Wearables

UNIVERSITY
The source for your wearables education
By Tonia Cook Kimbrough

Courses this m

Fabric Tutoria onth :

l
Decorating W 306
orkshop 429
Need -To-Know
Color Clinic Terms 165
2
Size It Up 3 46
84

An advanced-level look at fabrics that contain spandex.

Fabric Tutorial 306

Junior

Fashion and Function with Stretch Fabrics

This Nike Sphere Dry Diamond Polo (354055) includes 11%

spandex in its fabrication, combined with 89% polyester.
The result is maximum movement for an unhindered golf
swing. Available from SanMar (asi/84863; circle 93 on Free
Info Card).
photo courtesy of SanMar (asi/84863)

hether youre sourcing activewear

for an athletic audience or fashion
for trend-aware youth, youll nd
more options today that include stretch than
ever before.
Stretch fabrics provide elasticity, meaning
the ber or fabric easily returns to its original shape and size after wear. This ability to
move with you and yet continue to t properly
makes garments more comfortable and functional. Whether on the eld or at the mall, garments that maintain their shape keep a person
looking good.
Stretch rst made its debut in textiles with
the development of spandex by DuPont scientist Joseph Shivers in 1959 after a decade of
research. Science writer Marc Reisch, detailing the bers history for Chemical & Engineering News, describes spandex as a sensationally
bizarre polyurethane. The structure of the
long-chain synthetic polymer ber gives it
both tremendous stretch and tensile strength.
Ultimately, DuPont marketed spandex under
the brand name Lycra. (In Europe, the ber is
called elastane.)
Of course, you dont need to know a chemical breakdown or specic brand name to
sell garments with stretch. You just need to
understand the benets. Spandex adds a sleek,
smooth quality to the fabrics it enhances. It can

Whats the difference between two-way and four-way stretch in fabric?

According to the book Sew Any Fabric: A Quick Reference To Fabrics from A to Z by Claire
Shaeffer, two-way and four-way stretch fabrics are typically warp knits with spandex. They
both stretch lengthwise and crosswise; the difference is a matter of degree. For example,
stretchier four-way fabrics might have 20% spandex in their fabrication vs. a two-way stretch
fabric with 10% spandex.

Three Garments That

Evolved With Spandex
Underwear: Spandex was originally used
to replace rubber in womens foundation garments, making them much more
comfortable.
Swimwear: Spandex made swimsuits
more comfortable, form-tting and sleeker,
improving the speed of swimmers.
Cycling shorts: A touch of spandex made
cycling shorts more aerodynamic and
provided compression to reduce muscle
fatigue.

be combined with synthetic or natural bers.

In greater percentages, it provides a compression feature to sports apparel and improves
athletics performance on the eld or in the
water, which is why the ber is so important
to swimwear.
A common application for spandex-enriched
fabrics is activewear. Golng apparel, for
example, needs to t well and provide for freedom of movement. SanMar (asi/84863) carries
Nike Golfs Sphere Dry Diamond Polo, which
offers the maximum movement value of a
spandex garment. The fabrication (an 89/11
polyester/spandex blend) has a performance
twist with its rich diamond texture that adds
increased airow and minimal cling to the list
of benets.
Fashion also looks to spandex not just for
better performance, but for improved style.
Trendy T-shirts that cling, sleek leggings and
form-tting jeans all have spandex to thank for
their superior t and resilience.
wearablesmag.com WEARABLES FEBRUARY 2012 31

WearUnivFeb12.indd 31

1/17/12 9:43 AM

Copyright of Wearables is the property of Advertising Specialty Institute, Inc. and its content may not be copied
or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission.
However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.