Warning: I think the push for 'sustainable' fabric blends is creating a lot of weak, pilling garments.

I was finishing a custom dress in my shop last month, and the 30% recycled polyester blend I was convinced to use started pilling after the client wore it just twice, which really made me question if some eco-marketing is just setting up designs to fail.

3 comments

3 Comments

palmer.laura2mo ago

Okay but is it the blend itself, or maybe just a bad fabric from that one mill? (Like, not all cotton is the same quality either, you know?) Sometimes a company will use a cheaper recycled source that makes weaker fibers, and then blame gets put on the whole idea of sustainable blends. It feels like we're throwing the baby out with the bathwater here. Sure, there's greenwashing, but that doesn't mean every single recycled blend is doomed to pill. Maybe the problem is more about chasing the cheapest "eco" option instead of a good one.

abby8361mo ago

Bought a batch of recycled poly blend tees for a tenant appreciation thing last year and they pilled in one wash. Switched to a supplier that uses recycled materials from post-industrial waste instead of post-consumer, longer fibers. Those shirts still look new after a year of wear. It's not the blend that's the problem, it's how short the recycled fibers are to begin with.

barbarac412mo ago

Yeah that's a tough spot to be in. Had a similar issue with a recycled poly blend a while back. Switched to a different supplier that uses longer staple fibers, even though it costs more. The next batch held up way better, no pilling after multiple wears. It really does come down to the source quality, not just the material label.