Yes. Polyester is very stretchy. And it snaps back to its original shape perfectly. It can typically stretch between 5% and 15%. As a comparison, you can only stretch cotton at around 1% to 2%.
Polyester is often blended with other fabrics such as cotton and wool to enhance their stretchiness and durability. If you need a stretchy fabric, polyester is a great option.
What Is Polyester?
Polyester is a fabric or textile made using polyester fibers. It’s a kind of plastic derived from a synthetic polymer called polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Polyethylene terephthalate is a mixture of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Polyester is the result of a long and tedious process of creating the fabric. Although plastic, polyester is soft. It resists water well.
How Much Does Polyester Stretch?
Polyester can stretch between 5% to 15%. The degree that polyester stretch depends on the blend.
To test the stretchiness of your fabric. Measure the original length. Stretch it and measure the stretch length. Once you have each of these, you can follow the stretch ratio formula.
The formula goes:
(Original Length) – (Stretch Length) / Original Length x 100.
This will give you a good idea of how much your fabric will stretch.
Does Polyester Satin Stretch?
Yes. While satin by itself is impossible to stretch, it can stretch up to 15% when mixed with polyester. Satin polyester is an excellent blend of elegance, beauty, and comfort.
This fabric is a perfect dress. The fabric is elegant, but it gives you the flexibility to move around. This blend is also the same material used to make your satin turbans and ballet shoes.
Does Polyester Stretch When Wet Or After Washing?
Polyester does not stretch when wet or after washing. But, if you hang dry polyester after washing, the water’s weight can cause it to stretch.
Also, if you wash polyester using warm water, it is stretchy. The heat will relax the fibers and make it easier to stretch.
Does Polyester Stretch With Continuous Wear?
Polyester and cotton blends are stretchy. When combining these two materials, you typically end up with a fabric that is more stretchy than cotton but slightly less stretchy than polyester. The overall stretchiness of this blend will depend on the specific blend. Blends that are more polyester than cotton will stretch more.
For example, a 95% polyester and 5% cotton blend will be very similar to a 100% polyester blend. A 50% polyester and 50% cotton blend will shrink much less than the 95% polyester blend in contracts.
Which Of The Polyester Blends Are The Most Stretchy?
Polyester And Spandex Blends
Cotton And Polyester Blends
Polyester, Cotton, And Rayon Blends
Quick Tutorial
Can Shrinking Ruin The Stretch Of Polyester?
Polyester is not easy to shrink. It requires high heat. While shrinking polyester once will not ruin its stretch, continuous shrinking can cause damage.
Polyester must be exposed to temperatures between 155 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Repeated exposure to high heat can cause the fabric to harden and prevent it from shrinking.
Step by Step Tutorial
To properly wash your fabric, follow the steps below:
Conclusion
Now that you know how to deal with a piece of polyester fabric, it’s now up to you to pick which method suits you best. Stretching that polyester fabric can take a lot of effort, but it gets easy in time.
Keep in mind all the practical ways above, and pulling that unyielding jean will be a piece of cake. You don’t have to give up just yet. You’ll soon get it to a size that fits better on your curves; I know you can do it!
