I bought two knitted jersey dresses for a song a couple of seasons ago because they are very easy to pack, wear, and maintain. Flattering, pretty, soft, crease-resistant, and a breeze to launder. They are 95% polyester and 5% elastane. In my experience, this type of fabric is indestructible and robust. Items hold their shape, lustre, and look pristine for a long time. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
I’ve worn and washed both dresses a lot. The orange dress has held up beautifully and to expectation. The pink dress has not. It’s held its shape and colour, but the fabric has pilled. At first I thought my crossbody strap or car seatbelt rubbed the fabric. But the pilling is down most of the front of the dress, and in a couple of places at the back. I tried using de-pilling tools to improve the appearance of the dress, but no luck. It made things worse.
I’m not sure if it’s the polyester or the elastane component of the fabric that is pilling. Either way it’s very unexpected, annoying and disappointing. Once again, inconsistent quality rears its ugly head. I hope that the orange dress continues to hold up well.
Have you experienced pilling on items made with knitted jersey polyester fabric?
