How to Tell Real Wax From Printed Polyester

The back is the tell

Real wax is dyed through: the pattern is as strong on the reverse as the front. Printed fabric is white or faded on the back.

The crackle

The fine veins in the colour are where the wax resist cracked in the dye bath. They are irregular and never repeat exactly.

The smell and the hand

Wax has a faint waxy smell and a stiff hand that softens with washing. Polyester is slippery from day one and stays so.