0 Comments Polyester Rant | Imported Post

Ok, so I mentioned already that I was experimenting with other blogging platforms recently. Not that I have written a lot there, but I figured that it would be nice to get everything in one place, so now you can read here what I did elsewhere. Enjoy! (Excuse the formatting, copy-pasting unfortunately brought in some scripting I can't get away which double-spaces everything in this post...)

Self-made cotton sundress

"I love clothes. No, not like that… I love good clothes. I am not a style freak, but I admire a well-assembled outfit. I enjoy a nice match of colours or patterns, when it is not too much, but just enough to create that interesting and unique look. A kind of look that people could call stylish without necessarily knowing what exactly attracted them. Elusive. Subtle. But most importantly, I enjoy quality natural fabrics in clothes I choose for myself.
I do well understand and appreciate the fact that people are looking for easier and cheaper sourcing for fabrics since it brings us such materials as bamboo, viscose or acetate versus cotton or silk. I even understand the need for polyester and polyamide - some pieces really do require extra durability without sacrificing the ease of movement. But what I do not understand, and which I find a complete outrage, is the fact that larger section of [especially] women’s fashion is being invaded by polyester (among other artificial yarns) every season that passes.

Taking ladies high street shopping as an illustration, there would be at least 15 pure polyester tops for each one made of viscose or cotton. Depending on the brand, the quality of make will naturally vary, but the fact remains exactly that — polyester prevails. And it is not even the designs, no. The majority of the pieces I encounter are up to standard, feature lovely patterns and overall follow the current fashion trends. But my God are they impractical!

Now, each material has a fairly unique quality to it, which is why it is generally being chosen for a certain piece. Wool for warmth, cotton for breathability, silk for its sheen, and so on. Polyester has replaced all of the above. You can find polyester dresses that resemble wool crepe, polyester that looks like woven or jersey cotton, polyester chiffon… Sadly, they all look like things without delivering the expected qualities. A dress like that will never keep you warm enough in the cold, but will likely feel quite hot when worn indoors. Polyester can hardly be called breathable, and its feel (more often than not) is not too pleasant on the skin.

Some might argue that I should stop looking at cheap/mass brands for quality stuff and be happy with whatever they have to offer. But the more expensive brands are no better! Yes, they do use some nice fabrics and the fitting can be better at times, but they just as easily sell full-polyester dresses for the price of silk ones. What is sad is that the current demand trends make it possible, and it looks like it is moving towards natural fabrics becoming a more high-end good for which one’ll have to pay double.

Don’t get me wrong though, I do own some polyester pieces myself, and I do enjoy wearing them from time to time even if they are not the most practical/cozy items. But that is a reasonable fraction of my wardrobe versus the sheer volume of polyester in the mass market as opposed to natural materials.

The last half a year or so I have been resorting in occasional clothes making, the hassle of which brought me more joy and fulfilment than ‘scavenging’ for nice clothes on the high street or online. I do have a feeling that with the tendencies I spoke of above this might become a more recurring thing. But for now, rant closed. x"

E.V.

P.S. Let me know if you want me to tell you more about how I made this dress and if you want to see some more pictures.