Like other polymers, there are many variations of “polyesters.” The most popular is polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which is widely used in both packaging and clothing. The sublimation Polyester fabric are defined as (snooze alert!) long-chain polymers chemically composed of at least 85 percent by weight of an ester and a di-hydric alcohol and a terephthalic acid. The term refers to many (poly) esters (the building block compound—many fats and fragrances are esters).

Plastics makers produce polyethylene variations under distinctive trade names—thus Terylene, Dacron and Kodel mentioned above.

To make polyester into fibers, the plastic is melt spun, meaning the plastic is heated and forced through spinnerets into fibers (a spinneret is essentially an industrial mechanism similar to a spider’s silk spinning organs). The fibers are stretched to five times their length, typically combined into yarn and then weaved or knitted into polyester fabrics.

Regardless the variation or the decade, polyester fabrics always have been strong, resistant to stretching and shrinking, easy to clean, quick drying and resistant to wrinkles, mildew and abrasions … a perfect combination for clothing.