AIBU to wonder why there is so much polyester on the high street?

[tulpe]

Had a quick mooch around the shops today. I cannot understand why everything appears to be made of polyester . It's a vile fabric that looks cheap before it's even been worn, makes you sweat, and is generally plain nasty!

What's happened to good old fashioned natural fabrics like cotton?

[WhereIsTheFire]

Polyester is cheaper, to keep cost of items down the retailers are switching to cheaper fabrics and hoping you don't notice.

[tulpe]

I don't see how customers can fail to notice. It is generally such appalling quality it stands out a mile away. It's like being stuck back in the 70s!

[cybbo]

Polyester doesnt bother me if the item is nice

[BulletWithAName]

Same herecyb

[LynetteScavo]

Polyester can be OK...but what is going on with Wallis? Everything is polyester.

[tulpe]

don't you suffer with static-related issues when you wear it though? As soon as I try an item on, my hair looks like it has been rubbed with a balloon.

[Littlepurpleprincess]

Polyester makes me itch. When I was a teenager it used to bring me out in a rash, but the school PE t shirts were made of polyester. My mum and I searched the shops for a plain, red t shirt. Such a thing does not exist apparently .

[purplepidjin]

There have been a few years of bad harvests in the cotton industry which have forced up prices.

100% cotton goes for £4 a metre and up round here. Find yourself a pattern and employ a local seamstress

[RedwingWinter]

I really hate polyester. It clings, I get too hot in it, and it looks cheap. I prefer viscose over polyester any day. Sadly cotton is so expensive these days.

[lololizzy]

it makes my hair go crazy and makes me sweat buckets even though i'm not normally a sweaty person. Also..i manage a charity shop and just about every polyester item that comes in has stained armpits so can't be sold..(ie the really ground in sweat that doesnt wash out)

[cybbo]

I've never had static anything in my life

I find cotton stuff too stiff and crunchy, doesnt feel right

I prefer a good old polycotton mix

[FrancesFarmer]

Unfortunately, people pay more attention to price tags than fabric composition.

I always root around for the care tag on clothes in shops but I rarely see other people doing the same.

[MissMarjoribanks]

I hate polyester. I can just about manage viscose, but mainly in trousers. Sweaty, horrible stuff. Generally anything that isn't a million pounds is synthetic these days though (although I saw some nice 100% cotton vests cheap in Peacocks of all places today).

Frances - I get looks rooting for the care tag in clothes, like I'm totally mad. It matters.

[CliffTumble]

I hate polyester. Peppapigberry and Joe browns are particularly bad. Just because I have big boobs doesn't mean I want to wear artificial fibres.

[niminypiminy]

A couple of years ago I would have said I hate polyester. But now I have two pairs of lined polyester trousers and actually I love them. They're lined, so they don't cling (in fact they hang beautifully and swish), they don't crease, the fabric is nice and heavy so it drapes well. I too always look at the care label and on both these trousers it says dry clean only, but I've found they wash beautifully on a cool wool wash. Both trousers are incredibly cool (I wore one pair on the hottest day of last year and stayed cucumber-y cool). What's not to like?
However, I would say that both these pairs of trousers were quite expensive (though I got both reduced in a sale, one of them Isabella Oliver), both well made and good quality polyester fabric.
Any cheap fabric is going to be nasty -- cheap cotton can be really horrible too.

[purplepidjin]

Stretch cotton jersey

Cottons and poly cottons

Free "grown up" dress pattern

Free cute sundress pattern

Think I might raid the stash and make myself this today although not in those colours

[colditz]

I am very fond of viscose. i have the vague idea that it is made from wood, somehow....

[noddyholder]

I like it it is flattering in some styles and dries in a minute!

[polyhymnia]

I like viscose with a touch of elastane - really hangs and drapes sell. Much prefer it to most pure cotton, for reasons cybbo says. But not so keen normaly on polyester.

[polyhymnia]

Or even normally.

[CliffTumble]

Polyester makes me sweat like a pig.

[bluebobbin]

I have to say that I have no idea what any of my clothes are made of. Like someone said above, I look at the price tag. I also look whether the item is easily machine washable and if it can go in tumble dryer. If price/washing instructions are unacceptable to me, I won't buy!

[Chandon]

I hate polyester.

hate it hate it.

I ALWAYS read the fabric tags

[lololizzy]

Popped my head in Lipsy today, saw the sea of poly and popped out again. All the females in Towie must get through a lot of deodorant..

[skyebluepink]

I hate polyester. It's the first thing I look for on label, though actually my polyester radar is pretty acute. I find it smells... People smell more fruity in polyester. Viscose is manmade but from wood/ paper no? So doesn't have the smell factor.