Recycled polyester - it's everywhere

[waltzingparrot]

Does anyone like this material? I find it horrible to wear.

Do you think it's here to stay or is it some post covid blip, to get more clothing in the stores quickly?

I have a horrible feeling it's here to stay as a solution to climate change.

I'm tried bamboo socks. I suppose they are long-lasting, but I find (majority) cotton ones more comfortable and won't be buying the bamboo again.

I think it's best to separate the issues of 'fabrics we think are nice to wear' and the environment issue. I didn't like the way the polyester tops I've tried have felt. I don't like the way the viscose-polyester or polyester trousers feel on my legs. It's fine as a fleece and also in swimming costumes. I'm certainly not switching to the old woollen swimming costumes. There seems to be a reason these have vanished. The fact of the matter is that even if polyester were the most green fabric ever and cotton the worst, I would still be choosing to wear cotton.

I think it's best to separate the issues of 'fabrics we think are nice to wear' and the environment issue.

I don't know if it's best to separate but I agree that's a consideration.

There's a holier than thou attitude from some posters who "never wear polyester".

I guess they don't own any swimwear, sportswear, trainers, fleeces, underwear which isn't 100 % cotton with no built in stretch, nothing, regardless of the main fabric, which has any "stretch" to it.

@NatashaDancing , I wouldn't wear a polyester dress or shirt, but i definitely wear it in swimwear, sportswear, fleeces etc

Viscose and bamboo has a cold feeling to it that I don't like.

Not sure why I wouldn't wear a polyester dress, or poly-cotton, but I think it's to do with the feel of the fabric

The stretch in most of these primarily cotton blends is elastane, not polyester. Underwear is typically 95% cotton, 5% elastane. Still a synthetic, but not the same one.

I've learned my lesson. I bought a couple of jumpers in the winter with recycled polyester content. They looked and felt fine for the first few hours - and then bobbled so badly all over that they were almost unwearable. I haven't even dared to wash them as I imagine they'd come out like something from Fraggle Rock. Never again - a piece of recycled clothing is hardly eco if you can't actually wear it.

It's still a man made fibre- polyester isn't inherently evil and all the others, including nylon or elastane are ok

Elastane is made from polyurethane or polyester, though it can also be made from other materials. Elastane is often used in combination with other fabrics to create a more comfortable and durable garment.

Elastane v polyester

I think Natashadancing is confusing peoples preferences due to environmental reasons vs comfort. I doubt many think they are holier than thou, but the fact remains that if I put on a polyester top/trousers/jacket I'm covered in sweat within about an hour. I don't have fleeces, and any swimming/other sportswear I put on expecting to get sweaty, plus take it off after exercise.

I got given a set of polyester pyjamas for Christmas a few years back and sleeping in them was profoundly uncomfortable.

Best thing to do is buy less, wear clothes out, and wash them only when you really need to.

"... buy less, wear clothes out, and wash them only when you really need to."
I'd add buy preloved if you can, and re-use where you can.

I by most things second hand (not underwear etc unless they are obviously unworn).

The best thing we can do is to remove ourselves from the clothing marketing cycle.

I'm in the process of unsubscribing from all clothes marketing emails and unfollowing all fashion "influencers" on Instagram.

I don't go shopping so that's not an issue.

If I don't see new stuff, my existing clothes don't seem so inadequate...

I would have thought wool was one of the most environmentally friendly clothing materials. The only problem with wool is the itch factor. But is a naturally good insulator so warm in winter and cooler in summer, the natural oils means its slightly shower proof (gets heavy if soaked though). Most washing machines have a wool wash, which tends to be more environmentally friendly as it's a cooler wash, very gentle spin, and needs little water. It also dries very quickly.

I think Natashadancing is confusing peoples preferences due to environmental reasons vs comfort.

No I'm not in the slightest doing that. But statements like "I never wear polyester" are frankly incredible.

You general you, might not wear polyester dresses or pyjamas but unless you, general you, really own no stretch jeans, no swimwear, no sportswear, nothing which has any stretch in it, no trainers, no fleeces, no puffer coats, you are wearing polyester.

Still doesn't let your skin breathe though so same issue for me.

I'm a bit puzzled by the OP's post tbh. I have very few items which contain any polyester, whether recycled or not. Apart from the jacket I linked probably nothing else other than swimwear and underwear, which will have elastane, but it's not as if polyester is new.

Pretty much every wedding guest/ black tie event t / I need a special dress thread will feature far more polyester dresses than any other material. There was a recent thread where some posters were insisting that various polyester horrors were much more appropriate for a "cocktail party" than a very nice, rather unusual , short embroidered cotton dress. There was another long thread about whether a dress was formal enough for a wedding - 100% polyester and 100% approval.

Has the OP only just noticed vast quantities of clothes are made of, or contain, high quantities of polyester? Or is the OP saying recycled polyester is more evil than polyester?

Accidentally bought some pajamas made from it from M and S- went straight back!

I was asking if anyone actually likes wearing 'recycled polyester' as a fabric. I find it has a different, unpleasant feel to the polyester/blend clothing I own. I sweat more in it and it drags and sticks to me. Recycled polyester has different base products and production techniques so it's not the same fabric as virgin polyester.

Everyone I know is complaining about/disliking recycled polyester and are actively trying to avoid buying it. Yet the shops are full of it, with very little alternative choice. I'm wondering who is buying it all to make it worthwhile producing it. I think we've all learnt that all polyester clothing leeches micro plastics into our waterways/oceans and recycled polyester is very difficult to recycle.

So yes, I know clothing has been made of polyester/blends for years and own some, but it's the explosion of recycled polyester for all garments I'm talking about. It seems that since the pandemic, all clothing is being made of it.

You've mostly got replies saying posters never wear polyester full stop. The only polyester outerwear item I have is recycled polyester. It's beautifully soft, although it's lined with viscose. I couldn't tell you if it feels different from "virgin polyester" as I don't have anything to compare it with.

You might just have to get used to it or move to a different fabric. I don't suppose Shein cares about dumping more "virgin polyester" on to the world but other brands may feel differently. Recycled polyester, as far as I can find out, although sources might be biased, is less damaging to the environment than "virgin polyester" Although surprisingly John Lewis seems to be keeping the polyester wedding guest dress in good health.