Choosing clothes is all about style, comfort, cost and durability. Sustainability may not be high on the list of priorities.
What do you think about when choosing clothes?
There are many different fabrics with different properties. Polyester and cotton are just two.
Meeting your needs
Think about the things that you would want from a jacket. You may want it to be warm and light or you may prefer the feel of cotton. It may just depend on the style.
How would you choose?
The table compares some properties of typical cotton and polyester fabrics.
Denim jacket and polyester fleece.
Polyester
Cotton
Weight
Light
Medium
Thermal insulation
Good
Medium
Breathability
Medium
Good
Wind resistance
Fair
Good
Time to dry
Short
Long
Shrinkage (100 washes)
4%
7%
Loss of strength (100 washes)
8%
17%
Biodegradable
No
Yes
Recyclable
Yes
Yes
Click here to see the environmental impacts of production and use.