For those who couldn’t always easily work a day of laundry into their on-the-go lifestyle, a miraculous fabric emerged on the scene, one that boasted the ability to be worn for an astounding nine weeks at a time without ever needing so much as an iron. This perpetually perfect fabric, one that still causes some to wince decades later is, you guessed it, polyester.

Polyester was first developed in 1941, and Dupont acquired the exclusive rights to fabric, dubbed Dacron five years later. It was unleashed upon the public in 1951, and first used primarily for fine garments. Inexpensive to produce, it found its way into the fashion world around the late 60s. Its reputation took a turn for the worse with the advent of the double knit variety, which offered little in the way of breathability and was rather uncomfortable to wear. As a result, clothing manufacturers realized that they better start blending it with more comfortable fibers such as cotton, if they were ever going to entice the public to embrace it.

Over the years, great lengths have been made to improve the image of the oft-misaligned image of polyester. Apparently, people decided that they would rather fit a bit of laundry in their busy schedule than continue to subject themselves to the wrinkle-free but often uncomfortable feel of polyester.