Cotton, Cashmere, and Silk: The Best Natural Fibers for 2026

Ever since early November, my TikTok For You page has been flooded with videos about natural fibers. It happened right around the time people in New York (and other cold-weather cities) started shopping for thermal base layers. As I kept seeing more, I noticed many shoppers were actively looking for alternatives to polyester, which is a fabric that isn’t ideal for temperature regulation since it tends to trap heat. Instead, the conversation has continued to shift to breathable, temperature-regulating materials.

For winter, cashmere and merino wool are go-tos for warmth without the bulk, while cotton and silk are seasonless staples. If you’re also trying to find natural-fiber options to your wardrobe, I’ve rounded up a mix of pieces below. Highlights include Cou Cou’s The Pointelle Pants, Flore Flore’s Car Baby Tee Ribbed Organic Cotton-Jersey T-Shirt, COS’s Chunky Cashmere Mock-Neck Sweater, Gap’s 100% Cotton Relaxed Crop Cardigan Sweater, Leset’s Margo Maxi Dress, and more.

Audry Hiaoui is a writer based in New York. For Who What Wear, she specializes in emerging designers, independent labels, and brand discovery, as well as interviews both on and off camera. Her writing has appeared in AnOther, Wonderland, Office, Interview, Love, and i-D, among others, with multiple cover stories and features in print, and she has worked as an editorial producer for Vogue during fashion months. She holds a master's degree in journalism and documentary filmmaking from City, University of London, and has an extensive background in film, having worked for Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, and Vice UK as well as on various projects including documentaries and music videos and most recently as a writer's assistant on an upcoming HBO/A24 series.