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Shirts which stay wrinkle-free are now being produced in Japan and the US. Until now, the only solution for people in a hurry has been permanent press shirts, which didn't need ironing after washing or wearing. But they were made of polyester. The new ones don't need 5 ironing either, but they are a combination of the comfort of cotton and the wrinkle-free convenience of polyester.

Polyester shirts became popular in the 1960s because their threads stabilize fabrics. Wrinkles form when the space between the fabric's 10 molecules contracts during washing or wearing. Polyester acts as girders holding the fabric's molecules in place. Unlike the most popular material for shirts, cotton, though, polyester doesn't breathe, let through air, and it can't absorb perspiration.

15 So, the new blends of cotton and polyester and the specially treated cottons will be a big hit, having a much bigger impact than permanent press did. The only problem is the shirts still have a slightly rubbery feel, from the resin the fabric is coated in. However, manufacturers promise that eventually resin-treated cotton shirts will also feel 20 just like cotton.