Polyester
Polyester
Like nylon (see entry under 1930s—Fashion in volume 2), polyester heralded a brave new world of fabrics and fashion after World War II (1939–45). Woven in bright colors and strange textures, polyester was the defining fabric of 1960s and 1970s fashion. As a result, when polyester went out of fashion in the late 1970s, it all but disappeared from view. Throughout the 1980s, polyester was something of a joke. Memories of the convenience of "wash and wear," minimal-iron shirts, were tinged with the shame of body odor and fashion tragedy. It was only with the rise of outdoor chic that polyester, in the form of polar fleece, garnered popularity again.
Polyester was the invention of two chemists working for the Calico Printers Association in England. J. T. Dickson and J. R. Winfield worked out a way to spin plastics made from petro-chemicals. The DuPont company bought the patents in 1950, and the wonder fabric was launched. As the technology advanced, polyester was blended to make fabrics that looked and felt like cotton or wool. Although these copies were never very good, none of it mattered. In the 1960s and early 1970s, polyester was the height of cool suburban fashion. Flared slacks, knit shirts, and "pantsuits" graced the barbecue party, the workplace, and malls (see entry under 1950s—Commerce in volume 3).
By the late 1970s, polyester was everywhere. It flooded the market in such quantities that it lost its fashionable edge. When that happened, people began to notice that polyester made them sweat. Put politely, when everybody wore polyester, the atmosphere could become unpleasant. Polyester's status as the tackiest of fabrics was confirmed in 1981 when director John Waters (1946–) called one of his bad-taste films Polyester. In the 1990s, re-engineered and sold under the trade name Polartec, polyester made a comeback. Its light weight, and the fact that it does not absorb water, made polar fleece ideal for skiers, hikers, and other fans of the outdoors. By the late 1990s, top fashion labels such as Tommy Hilfiger (1952–) used it in their fashion ranges. In 2001, polyester has become one of the most comfortable, fashionable, and practical of all synthetic fabrics.
—Chris Routledge
For More Information
Smith, Matthew Boyd. Polyester: The Indestructible Fashion. (Schiffer Book for Collectors and Designers). Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1998.
Stern, Jane, and Michael Stern. The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste. New York: HarperCollins, 1990.