Back Row with Amy Odell

Your Clothes Are Full of Chemicals. Here's What You Need to Know.

Back Row with Amy Odell

Show Notes

***SUPPORT THIS INDEPENDENT SHOW by subscribing to the Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribeGo Premium and save three months on an annual subscription to access paywalled podcasts and all newsletter stories.***

Frances Solá-Santiago is a reporter for The New York Times's Wirecutter product review site, where her whole job is to test clothing and interview experts about how to find the best stuff for the best value. She's done extensive research into which chemicals sneak into our clothes — and what we, as consumers, need to know about them. In this episode, she reveals how we can shop consciously, some of her favorite picks for bags and clothes, and much more.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:30 How Wirecutter Actually Tests Clothes

06:00 Does Higher Price Mean Better Quality?

09:00 Vintage vs. New Coach Bags — What the Lab Found

10:00 Why Everyone Is Suddenly Worried About Their Clothes

12:00 PFAS Explained — What Forever Chemicals Are

16:00 Who's Most at Risk — You, Garment Workers, or the Planet?

21:30 Which Certifications Can You Actually Trust?

25:30 Health Washing Is the New Greenwashing

35:00 The Frankie Shop Blazer Test

39:30 Why Going 100% Natural Isn't a Guarantee

41:00 Where Regulation Is Headed

49:30 Is Dry Cleaning Safe?

Follow Frances Solá-Santiago

📰 The Wirecutter (NYT) - https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/authors/frances-sola-santiago/

📸 Follow Frances on Instagram: @fransolasantiago Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from Back Row with Amy Odell

Oct 19, 2026

*SUBSCRIBE to the Back Row newsletter for more coverage like this: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe. Go Premium and save three months on an annual subscription.*

Oct 13, 2026

SUBSCRIBE to the Back Row newsletter for the FULL Fashion Month Awards podcast and get more coverage like this: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe. Save three months on an annual subscription.

Oct 9, 2026

Mrs. Dow Jones (Haley Sacks) on how to stop impulse buying and why fashion month keeps you broke. Part One of two.

Oct 5, 2026

Harry and Meghan are back in the UK, six years after leaving the royal family. In the first part of Back Row's deep dive into Meghan Markle, Amy and former Us Weekly and Hello! editor Justin Ravitz — who has interviewed Prince Harry and worked with the couple's team — trace Meghan's story from her Los Angeles childhood to the night she met Harry.

Sep 28, 2026

PJ Smith, director of fashion policy for Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society), has spent almost 20 years getting companies from Gucci to Net-a-Porter to go fur-free.

See all episodes →