The Polyester Pant Suit: Fashion History that Should Stay History

Can anything good be said about the double knit pant suit, circa 1970? They were certainly popular in their day. Women left and right were ditching their dresses and hose for suits of heavy, gaudy, pastel polyester. This knit fabric was amazingly durable--that is perhaps the only positive thing I can say about it. Unlike today's microfiber polyesters that mimic silk or cotton, those polyester double knits were heavy and about as breathable as a heavy-duty plastic garbage bag.

Lets look at some video and pictures of this blast from the past.

Image from German Federal Archive via Wikimedia Commons

In defense of my grannies and all the other ladies who donned polyester pantsuits in the seventies, I will say I understand the appeal of an outfit that would never wrinkle. The women of the Depression and the World Wars had spent a lot of time slaving over an ironing board. For them, giving up ironing was well worth wearing a hot, petroleum-based, fabric that made them sweat. After all, ironing can also make a woman sweat!

We Have Better Choices Today

The granddaughters of the polyester pantsuit generation are lucky to have so many wardrobe choices. Newer microfiber polyesters are much more comfortable and less plastic-like than those double-knits from the seventies. We also have natural fibers that can be thrown in a dryer on a wrinkle-release cycle to reduce ironing. More choices--that is real liberation!