Wrinkle-free clothing -- garments that are ready to wear right out of the dryer, no iron needed -- are the greatest thing to happen to fashion since the hoop skirt went out of style...or are they? The stylish convenience of these clothes is due to their being treated with formaldehyde, a chemical preservative most commonly used as an embalming fluid (remember those frogs in high school biology?). Formaldehyde helps to keep fabric fibers in place during laundering, whereas without the chemical, fibers become dislodged and form wrinkles.

But formaldehyde, according to Susan T. Nedorost, associate professor of dermatology and environmental health sciences at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, who was interviewed by The New York Times, people who are allergic to formaldehyde often suffer from contact dermatitis -- a condition characterized by itchy skin, rashes, and blisters -- when wearing wrinkle-free clothing. More disturbing, exposure to formaldehyde is a major cause of formaldehyde allergy, so the more you wear, the more likely you are to suffer a reaction.

The United States does not require manufacturers to disclose their use of formaldehyde, or any other chemicals, on clothing labels. So there is no way for those who have a sensitivity to formaldehyde, or those concerned about developing one, to avoid this harmful substance.

What consumers can do, however, is to petition retailers from the grassroots level and to pressure them into labeling their garments properly. L.L.Bean, which advertises that its chinos are "great right out of the dryer," is one of the largest users of formaldehyde in clothing, a behavior that clashes with its reputation for equipping a healthy lifestyle. Let's ask L.L.Bean to tell us what's in our clothing so that we can make more informed choices about what to buy.