When I was 5, I had the most magical dress. It was turquoise, with a ruffle around the neck, and when I wore it, I was a lacy aqua enchantress; capable of great feats of book-reading, mirror-singing, and mermaid-pretending.
Since it was the 1970s, my perfect dress was, of course, made from double-knit polyester. And my aqua dress held up admirably to the many beatings inflicted upon it… until the fateful day when it would no longer zip up. I still miss that dress.
And I continue to love this indestructible and colorful fabric. No doubt there’s some nostalgia baked into that, but there’s also the fact that it’s just fantastic stuff. Here’s why:
- It’s livable and forgiving, with a wondrous combination of stretch and structure. Wash it out and hang it to dry and wear it just a few hours later. Colors stay true; lines stay strong; most stains come right out.
- Textile manufacturers of the 1970s era were, shall we say, less inhibited in their design and color offerings. Consequently, we have found some amazing / crazy / beautiful / hilarious stuff to make shifts from. There are lots of interesting-yet-wearable neutrals, too.
- It’s more comfortable than you think. There are some nasty-feeling ones for sure, but we would never use those. The DKPs we offer on our site are soft and cute and comfy.
- It cannot be destroyed, unless you set out deliberately to do so. In that case, you’ll need to bring a flamethrower and a cross-cut shredder.
- There is a lot of it out there! Which means that, even though it’s not “natural,” it’s still an abundant and eco-friendly resource: the greenest fabric is one that is already manufactured.
I outgrew my magic aqua dress, but I still have great feats of book-reading, mirror-singing, and company-starting to perform, and DKP shifts are perfect for all that.
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I finally got around to asking a friend who is a textiles professor (who loves your site!) about the demise of double knit fabric. She said it wasn’t the fiber itself, but the manufacturing process, that caused problems. Early double knit fabrics were processed in such a way that they held on to body oils and bacteria (she had a more technical explanation), causing them to stink over time (and in warm weather). There have been significant changes in the processing of synthetics that’s eliminated this problem. She suggested I always wear something under my double knit shift, just in case
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good to know, kalpana! you know, i’ve worn double knit dresses for years, mostly from thrift stores, and i did notice that they would start to stink pretty quickly. i haven’t noticed that with any of my DKP shifts though. i wonder if that quality wears off over time? the fabric we’re using has been sitting around unworn for decades …
and, incidentally, i never realized there was such a thing as a textiles professor! sounds like exactly what i should come back as next lifetime.
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