I
hate acrylic. I firmly believe that this manmade material should only
be used in paints and plastics, only sparingly in clothing. I learned
this lesson in my teens, when, flush with $20 in birthday money (my,
that went so far in 1996) I went to the mall to find a new sweater. All
I remember about my purchase that day is that it was green, argyle and
looked like shag carpeting after the second wear.
Why? This sad little garment was crafted from – you guessed it – 100 percent acrylic.
Like
John Nash, I began to notice patterns in clothing. Not just the argyle,
but the fact that after several wearings, anything made of at least 30
percent acrylic had more pills than your local Walgreens. It's
especially bad under the arms and at other points of friction.
So what is acrylic, anyway?
Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:
"Acrylic is lightweight, soft, and warm, with a wool-like feel. It dyes
very well and has excellent colorfastness. It is resilient, retains its
shape, and resists shrinkage and wrinkles. It is quite varied in form
and sometimes has an appearance similar to wool or cotton. Acrylic has
recently been used in clothing as a cheaper alternative to cashmere,
due to the similar feeling of the materials. The disadvantages of
acrylic is that it tends to fuzz (or pill) easily and that it does not
insulate the wearer as well as cashmere. Many products like fake
pashmina or cashmina use this material to create the illusion of
cashmere to the consumer. "
So what does this mean for you and your work wardrobe? My humble advice:
- Always check the content label and steer clear of sweaters or knits predominantly composed of acrylic. I shy away from anything over 30 percent.
- Sometimes you’ll find acrylic faux-fur pieces; those don’t fuzz and should hold up well. Plus, there is no guilt from killing an acrylic mink.
- Do NOT, under any circumstances not involving death or dismemberment, spend a lot on acrylic knits. Nothing stirs my sartorial ire like a BCBG sweater selling from $198 at Macy’s that grows stubble by the time you get home. If you find an acrylic piece for $10 and you don’t mind trashing it after a short while, get it. Just have realistic expectations.
I’m curious if anyone has found a way to keep acrylic garments looking newer longer. Please do educate me if you have. There’s a 1996 argyle sweater awaiting ressurrection.