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Picked rayon over polyester for a sundress and it was a costly mistake
Last summer I was designing a line of sundresses for a small local boutique in Portland. I had to pick between a flowy rayon and a cheaper polyester for the fabric. I went with rayon because it felt nicer and draped better, but after three washes the colors faded badly and the fabric started pilling. The polyester version I tested held up way longer with no issues. I lost about $200 in materials and had to remake the whole batch. Has anyone else had a fabric choice blow up on them like that?
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joseph_green1318d agoMost Upvoted
Polyester is basically plastic so it holds shape and color no matter what you do to it" - thats mostly true but not completely. Polyester can actually fade too if you wash it in hot water or use too much bleach. I had a polyester blend shirt that turned orange after a few hot washes with a white load. And cheap polyester can absolutely warp in the dryer if the heat is too high. The real trick with either fabric is washing cold and line drying, no matter what the tag says. Rayon just punishes you faster for messing up.
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caleb_bell519d ago
Did you prewash the rayon before you started cutting and sewing? Ive ruined a few projects skipping that step because I was in a hurry. Rayon can shrink and warp so bad after the first wash it changes the whole fit. Polyester is basically plastic so it holds shape and color no matter what you do to it. The draping is nicer on rayon but you pay for it with the upkeep. Feels like you learn this lesson once and never forget it though.
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