Underwear or swimwear. Is this a consideration for you? I’ve always steered clear of thongs on Amazon because I feel they’re more cheaply made and may have more chemicals, plastics, or other things you don’t want on your body. I often feel that more expensive, reputable brands are more trustworthy in their process. Is there any truth to this?
Are there any thong materials you won’t touch because of this?
I personally only wear clothing made from natural fabrics: cotton, wool, linen. Those fabrics are more sustainable (I hope?), more comfortable, generally higher quality, etc etc.
For “technical” gear – ski gear, rain gear, wet suits, swim suits – the requirements are quite a bit different from everyday clothing. For everything but base layers, synthetics better meet the requirements. I try to buy from companies that use recycled or upcycled materials and/or have a reputation for long-lasting products: O’Neill, Helly/Hanson, Arc’teryx, Patagonia, etc etc. Close-fitting swimsuits seem to require materials like nylon and lycra if you want performance and fast-drying, and even boardies are made from treated polyester.
The “chemicals/plastics used to make thongs” are so far up the supply chain that it makes more sense (to me, anyway) to focus on things that have a bigger impact. (That is, the total weight of the 8-10 thongs I own is probably about a pound, so their chemical footprint is pretty small. That being said, they’re made from nylon and lycra. Nylon seems pretty safe, although apparently some people get rashes from it because it’s not very breathable. A little Googling indicates that Lycra might be a bit more iffy.)