Bestie, sit down while I catch you up on polyester.

To be blunt: polyester is trash. It’s plastic. It doesn’t breathe. It stinks. It pills. It turns your so-called “elevated basics” into sweaty, synthetic garbage. And somehow, even the expensive brands are pushing it now like it’s a luxury fiber?

No. You’re not imagining it — your clothes really have gotten worse.

Once Upon a Time… We Had Natural Fibers

I never used to check fabric tags — and I didn’t have to. In the ‘90s and early 2000s, even the cheapest tees were made of 100% cotton, not this slippery plastic nonsense we’re drowning in now.

Anyone else remember those old “The Fabric of Our Lives” cotton commercials? Back when clothes felt good on your skin and didn’t require a magical care label decoder?

Now, I can’t pick up a shirt — even from so-called eco-conscious or luxury labels — without finding polyester blended in like a parasite.

Why Polyester Is Bad (No Matter What the Tag Says)

1. It’s plastic. Literally.
   • Polyester is made from petroleum. You’re wearing oil. It doesn’t belong near your skin, and it sure as hell isn’t sustainable. No amount of branding will change that.
2. It suffocates your skin.
   • Unlike natural fibers, polyester traps heat and moisture. It’s a BO incubator. Even in cool weather, it clings and holds on to every gnarly scent and droplet of sweat like it’s collecting souvenirs.
3. It looks good for five minutes, then dies.
   • Poly pills. It fades. It warps. It stops looking “elevated” the second you actually wear it. All while brands are charging $80 for it and calling it “minimalist chic.”
4. It’s greenwashed to hell.
   • “Recycled polyester” is the biggest PR bandage of the decade. It’s still plastic. It still doesn’t biodegrade. And it still ends up in landfills and oceans, shedding microplastics with every wash.

Greenwashing: Polyester’s Favorite Party Trick

Sick of brands screaming “eco!” and “conscious!” while selling you plastic in earthy packaging? Yeah, me too.

Here’s how to spot their BS:

• “Sustainable” but made of polyester? Lie.
• “Recycled” but still 100% synthetic? Still trash.
• Muted, nature-inspired packaging? That’s just a costume.

Greenwashing is the ultimate bait-and-switch. If it’s not a natural fiber, it’s not sustainable. Don’t let the marketing team do your laundry decisions.

How to Actually Avoid Polyester (And Save Your Closet)

• Check tags religiously. Look for 100% cotton, linen, silk, wool, or hemp. No blends unless you absolutely know what you’re doing.
• Touch everything. If it feels plasticky, shiny, or slippery? Toss it.
• Ignore the price tag. Polyester doesn’t discriminate. It’s lurking in $9 fast fashion and $900 “designer” garbage.
• Shop vintage or secondhand. Seriously. Older pieces often used natural fibers and were actually made to last.

Be a Fabric Snob. Like Your Ex, Polyester Doesn’t Deserve You.

If you’ve been wondering why your closet feels worse, smells worse, and wears out faster? This is why. Brands have replaced quality with margin-friendly plastic, dressed it up in green buzzwords, and hoped you wouldn’t notice.

Well, I noticed. And now? I check every care tag like a private investigator.

Because polyester might be the norm now — but that doesn’t mean we have to accept it.