The Polyester Paradox: How a Fabric Born for Durability Became a Fashion Outcast Polyester's rise to prominence in men's fashion was meteoric by the 1970s.
It had supplanted traditional fabrics like wool and cotton as the go to choice for clothing manufacturers, thanks to its remarkable properties – wrinkle resistance, durability, and ease of care.
The chemistry behind polyester is straightforward: it's a synthetic fabric made from a combination of petroleum based materials, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET).