are non-biodegradable and shed harmful particles into water systems and lungs
According to a study published in Environment International (2019), people exposed to higher levels of phthalates (commonly found in synthetic clothing) were more likely to experience hormone disruption, poor sleep, and fatigue

In short?
High-frequency wear requires low-tox living.

What You Can Do

Read the label: If it says polyester, nylon, spandex, or acrylic—it’s plastic.
Choose slow over fast: Invest in fewer, better basics designed for everyday use.
Wash less, air more: Organic cotton doesn’t trap odor like synthetics. Let it breathe instead of overwashing.
Wear Nineteen: Clothing made for your best self—mind, body, and soul.