What are the pros of Polyester?
Aside from being cheap/cost saving, what practical reason would I want a Polyester garment over another fiber? For example, I see items like so:
https://www.grailed.com/listings/48070525-groundy-x-yohji-yamamoto-asymmetric-jacket?g_aidx=Listing_by_heat_production&g_aqid=f06e8629bd2d87a9fedb4559823fa2cc
I like the silhouette, I stan the fuck out of Yohji, but the 50% polyester composition just makes me wary. I understand Ground Y is a "budget" line, but is the Poly literally just for cost cutting? Or is there some meaning behind the choice? It's one of my blind spots as a fashion guy, TBH, never really understood why Polyester is bad aside from its reputation.
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A lot of interesting fabrics exist out there that are some percentage polyester, and above the mall-brand tier they tend to be of at least passable if not high quality. Brands like Coherence do cool things with polyester and polyester blends
It's the cheaper polyester fabrics that give the awful reputation
It's much much easier to apply heat and reshape polyester fabric, see Homme Plisse, you can't really do that with natural fibers
why it's bad: microplastics
That is true I totally forgot about Homme Plisee.
I will always hate Daiki Suzuki for making those 100% poly fake melton jackets last year, but polyester fleece is much cheaper than wool or cotton, and is just as good at keeping you warm. Arguably more durable in fleece form, though again, shedding and microplastics
Why it's bad: microplastics
Why it's good: https://creations.mattel.com/products/barbie-the-movie-i-am-kenough-unisex-hoodie-hyn77
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Polyester can be used to alter the drape of a fabric and influence the properties of fabrics. Like heat/reshaping @closedbookexam mentions or durability. Remember too polyester is just a big catchall term it's hard to really say oh polyester is this or that specifically
I'm trying to rewire my brain to not just naturally avert myself from anything as soon as I read Poly in the composition label.
I'll say even though Uniqlo definitely uses polyester as a cost cutting measure in the Uniqlo U oversized tees, they are noticeably lighter by being a poly-cotton blend
Synthetics like polyester and polyamides are great for performance clothing. I do not like poly/natural blends for everyday wear
compared to the full cotton longsleeve one
I'll be honest, as someone who asked this very question in the subreddit like 2 years ago, Id still encourage you to treat polyester with a lot of suspicion, no matter where it's from
I kind of do want to cope a little bit because I know that a lot of garments that I like for their appearance and their price tag are poly and if I could rationalize compromising it would help my bank account a lot lol.
But yea, thanks for the answers guys. I have basically been writing the fabric off completely for the most part.
gl, I have not succeeding in this, weirdly I'm ok with nylon in some things???
i prefer nylon as far as synthetics go but I'm unsure if theres any real reason for that
To this point, I took the same realization as a reflection on my own consumerism. Like, if I only want to afford stuff made with plastic, maybe I should watch how much stuff I want to buy in the first place. Waiting until I can afford better pieces means buying less, which is a good thing 🤷‍♂️
Poly/cotton blends tend to pill easily for me bc of the different fabric strengths. High polyester clothes trap odor and smell like dookie if you sweat just a little bit. It doesn’t breath either. But again, it has more uses in performance garments than everyday wear imo
I do think I have some reasons tbf, even if still plastic, and that firstly it's not oleophilic so not stinky and secondly idk nylon's just a bit sexier sounding? and connotations of nylon tights and so on, the word polyester sounds cheap to me
Another thing to consider - dyeing synthetics is generally a more intense process than dyeing natural fibers, resulting in more wastewater production globally
This is true and how I already kind of operate. Like I said there are some items I see on occasion where it meets all the boxes and I see that theres polyester in the composition and would like to know if theres any reason for it to be there aside from helping cushion the financial damage.
Just looking to make more well rounded decisions than just immediately turning up my nose at a word I didnt really understand.
Thanks for the education folks appreciate you.
Xoxo
For Ground Y yes it is just cost cutting. The twill they use is still very high quality though, I have had a pair of Ground Y pants in that same 50/50 Wool/Poly gabardine.
thanks as always, I will keep this in mind if I feel like pulling the trigger appreciate the knowledge sir.
Two things that haven't been mentioned:
Polyester dries way quicker which can be a big deal if you're travelling
Similarly waterproofing is really easy with Polyester clothing
Polyester can smell really bad really easily. For me personally if I'm not actively exercising in it poly pants are fine for a wear or two without smelling but a full day of wearing any 100% Polyester shirt and it has a distinct, faint but awful smell to it. This is apparently a bacteria that only grows on synthetic materials, and anecdotally keeps smelling bad after washing way more than cotton
It is partly because polyester absorbs body oils
Iirc some companies incorporate silver to stop it or something? Not sure how it works
I have some vintage milsurp cotton/poly shirts and they’re super easy to maintain/don’t wrinkle easily
The way I understand it is that polyester is a stiffer fabric creation. So for suits, it doesn't hang as naturally but looks good on a mannequin. As soon as you raise your arms, it can scrunch up. It also doesn't breathe very well so that can make it poor for warmer weather. Finally, some companies use it as a cost cutting measure so it can create a cheap looking design? It's probably how you use it though.
I, too, have the polyester bilnd spot due to its breathability issues (I live in a highly humid environment), however, after trying some poly stuff from Uniqlo (some AIRism, some are from the DRY line), it made me sing a different tune due to how breathable it can be
Would having polyester garments in a more breathable weave change this? IIRC, there was a brand that tried this where the owner (I think?) ran a marathon wearing their full suit and didn't even sweat as much
yep, many outdoor technical garments can be 100% polyester and perform multiple functions like insulation, breathable fabric, moisture wicking. dry fast. Sounds like that's what the suit did.