Canadian activewear brands market natural fibres amid health and environmental concerns

VANCOUVER · Katie Quinn launched her athleisure brand Downtown Betty in 2009 after sewing a cotton dress for a yoga trip to India. Seventeen years later, she operates a flagship store in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood, promoting a "no-tox" lifestyle with sound baths and yoga classes. Her leggings and tops are made with 95 percent organic cotton and 5 percent Lycra, a contrast to the popular synthetic blends used by larger brands. Quinn says sales have more than doubled from 2025 to 2026 after she shifted her marketing to highlight potential health risks from plastics.

"You work out to stay healthy," Quinn said. "So why would you want your workout wear to be anything other than good for you too?" She is part of a growing cohort of Canadian entrepreneurs developing activewear from plant-derived fibres. Quinn says a turning point came when she filmed herself wrapped in plastic food wrap and posted it on Instagram, connecting her brand to conversations about microplastics and hormone disruption. "Think about it," she said. "When we’re covering our endocrine glands in plastic… What’s the long-term impact on our health?"

In Saskatoon, accountant Morgan Wig launched Wilm Apparel in March 2025 after finding few Canadian-made, natural fibre alternatives for her running and weightlifting routines. She sources fabric from British Columbia, manufactures in Ontario and stores inventory in her basement. Wig's fabrics carry OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, which tests for harmful substances. Her tops contain 66 percent plant-derived lyocell, while her leggings use 65 percent plant-derived viscose blended with nylon and spandex for stretch.

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Wig estimates she has manufactured roughly 100 units of each style and sold about half. Tank tops and T-shirts priced between $45 and $75 have been her bestsellers. For Toronto customer Alma Zorman, who has eczema, the difference is tangible. She says synthetic workout clothes can irritate her skin, while Wilm's softer fabrics have made her workouts more comfortable. The science on health impacts is less clear-cut. University of Alberta textile scientist Dr. Patricia Dolez said she is not particularly concerned about polyester and nylon fibres contacting skin, as the polymers are chemically stable. Her questions lie more with dyes, additives and other small molecules that may not be firmly bound within the fibres, though she said she has no evidence they enter the skin.

Environmental impact presents another complex layer. Kelly Drennan, founding executive director of Toronto-based Fashion Takes Action, noted that turning plant-derived materials into fabric can involve chemicals and solvents, while synthetics shed persistent plastic microfibres. She also identified recycled polyester as a challenge, as material made from plastic bottles can be difficult to recycle a second time, especially when blended with elastane. "Natural does not automatically mean sustainable, and recycled does not automatically mean circular," Drennan said.

Drennan said a garment's full environmental impact depends on its entire life cycle, making transparency about manufacturing processes important. She said the responsibility for better disclosure lies with the industry, as consumers shouldn't need a chemistry degree to make informed choices. Clothing labels typically reveal little about the dyes and chemical finishes used. Neither Quinn nor Wig has eliminated synthetics entirely. Both are experimenting with how much can be replaced without sacrificing the performance qualities consumers expect. "I choose my health and the earth’s wellbeing over perfectionism every day," Quinn said.

With files from The Globe and Mail