Abstract

Polyester is the most ubiquitous fabric for textiles. In 2021 textile production in the world amounted to 113 million metric tonnes, of which 54% was polyester. Yet, we seem to know very little about this most important fiber for textiles and apparel. This article fills that gap by tracing a cultural history and critique of polyester. There are several phases in the production and reception of polyester, which was invented in the early 1940s. From the initial suspicion in the 1950s for a then still expensive new fabric, it moved to an immense boom in the 1960s, only to be followed by a steep bust at the end of the 1970s. Polyester was then made interesting again in the 1980s by the avantgarde designs of the Japanese couturiers. From the 1990s onwards polyester became the staple ingredient for fast fashion. Polyester is by far the most produced and used fiber for apparel: from couture to fast fashion and from sportswear to high-tech wear. However, consumers worry about polyester’s negative impact on the environment, by not being degradable and shedding microfibers into earth and water. Polyester has moved from an optimistic age of “plastic fantastic” to the awareness of the “plastic soup.”

摘要

聚酯纤维是最普遍的纺织品面料。2021年，全球纺织品产量达1.13亿吨，其中54%是聚酯。然而，我们似乎对这种最重要的纺织品和服装纤维知之甚少。本文通过追溯聚酯的文化历史和批评来填补这一空白。聚酯纤维发明于 20 世纪 40 年代初，其生产和接收经历了几个阶段。从 20 世纪 50 年代最初对当时仍然昂贵的新面料的怀疑，到 1960 年代的巨大繁荣，但随后在 1970 年代末急剧萧条。20 世纪 80 年代，日本时装设计师的前卫设计再次让涤纶变得有趣。从 20 世纪 90 年代起，聚酯纤维成为快时尚的主要成分。聚酯是迄今为止生产和使用最多的服装纤维：从高级时装到快时尚，从运动服到高科技服装。然而，消费者担心聚酯纤维不可降解并且超细纤维会脱落到土壤和水中，从而对环境产生负面影响。聚酯纤维已经从“塑料梦幻”的乐观时代转变为“塑料汤”的意识。