The Best Fabrics for Teens: Comfort, Breathability & Sustainability
When it comes to choosing fabrics for teen bras and briefs - comfort and skin health come first. But just as important are breathability, durability, and sustainability. Teens are active, growing, and developing body confidence, so the fabrics they wear every day should support them in every sense of the word.
Let’s explore the best fabrics for teens, why some are healthier and more sustainable than others, and what to look for when shopping for garments like first bras, sports bras, and underwear.
Organic Cotton: The Classic Choice (With a Few Caveats)
Organic cotton is a long-time favourite for its natural feel and lack of harmful pesticides. It’s breathable, soft, and gentle against skin — a good match for everyday wear. For teens, organic cotton means fewer synthetic chemicals touching their skin, and for the environment, it means less water pollution and more sustainable farming practices.
However, cotton does have some drawbacks. It’s highly absorbent, which means it holds onto moisture. For underwear or sports bras that are worn during physical activity, this can become a problem. Trapped moisture can lead to chafing, irritation, and even skin conditions if the garment isn’t changed quickly.
This is especially true for sports bras, which need to be thicker and stretchier to provide proper support. A pure cotton sports bra can feel heavy and stay damp after exercise, making it less than ideal for active teens.
Organic cotton is a great staple for underwear but so is Lenzing fabric which has additional cooling properties.
Lenzing™ TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal: Nature’s Performance Fabrics
If organic cotton is the classic choice, Lenzing™ TENCEL™ Lyocell and Lenzing™ Modal are the modern upgrade. Both are made from sustainably sourced wood pulp — usually eucalyptus, beech, or spruce — in a closed-loop process that recycles over 99% of the water and solvents used. This makes them far more environmentally responsible than most other fibres, even other plant-based ones.
Why Lenzing fabrics stand out for teens:
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Hypoallergenic & gentle: Perfect for sensitive skin, eczema, or dermatitis.
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Breathable & moisture-managing: They wick moisture away from the body and dry faster than cotton, reducing chafing.
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Soft & smooth: They have a silky feel that natural fibres like cotton don't have.
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Strong & durable: They resist pilling and stretching out of shape.
- Air out & wear again: Naturally antimicrobial, Lenzing fibres don't trap sweat and odour like polyester and nylon bras.
Lenzing™ TENCEL™ Lyocell has slightly more structure, making it great for sports bras and active underwear. Lenzing™ Modal is ultra-soft and drapey, ideal for everyday bras and underwear where comfort is the priority. Billie Green's Lenzing modal underwear has an organic cotton gusset, giving you the best of both worlds.
The Role of Elastane (Spandex) — and Why Less is Best
Elastane (also known as spandex or Lycra®) is the secret ingredient that makes your clothes stretch and return to shape. Without it, a bra wouldn’t provide enough support for the bust, and underwear would lose its snug fit after just a few wears.
For bras in particular, elastane provides:
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Stretch to move with your body
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Recovery so the garment stays supportive
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Lift and shaping for the bust
These are all important for growing teens. But here’s the catch: elastane is a synthetic fibre. It’s not breathable, and it doesn’t biodegrade quickly. Too much of it in a garment can reduce airflow, trap heat, and hold odours. For health, breathability, and environmental reasons, elastane should ideally make up less than 10% of the fabric. This gives you the comfort and stretch you need without sacrificing skin health or sustainability.
Why Not Wool?
Wool is a natural fibre with great temperature-regulating properties, but it can be irritating or even allergenic for many people. The texture of wool fibres can cause itching, redness, or discomfort — not ideal for something worn directly against the skin.
For teens with sensitive skin or eczema, wool is usually too abrasive. Lenzing fabrics, on the other hand, are naturally hypoallergenic, ultra-smooth, and completely free from the scales and coarseness that can trigger irritation.
Bamboo and Other Viscose: Better Than Polyester, But…
Bamboo fabric often sounds like the perfect choice: soft, plant-based, and marketed as eco-friendly. The reality is more complicated. Most bamboo clothing is actually bamboo viscose, made by chemically processing bamboo pulp into rayon fibres.
While it’s true that bamboo grows quickly without pesticides, the viscose process is energy-intensive and often uses toxic chemicals. Unless it’s produced in a closed-loop system (like Lenzing’s), these chemicals can pollute waterways and harm workers.
That said, bamboo viscose is still more breathable and comfortable than polyester or nylon. It’s an okay choice if sourced responsibly — but it doesn’t match the skin-friendliness, moisture management, and environmental credentials of Lenzing™ fibres.
Why Polyester and Nylon Are a Last Resort
Polyester and nylon dominate the clothing industry because they’re cheap, durable, and easy to produce. But they’re plastic. They trap heat, hold odours, and shed microplastics into the environment every time they’re washed. For bras and underwear, they can cause sweating, chafing, and irritation — and they’re not great for the planet.
For teens, who are still developing physically and may have more sensitive skin, steering clear of synthetics wherever possible is the healthiest choice.
The Takeaway: Choose Fabrics That Care for Skin and the Planet
When shopping for bras, underwear, and activewear for teens:
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Aim for natural, breathable fibres like organic cotton and especially Lenzing™ TENCEL™ Lyocell or Modal.
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Keep elastane under 10% for stretch and support without sacrificing breathability.
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Be cautious with moisture-holding fabrics like pure cotton for high-sweat activities.
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Avoid irritants like wool against bare skin, especially for sensitive teens.
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Choose responsible production — Lenzing fabrics lead the way in closed-loop, low-impact manufacturing.
The right fabric can make all the difference in comfort, confidence, and skin health — and it can also make a difference to the planet. By choosing better materials now, we’re setting teens up for a lifetime of healthy habits and conscious choices.
