Polyester suits, made from a synthetic fiber, were popular in the 1970s due to their durability and low cost. They are strong, wrinkle-resistant, and easy to care for, but less breathable and flammable. They are now considered vintage clothing.
A polyester suit is a men’s garment made of pure polyester or blended with another fabric, often wool. This suit usually includes two pieces, pants and a jacket. These were extremely popular in the 1970s as they are easy to care for and cheaper than traditional suits.
Polyester itself is a synthetic product created when dibasic acids react with dihydric alcohols. The original scientific work done on this substance was done in 1941 by two English chemists, John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson. Building on earlier work by Wallace Carothers, the two scientists created and patented polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which became the basis for polyester. The fabric of a polyester suit is made from a PET composite resin. PET resins are also used to make water bottles, as well as waterproof materials such as adhesives.
The advantages of polyester fabric are that it is strong, wrinkle resistant, and holds its shape well. Polyester is hydrophobic, which means it repels water. A polyester suit can be hand or dry cleaned, making it easier to wash than a traditional wool suit. In addition, it is not damaged by most chemical solvents and does not get moldy easily. This makes a polyester suit extremely durable and long lasting.
However, there are some downsides to the material. Because it is created from polymers, the fabric of a polyester suit is extremely flammable, even when combined with wool or other fabrics, so open flames should be avoided. In addition, a wool-polyester hybrid suit shows wear on its polyester parts sooner than its wool parts, which can appear as smooth patches and bright spots on the fabric.
As it is a synthetic fiber, polyester is less breathable than natural fabric, which means there is less airflow through the fabric. This makes a polyester suit much warmer than a wool suit. They also have odors and are stiffer and less comfortable than their natural fiber counterparts.
All polyester garments are easy to care for and much cheaper to make than cotton or wool, which is why they were so popular in the 1970s when the fabric was first made. However, as the material’s disadvantages became apparent, including the cheaper appearance of clothing made from it, its popularity waned. It’s now rare to find a pure polyester suit, and while polyester-wool hybrids still exist, they’re the exception rather than the norm. Polyester suits are now generally considered vintage clothing.
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