Wool vs. polyester pants

[Razeus]

Hey guys. Glad I found this forum.

Anyways what's the deal between these two fabrics. When I first buying "better" clothes for work (graduated a few months ago and had to get new gear so I don't look like an accountant in a retail manager's outfit), I bought a few polyester pants, mostly then because they were so much cheaper and look nice.

Recently, I've bought some 100% wool pants and look really good (ralph lauren from Macy's) that I really like too.

What are the differences in the fabrics, especially long term, which one lasts longer? What are the "fashion" reasons?

 

[j]

First, welcome.

Aesthetic concerns aside (I don't want to try to explain why I think wool looks better, but I do):

Polyester may last longer in a physical sense, but since it holds on to odors so well, it will not be useful for nearly as long as wool, which can be cleaned of almost anything with a brush and some steam from an iron or steamer.

Polyester does not breathe as well as wool - it traps moisture inside, which contributes to smelling it up faster.

Those are the main functional reasons to avoid it. I'll leave the rest to others.

 

[Luc-Emmanuel]

polyester fabric tends to peel too, unlike wool which will "shine" in highly abrasive regions.

!luc

 

[ChicagoRon]

From my experience, wool is naturally "wrinkle free", without relying on chemical treatments. It travels extremely well and does not need to be cleaned very often as long as you don't wear it multiple days in a row and you let it air out in fresh air or steam between wearings.

To J's point, the breatheability is not just something to keep the fabric smelling good. It makes them more comfortable. As a person who is not generally "cold" in an airconditioned room, I wear tropical weight wool almost year-round.

 

[acidboy]

Polyester also burns faster, as I've learned the hard way.