I just wanted to chime in to add a bit of support for--of all things--polyester. Today's polyester blends are worlds away from the the polyesters of by-gone years. Even top designers include polyesters and other synthetic blends in their lines these days.
Like all man-made fibres, companies are constantly experimenting and re-tooling their products to eliminate some of the less desirable qualities. Although technically the same fibre, today's modal blends are world away from the shrink- and wrinkle-prone rayon garments that were worn in the fifties and sixties.
A high-quality, polyester blend ponte knit can be a very useful item in a modern wardrobe. Vildy is correct in saying that Ponte de Roma refers to a type of stable knit instead of a particular fibre.
And all of this is coming from a fabric snob who fell in love with a faux leather jacket that she lovingly refers to as her "plastic fantastic" and regularly wears with her pricey Brora cashmere sweater. If we eliminated modern fibres from our wardrobes, most of us would be in dire straits.
