polyester

Polyester is a compound of Greek poly (many) and Ester, a German chemistry term coined by Leopold Gmelin in 1850 from Essigäther (vinegar ether). A polyester is a polymer containing ester linkages in its main chain. The word names a chemical structure, not a fabric. The fabric we call polyester is usually polyethylene terephthalate (PET), first synthesized in 1941 by John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson at the Calico Printers' Association in Manchester, England.

DuPont licensed the British patent and introduced polyester fiber to the American market as Dacron in 1951. ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) sold it as Terylene in Britain. The fabric was marketed as wrinkle-free, wash-and-wear, and permanent-press — virtues that appealed to postwar consumers tired of ironing. By the 1960s, polyester suits, polyester shirts, and polyester blends were everywhere.

The 1970s made polyester a cultural symbol — and not a flattering one. Polyester leisure suits, polyester disco shirts, and polyester double-knit fabrics became associated with tackiness. The word polyester acquired negative connotations. 'Polyester' meant cheap, synthetic, fake. John Waters titled his 1981 film Polyester as a class commentary. The fabric that science created, culture mocked.

The backlash reversed. Modern polyester is nothing like 1970s polyester. Microfiber polyester, recycled PET polyester, moisture-wicking polyester — the material has been reinvented for athletic wear, outdoor gear, and fast fashion. In 2002, global polyester production surpassed cotton for the first time. The word that meant 'tacky' now means 'everywhere.'