Cotton
Breathable: This natural fiber lets your skin breathe. It also absorbs moisture to keep your body temperature stable.
Soft, but strong: The fibers are less abrasive than polyester, so it feels super soft on your skin. That being said, some
cotton fabric is designed to be strong and rough, like heavy duty cotton canvas. It all depends on the weave and the
finish.
Great for sensitive skin: Because it is so much softer, those with sensitive skin tolerate 100% cotton better than
polyester. With organic products becoming increasingly popular, you can find cotton fabric made with very little
chemical processing.
Easy to dye: The fibers hold dye incredibly well. It also tends to dye evenly and produce a truer, deeper color.
However, with excessive exposure to sunlight and time (decades), the dye will eventually fade. Also, cotton will shrink
with the first washing and drying.
Biodegradable: Cotton will break down over time. Cotton isn’t as durable as polyester in the long run. However,
proper care can prolong the life of cotton. Try to avoid prolonged exposure to excessive sunlight and moisture.
Polyester
Long lasting: Polyester is a man-made fiber. It’s very resilient and can withstand a good deal of wear and tear. It’s
basically plastic. In fact, plastic bottles can be recycled into polyester fabric. Polyester is not compostable, meaning it
doesn’t break down well in soil. Think about this in a landfill.
Less fading: Polyester holds dye well to prevent fading, but doesn’t produce as “rich” of a color as cotton. High-
quality polyester holds its shape well and doesn’t shrink.
Dries quickly: Unlike cotton, polyester isn’t absorbent. It’s definitely not your go-to for towels. However, it dries super
fast. So if you want to reduce that electricity bill, you might want to sew polyester clothing.
Less wrinkling: It’s more resistant to wrinkles than cotton. This is great for anyone who dreads ironing.
Nonbreathing: Polyester doesn’t let your skin breathe like cotton. For instance, if you wear a polyester shirt in the
summer, you might find yourself pretty sweaty. That being said, there are many performance wear polyester
products specifically engineered to wick sweat away from your body, but it really only works if the fabric is
skin tight. If you buy a low-quality product, you’ll notice a weird after smell.
