Cheap, durable and lightweight? Sounds enticing to wear all over our bodies. Oh polyester, how you’ve taken over the fast fashion industry with ease. While the synthetic fabric keeps our clothes (somewhat) affordable and up to date on the latest trends, polyester does more harm than good, and looks stylish while doing it.
Polyester’s Fake Persona
Dating back to the 1920s, research was conducted on polyester and its main ingredient polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Patented in 1941 to be produced legally, polyester and other synthetic fibers now make up 70% of our clothing. Amazing, right? No, not really.
Polyester is directly made from oil, a fossil fuel that contributes to significant amounts of carbon in the environment. Additionally, the fabric leaks toxic dyes and microfibers into the environment, impacting our health. Polyester poses a threat to our human rights, habitat and well-being. So, is style worth all the harm?
Can’t Keep Up? Polyester Can
It’s no secret how social media influences the latest fashion trends, but it has sped up the pace of incoming and outgoing styles. One day, boho-chic and Isabel Marant consume our feeds with Pinterest boards and Amazon links to achieve the right look. After a week or so, the trend fades and moves onto the next mainstream content of a new style. It is a rapid, perpetuating cycle that exhausts the consumer and fashion industry.
How do we even keep up? Polyester seems to be the answer! The quick-made fabric poses as the solution to stay within the fashion trend loop. Even if there are loose threads, polyester-made clothing will let us achieve at least one outfit seen on our TikTok. Screw cotton, polyester gets the job done (for now).
Building Awareness Before You Buy
VALLEY understands. It is alluring to buy the latest clothing piece that everyone wants, display it around your local college town and flaunt. You got your money’s worth! But, did you really? Check that label again, and we mean the fabric makeup not the brand. We are aware of the notable fast fashion brands like Shein, but even pricier brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Jaded London and Peppermayo heavily utilize polyester and unethical processes to produce clothing.
Second-hand stores used to be primarily filled with pure cotton or well-made clothing but fast fashion has infiltrated the thrifts too. Overconsumption leads us back to the landfills of clothing with no home or temporary purpose to fulfill one outfit. Next time you buy a new piece of clothing, maybe take a second to evaluate the price, fabric and why you really want to buy it. Get the most bang for your buck.
Are you wearing polyester right now? Let us know @VALLEYMag on X!
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The Fashion Shifts
TikTok Style Battle: How To Make Both Look Good
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