What Isn’t Realized About Polyester
That shirt tells a lot more than just what perfume you wear
Shirts tell a story, as well as pants, socks — you name it. If you see something at the store, you might sing that Ariana Grande song going,
“I see it, I like it, I buy it.”
Those jeans might be the perfect snug fit, as well as that simple tee with the perfect hem. Oh and that sweater, it’s so soft! Actually, the softest fabric on Earth isn’t Polyester (Hint: it starts with a “C” but I’ll talk more on that later!)
Why polyester isn’t healthy
Have you heard in the news about a thing called microplastics? Whether it’s been in coral reefs, lakes, birds — you name it. The problem with these is that they come from the breakdown of plastic that contains carcinogens and other toxic chemicals.Â
Why does this apply to that shirt you’re wearing at the moment? Because unfortunately, “Many products we come into contact with every day, like clothing and carpet made from synthetic materials, really are largely plastic and can release both chemicals and microplastics.”
When I first heard this, it started making sense why my Shein purchases were so cheap — having spent only $8 on a shirt, because it was made of plastic! Not only this, but based on research I did before, wood pulp called Viscose used in making clothing is largely processed as well and isn’t healthy to wear.
If clothing is on the outside though, how does it affect inside? Well, it’s because of our pores. Same as you and I apply body cream, the same happens when those polyester fibers brush against our skin — the skin absorbs whatever is touched. Now, certainly our skin is our biggest barrier for germs and stuff, but there’s plenty of topical products out there for a reason.
With all this to think about, you might be wondering, “I know companies will do anything to sell cheaply and earn more, but how did consumers start loving plastic as clothing too?”
History of polyester
It all started when manufacturing had waste product, same as why Vaseline was created — it’s a byproduct having tight connections to plastic according to this source and this.
Yet, as people wanted to spend less time fidgeting with their sink and wanted to grab-n’-go, the desire for machine washing over handwashing became strong enough where people bought polyester and materials like it. And slowly but surely, consumers started forgetting how cozy their cotton and wool knits were.
Here’s a great deep dive into it all.
Vegan or Animal?
Cotton is a plant, whereas Wool came from sheep, meaning that wool is designed to keep them warm as well as you.
In my personal experience, cotton is tough and flexible to being both rough and soft-feeling. Also, it’s a cost-effective option than other plant-produced clothes, like Linen or Hemp, which are often more rough-feeling anyway.
Wool has its pros and cons, like how it isn’t machine washable. However, I’ve put some of mine through the washer (and cashmere!) on rinse > cold cycle and they’re still good to go. Also what I’ve noticed, is that they’re water resistant compared to cotton, except when it comes to silk which holds more water (it comes from a caterpillar though). In fact, I haven’t been able to get a single stain my cashmere knits, wool on the other hand though is more prone to stains — just not as much as cotton. There’s also types of wool, especially if you’re used to wool being itchy, like Merino Wool. Said to be the softest wool out there, Merino Wool comes from a specific type of sheep and is better temperature regulated. Meaning you can wear it for both cold winters and those sweaty summers.
Cashmere is a special kind, since it’s from the bellies of Cashmere Goats — meaning it’s much more rare, and it’s the softest fabric (in my opinon) on this Earth. For me, it’s more water-resistent than wool and is even better for temperature regulation, though it can be a bit too warm in the summer with how cozy it feels.
However, there are concerns such as how livestock is taken care of and the how the processing of cotton works. So getting wool sourced from good farms is key since the animals will be happy as well as having better quality knits.
Preowned isn’t bad
“Just take it to the Thrift Store.”
Is that sentence familiar? For me I’ve heard “take it to Goodwill”, but nonetheless of where you take your used clothes, maybe because you “grew out of them” or “just don’t like it anymore”? Maybe you’ve tried to sell them online, but because of our busy lives, usually we decide to donate them on the way to doing errands, it’s just easier that way.
If you’re an American, especially if you know someone who loves going to LuLuLemon or maybe Macy’s, people just love buying new. There’s something about used clothing that gives people the ick, like, “That person wore that already?” As if the shirt will have all kinds of holes, lint, and maybe was flushed down the toilet before being donated.
Yes, while some items may have lint and holes, often times it isn’t that big of a deal, especially when having a washing machine and sewing kit at home. I know this because I did the unthinkable: Shopping at an online Goodwill.
Some of you might think “Yikes!” or maybe you think “So what?”. The thing is, every item that I got was actually pretty good. Wait, not pretty good, almost brand new. I’m serious. There may have been a few tiny holes and some having deodorant stains, but that was it. Maybe it was because I bought cashmere instead of polyester? Maybe polyester wears out more and that’s why others haven’t had good success with finding items? Even so, to patch up the holes doesn’t take much, and now I’ve saved 10x the amount from buying new because… pssst, I got 5 cashmere sweaters for $20 each, the same price I can from buying a new polyester shirt!
How to get the best quality for your buck, cheaply
There’s plenty of preowned sites, some take advantage of a luxury sweater and price it high, but often they’re dirt cheap — despite the quality being like new.
Here’s a breakdown from my experience.
Etsy
Preowned goods from a handmade goods site?Â
Yep. Affordable? Can be!Â
While there’s a lot of expensive merino wool, linen, and cashmere that sells both preowned and new, there’s also a few shops who have been having a hard time getting by and had to put out 60% off deals.
One of these shops is WindFromThePast, whom I bought both Merino Wool and Cashmere from, all having incredible quality and were affordable! Some of the brands from… Plus, as Etsy serves shops from all over the world. For example, WindFromThePast is from Ukraine, so buying from her store would help her out a lot.