Overheard a fabric store clerk say 'polyester is cheating' and it stuck with me

Was at Joann Fabrics in Des Moines last weekend grabbing some cotton for a new shirt pattern, and the clerk told a customer that using polyester for a period costume was 'basically cheating.' It made me rethink how snobby we get about natural fibers even when synthetics might actually work better for certain designs. Anyone else ever catch themselves judging fabric choices and then changing their mind later?

3 comments

3 Comments

seanjackson4d ago

Did you catch what type of cotton you grabbed? Joann's selection there is hit or miss.

the_aaron4d ago

Joann's has been all over the place lately with their cotton. The last time I was there, half the bolts felt like cheap quilting cotton that wrinkles just looking at it. I grabbed a Kona cotton once and it held up way better than the store brand stuff they push. Check the selvage edge if you can find it, that's where you'll see the real brand name printed. Also, the bolt end tags are usually lying so ignore the "premium" labels they slap on everything.

young.nora3d ago

That "cheating" comment is exactly the kind of fiber snobbery that makes people feel bad about using what works. Polyester has its place, especially for period costumes that need to hold a shape or look like silk without the price tag. But you gotta be careful calling it all bad - some polyesters are trash, sure, but others actually hold up way better than cheap cotton. The clerk probably meant the cheap, shiny stuff that looks fake. Also, that tip about the selvage edge is solid but not always true - some brands print their name right on the face of the fabric roll instead. Next time you're at Joann's, look for the little white tag with the fiber content and care instructions on the end of the bolt, that's the most honest info you'll get.