Is Polyester Really That Bad? Let's Talk About It.

If you've spent any time on TikTok lately, you've probably seen the uproar around polyester. People are calling out mid-luxury brands for using it, grouping them in with fast fashion, and questioning why pieces that cost two hundred dollars are made with synthetic fibers. We have seen these conversations too, and honestly, we get it! And we agree. This is something we think about a lot while designing for Triplicity.

There is this idea floating around that if a brand uses polyester, it is automatically cutting corners or being cheap. Is this true? Maybe. Probably. But are people counting the use of recycled synthetics in that same conversation? That's worth talking about too. Yet we seem to never hear people mention it. So we are going to!

The case people are making against polyester

One of the biggest complaints out there about popular mid-luxury brands is that they charge a premium for garments made with polyester, and shoppers feel like they are being shortchanged. They want quality, they want luxury, and to many people, polyester just does not feel luxurious. 

There is also a real environmental case. A common reaction we see is people saying they "don't want to wear plastic," and there is real substance behind that. Synthetic fabrics like polyester shed microscopic plastic particles when you wash them, and those microplastics end up in waterways and oceans. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, about 35% of the microplastics found in the ocean come from synthetic textiles. Polyester is also not biodegradable, which means once it ends up in a landfill, it stays there for decades. So yes, polyester might last a long time in your closet, but it also lasts a long time in the environment.

These are legitimate concerns, both for the planet and for our skin.

The case people don't talk about as much

But then we'll post a poll or ask around, and a lot of people will say they actually prefer polyester. It is less fussy, easier to wear, and does not wrinkle the second you sit down. Polyester has been used for decades because it is durable, wrinkle resistant, and easy to care for, and apparently that last part matters more than people give it credit for.

Not everyone has the time or the bandwidth to hand wash or dry clean their clothing. Even if you do, you might not want to. We design pieces meant to be worn over and over, and for a lot of people, that means clothing that holds up after a regular wash and goes back into the rotation without a whole production. 

So what about natural fibers?

Natural fibers like cotton, linen, and wool are amazing for breathability and sustainability, and when cared for correctly, they can last a really long time. But they also wrinkle easily, often require specific washing methods, and don't always hold their shape over time the way synthetic blends do. The truth is, not every customer has the interest or the patience for that kind of upkeep, and that is a perfectly valid place to land.

So this leaves us in a real spot when we're designing. We want pieces that look great, feel great, last for years, and don't actively harm the planet. Cotton checks a lot of those boxes but it has its own tradeoffs. Polyester checks different boxes but comes with the microplastic and landfill issues. There is no clean win here.

Where we have landed (for now)

This is exactly why we use recycled polyester and other recycled synthetic fabrics. If we are going to use materials that don't biodegrade naturally, we would rather use the ones giving a second life to plastic bottles and post-consumer waste than the ones adding more to the planet's already huge waste problem. Recycled synthetics let us prioritize wearability and longevity while at least taking a real step toward circularity. And certain styles require something like a poly blend in order to maintain it's shape, like our pleated skirts (believe us, we tried cotton and the pleats would NOT hold).

We also use cotton in several of our pieces, because it is genuinely a great fabric for a lot of what we make. We are not picking one team here. The honest answer is that different fabrics are right for different garments, different climates, and different shoppers, and we are trying to make decisions based on what each piece actually needs to do. If we do use synthetic fabrics, they will absolutely always be recycled.

We want to hear from you

Drop a comment or reach out on social media and let us know your thoughts. What do you actually prioritize when you're shopping? Do you care more about natural fibers and sustainability even if it means higher maintenance? Or do you prefer something easier to care for and more wearable every day, even if that means a recycled synthetic? Both answers are valid, and we really want to hear them, because we want to design what people truly want and will love for years to come.