Do you ever wonder what happens to those cheap synthetic fabrics like polyester and acrylic as they get older? Well wonder no more! We do so much shopping in our coaching program and have purchased every fabric in dozens of brands. We also follow up with every client that has visited The Clothing Coach Studio in San Francisco to better understand price per wear and longevity of clothing purchases. In this blog post, I’ll explain what happens to these fabrics as they wear over time.

Let’s start with polyester. Polyester is a popular fabric because it’s cheap to purchase and produce and is treated with chemicals making it easy to care for. While how it’s treated impacts it’s durability, it’s not the most durable fabric out there. As you wear polyester clothing the fabric starts to break down. Often this can cause the fabric to lose its shape after 1 wear or wash and become less comfortable to wear quickly (the stretch can mask this for a bit). You might notice that your polyester clothing starts to pill, which is when small balls of fabric start to form on the surface. This happens because the fibers in polyester are not very strong, so they start to break apart and form those annoying little balls.

Acrylic is another form of synthetic fabric that’s commonly used in clothing among many other products. Acrylic is cheap and easy to care for but it’s not very durable, at least as far as clothing is concerned. As acrylic clothing starts to wear out, you might notice that the fabric becomes less soft and starts to feel rougher to the touch. This happens because the fibers in acrylic are not as flexible as natural fibers like cotton or wool. As the fabric wears, the fibers start to break and become more rigid which can make the fabric feel rough. You should also keep in mind that the best paint is often acrylic based just to give you an idea how these molecules are tweaked and chemically treated to create (or mimic) any texture.

Both polyester and acrylic are also prone to static electricity, which can be a real pain in the winter months. This happens because the fabrics are not very conductive, so they build up a static charge when rubbed against other surfaces. Static shock much? This can cause your clothes to cling to your body or even give you a shock when you touch something metal. Easiest way to spot a polyester investor for an untrained eye.

Cheap synthetic fabrics like polyester, acrylic and so many others are “convenient” and affordable, but they don’t hold up well over time. As you wear these fabrics, they start to break down, emit toxicities into the air (and micro-plastics into the water supply when washed) and lose their shape and softness. So while these fabrics might feel like a good choice for a one-time use or a quick fashion fix, they’re not the best option for long-term wear making them generally a low value; with huge hidden costs.

Especially when shopping for suits, sportcoats and other formal attire yet also undergarments and gym wear, stick to natural fibers and fabrics. While we generally don’t recommend any synthetic fabrics, outerwear (like rain jackets) can be some of the safest bets, as are fabric blends of mostly natural fibers and 40% (or preferably less) synthetic component.