In hot weather, the most important thing is to pick up clothing that will keep us feel cool and comfortable. However, since today we have most of the market occupied with synthetic materials like polyester, people mostly buy artificial textiles instead of natural garments.
But is it a good choice?
Is polyester breathable enough to wear it, let’s say, in summer?
Polyester And Moisture: How They Deal With Each Other
Most of the artificial materials are man-made and they were created having certain characteristics that made them better than natural fabrics.
More durable, damage-resistant, and waterproof – such features make any synthetic apparel a desirable thing to have in our wardrobe.
What about polyester? Can it also repel water so well as other synthetics do? The question of whether polyester is waterproof bothers many of us. However, we need to upset you guys since polyester can hardly win a badge of the super water-resistant material. Since its fibers are indeed waterproof, after woven in a cloth, this ability of them degrades significantly. It happens because of the air gaps between the fibers in the fabric that can easily let some water in. Not a good option for heavy rain, isn’t it?
Nevertheless, today it is possible to find polyester items that often have an additional protective coating that increases their water resistance.
So if you need an item with liquid-protective characteristics, pay attention to how water-resistant fabrics define from each other. For instance, repellent material will only protect from a light shower but will be useless in heavy rain, whereas resistant garment can keep you dry even under quite a strong rain. And of course, for the tough weather conditions, it’s always better to go for waterproof clothing.
Is It Good For Hot Weather?
This is what many people ask when deciding what material to choose for their summer clothing. And even though it may seem that polyester would be a good choice due to its durability and shrinkage-resistance, we would not recommend this fabric.
You see, this artificial textile tends to trap moisture pretty strongly. It means that when we sweat in polyester apparel, our body moisture can’t evaporate properly and it stays on the skin making us feel very unpleasant and not letting the skin breathe.
Moreover, such “sweat-blockage” can be dangerous since it creates a perfect surrounding for bacteria and fungal infections to grow! And even if not, certain skin reactions like redness or even rash are highly possible.
Breathable Or Not. Pros And Cons Of The Most Popular Fabrics
For making it easier for you to decide what materials will fit the summer look better and be comfier to wear, we prepared a brief yet informative guide to compare the basic characteristics of the popular fabrics everyone uses.
| Cotton | Linen | Polyester | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel | soft | crisp and slightly harsh, but softens with time | soft and silky |
| Breathable | perfectly breathable | perfectly breathable | traps moisture |
| Clingy | no | no | yes |
| Lightweight | no | yes | yes |
| Quick-drying | no | no | yes |
| Sensitive skin-friendly | yes | yes | no |
| Durability | prone to shrinkage, fading, and wrinkling | slightly prone to shrinkage, wrinkles easily, but tear-resistant | very resistant |
To summarize, we can tell that even though polyester is a multipurpose and universal material, it’s not good for wearing in hot weather since its impact on our skin is far from positive.
That’s why we suggest you prefer natural apparel and feel cool and comfy!
Take care!
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