PolyesterBakes is dressed for dessert

(Nearly) every weekend, Michael dons a different throwback ensemble and makes a new sweet treat to share with fans through photos and video shot in his Symphony Circle-area home kitchen. Sometimes his wardrobe and dessert share a theme, like the Fourth of July; other times the common thread is simply “why the hell not?”

What has become a light-hearted series of loud shirts and luscious sweets began as an act of love, then of healing.

Michael’s wife, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with cancer just before they married. To distract themselves during her treatment, the couple began to watch the Great British Baking Show together, and he’d try to make her desserts they saw on the show. After she died in December 2015, he began throat cancer treatment he’d been delaying while caring for his wife.

When he was well enough, he decided to keep baking.

“It was therapeutic,” explains Michael. “Something to do. One time I posted some cookies I made on Facebook wearing an old Christmas sweater and got more comments on the sweater than the cookies. Then it just grew into Saturday morning silly shit for adults.”

Michael is not a professional baker and has no formal training; he’s operating on years of trial and error. As a sculptor and painter, though, his composed dishes look completely pro with perfectly braided crust, flawless frosting and intricate decorations.

Dessert inspiration comes from all over the place. The recipes come from family memories (like his mom’s 1960s Jello creations), follower suggestions (babka), restaurant visits and Michael’s own unending curiosity, which has manifested itself in enough bookmarked recipe links to last a lifetime.

He doesn’t really have a sweet tooth himself, but he loves trying sweets in other countries when he travels and often includes global recipes in his repertoire. Some sound familiar, like limoncello tiramisu, while others—like the Turkish vanilla pudding with shredded chicken—are a little more outlandish.

“Part of the performance part is not just the pretty cakes, but stuff from all over the world, even if it’s weird to me,” he explains. “I get a kick out of making stuff other people would never make, even if it sucks. I’ll be the guinea pig!”

If the bakes are successful, which they most often are, he’ll post them then deliver dishes to friends’ houses and local shops he frequents. If the dish is a flop, like his croquembouche (aka “the tower of disappointment”), he’ll post it anyway. On weeks he runs out of time or energy, he’ll film from a local bakery and share their goodies with followers instead.

As for the outfits, Michael is not a collector of vintage threads and has to go looking for his weekly getup. Most of it comes from Etsy, where he’s found sellers who will take his measurements to make sure items fit before sending them to account for changes in clothing sizing over the decades.

Michael is a storyteller, which comes from past work as a playwright. The relatable, narrative style of his posts brings followers along with him on one of several potential journeys.

He might delve into the history of Nutella, share a family story about cassata cake or take a deep dive into the backstory of his outfit, complete with vintage magazine ads for the clothes, like his 1970s Sears Perma-Pressed jumpsuit. Other times he’ll summon memories of The Three Stooges, acknowledge hearts made heavy by current events or tell stories about funny stuff that’s happened to him in the kitchen and out.

PolyesterBakes followers tune in for all of it.

“I think there are three audiences,” he says. “There are people who come just for the baking, some want to hear the history and anecdotes and others are all about the outfits. Some are interested in all of it, I guess.”

Regardless of the draw, Michael plans to bake in bold clothes until it’s no longer fun. Judging by some of the ideas he’d like to try next—like a glow-in-the-dark cake made with edible luminescent powder—there’s no shortage of fun to be had.