Polyester JEANS?!! (Well, 12% Poly)

DAMMIT!

I thought I was quickly becoming an expert on denim after hanging around here for a while, but it looks like I made a major f-up.

I bought a pair of Earnest Sewn Fultons, based on recommendations here, as my second pair of good denim. I was looking for something a little more comfy for sitting around in than my first pair, some really slim and tight Takumis. The Fultons fit great, the denim and detailing look great, the Line Dry style seems cool, I was looking forward to a long, bonding, wearing-in process, but then...

I notice the tag that says: 88% cotton, 12% polyester! WTF?!!! I thought polyester was a war crime against all that is good, and pure, and holy, and authentic about denim! I can't believe it!

The ES site goes on an on about their jeans being "handcrafted", "vintage", "hand picked cotton", blah blah blah... They don't mention anything about poly blends at all.

Was I wrong to assume they were pure cotton? Is this the end of the world as I know it? Should I call them and *****? Or will they just say, hey you should have read the tag before you wore them.

Or am I just being a big girl about the whole thing?

David

interesting... i would return them but all that matters if you care / notice a difference from cotton ones.

at that pricepoint i`d immediately return them!
i don`t mind the 2% elastic in my cm`s, but 12%?

Yeah- I didn't spend $200 for a poly-blend. Problem is, I've worn them for a couple of days, and presumably can't return them. That's what irks me.

I previously bought a pair in Maz-Dark that were really comfy and soft, but I assumed that was because their wash treatment. I ended up returning them because I wasn't crazy about the wash. I think the Maz Dark is 100% cotton. It's tough to tell from the various web sites. The ES site doesn't say anything about the fabric, except that it's so "authentic", etc. Zappo's (where I got the Maz Dark) says they are 100% cotton. Denimbar doesn't say what their Line Drys are made of.

I got the impression from the guy at the ES store that these were the same thing, but just with a one-wash. They are a lot stiffer, which I assumed would eventually wash out.

David

return it anyways. f em

I'm pretty sure they don't use a poly-blend as a cost cutting measure, in fact it's probably more expensive than 100% cotton. It'd be interesting to see why they use it though, as I assume it's not to make them elastic or anything like that (perhaps it's just to make them stiffer as you said so that they break in better).

that's weird - my ES's are 100% cotton, I think. I'll check when I get home tonight.

Here's what's really weird. It turns out the Maz Darks I got are still sitting by the door waiting to go to the post office to be returned. So I opened them up, and, sure enough, they're 100% cotton.

So it appears that the difference between the Earnest Sewn Fulton 50 (Line Dry) and the Fulton 06 (Maz Dark) is not only the wash, but the material. How odd is that?

I think Babar makes a valid point about it not being a cost-cutting measure, and Serg has a point essentially asking would I really know or care if I hadn't read the label. But, dammit, part of the cool thing about premium denim is that it's supposed to be so authentic and true to its vintage roots. Sure, it's a bit of being corny or obsessive about a perceived mystique, but that's part of what makes a weird hobby interesting.

I haven't worn anything made with more than a few percent poly since high school. 15% just plain seems wrong for jeans.

Maybe I'll give them a call and see if they might exchange them, having been worn for a day. I'm not optimistic.

David

No, premium denim is not about authenticity to vintage roots. A number of lines are, and that's mostly what's popular here, but the vast majority of denim lines have nothing to do with this. ES certainly is not about being vintage or authentic or whatever, and it's never pretended to be.

My personal suspicion is what it was done because the line drys are close to raw and are meant to be worn for a long time without washing, and the poly will keep the shape for people who don't want to spend a year reading SF and carefully planning stretching and washing. Babar is right that it would likely cost more than 100% cotton. It's not cost cutting.

Look, if you don't like the jeans, you don't like the jeans. If you like them and didn't notice a thing before freaking out at the tag, what exactly has changed since you first put them on?

all the above is good, but the weird thing is that every listing of the ES fulton line dry that i've seen says "100% cotton". it's just weird that this one is 88% cotton, 12% polyester. I have the ES Fulton Line Dry at home, with the selvedge and all, and I'm fairly sure it's marked 100% cotton.

See http://www.revolveclothing.com/productpages/ES-MJ22.jsp

don't tell them you wore them?

my ES fulton line drys are 100% cotton. yours are weird.

Originally Posted by Arethusa

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ES certainly is not about being vintage or authentic or whatever, and it's never pretended to be.

I appreciate your input, Arethusa, but from ES's website I think it's pretty fair for me to assume they are supposed to be a fairly strong "authentic" or "vintage" product. Here are just a few snippets:

"...an unwavering appreciation for denim and the fading mystique of American ingenuity and craftsmanship."

"Tradition noted. History referenced. Homage paid."

"Earnest Sewn also incorporates a variety of additional thread colors, each specially dyed to match historical color palettes taken from our extensive vintage archive.

"only found on authentic vintage jeans and are unique to the Earnest Sewn brand."

"...our signature size 30L Polished Copper waistband button which serves as the only reference to the garment's "˜newness'."

"We are also deeply involved in the use of both hand-picked and organically grown cottons..."

"..We also include information on where the fabric was milled..."

"...designed to replicate a vintage garment down to the last detail."

Originally Posted by Arethusa

Click to expand...

Look, if you don't like the jeans, you don't like the jeans. If you like them and didn't notice a thing before freaking out at the tag, what exactly has changed since you first put them on?

Good point. But these are a hard, rough jean that I believed was going to wear and wash out into something that fit really well and would be super comfy, like the Maz Darks. I just don't know how well the poly blend will do this. Probably the same, in all fairness. And I'll be the first one to admit that I'm being a bit obsessive about this. But c'mon. Look at this forum. EVERYONE seems to be obsessed about the minute details of their stupid denim. That what makes this place so crazy and fun.

Before I get more worked up about it, I think I'll just call ES and talk to them and see what they can do for me. They might be great about it. I have no reason to believe othewise until I try that. They may even convince me that the poly blend is a great way to go, for some reason.

David

Well, admittedly, their advertising copy is a bit inconsistent, but in the substance of their designs and what Morrison's interested in, I don't think ES has really ever been about vintage authenticity. Not, at least, in the way this forum talks about it (they're not Samurai, etc).

Calling ES is a really good idea, actually. Hopefully, they'll be able to help you out, and other accounts of their customer service on here have been pretty good.

Polyester != bad all times. Sometimes, manufacturers put it in so that it doesn't wrinkle as much. You'll especially notice this in dress shirts. It may work to your advantage.

Besides, nobody will notice, so it's a decision to make on your own whether or not you like the jeans, regardless of the kind of fabric.