Welcome to part one of our fabric story! It all started in February of 2019, when I attended the Sourcing at MAGIC trade show in Las Vegas. Here I was, two weeks into my new business venture, sourcing fabrics before I had any real idea what I was getting myself into. I knew next to nothing about the fashion industry, but I was passionate about my idea and found lots of knowledgeable people to talk to. Some of the initial reactions were priceless. “You are designing what?” (Athletic wear for women with stress urinary incontinence). “What’s that?” (We pee when we run.) “Is that a thing?” (Yep.) I came away with armloads of fabric samples and expert opinion.
Here’s what I learned: most athletic wear is made of a blend of synthetic fibers, typically polyester and spandex. Does this conjure up visions of your cousin’s disco shirt or your mom’s “foundation garments”? Me too. Fortunately, technology has transformed these fibers into high-performing fabrics well-suited to athletic wear applications. Today’s polyester is strong, doesn’t shrink, stretch or wrinkle much, is abrasion resistant and easily washable. It is non-absorbent so that moisture from your skin evaporates instead of being soaked up into the material.
Spandex, invented in 1958 as a substitute for rubber in garments, is the generic term for Lycra (and an anagram of “expands” – who knew?) It is a lightweight, flexible fiber that adds compression and stretch. The ratio of spandex to polyester can be tweaked in seemingly endless combinations to achieve a desired result. Want more compression? Go with a higher spandex content. Want less? Back it off.
What about natural fibers like cotton—where do they fit in? Cotton is comfortable, soft, and breathable. It gives off less odor post-workout. But there’s a downside—rather than wicking moisture away and allowing it to evaporate, cotton absorbs and retains it. Wet cotton sags and loses its shape. It feels damp and clammy after a hard workout. This is a non-starter, especially for those of us who have SUI.
Learning this led us to choose a blend of polyester and spandex for Prickly Pear shorts and leggings. Next up is part two of our fabric story: choosing the specialty fabric for our unique gusset. Stay tuned!