A method for making a polymer, includes the step of polymerizing a mixture of a vinyl ester monomer, a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.12)alkyl (meth)acrylate monomer and a mono ethylenically unsaturated polar monomer by free radical initiated polymerization in an aqueous medium and in free presence of a colloidal stabilizer, a first poly(alkoxylated) alkyl phenol having less than or equal to 12 alkoxyl units per molecule and a second poly(alkoxylated) alkyl phenol having greater than 12 alkoxyl units per molecule, to form an emulsion of the polymer in the aqueous medium.