Types of Lycra Fabric

When we think of "Lycra" fabrics, we think stretchy or elastic. The term might also suggest figure-skating costumes, tight jeans and no-iron shirts. Dupont holds the trademark to Lycra, and by blending it with other fibers, Lycra has given the textile world a whole new array of fabrics.

Features

The DuPont trademarked name "Lycra" was given to a "spandex monofilament coalesced elastane yarn," a man-made material. Lycra is made of a long chain of polymer fibers. These long fibers are twisted and then are coalesced or stuck together, forming a material that has two-way stretch. This elasticity aids in making clothing, such as costumes worn by dancers or exercise wear, that is form-fitting and stretches as the body moves. The beauty of the product is not only that it allows movement, but also that the garment springs back to its original size and shape immediately. When it is used in jeans, Lycra helps the stretched areas, such as the knees of the jeans, to spring back to their original size, thus avoiding the dreaded "baggy knee" syndrome.

Cotton and Lycra

One of the most popular fabrics is formed by blending 10 percent Lycra with 90 percent cotton. This combination results in a soft, absorbent material with just the correct amount of stretch for manufacturing ladies' panties, bras, sleepwear and undershirts. This blend is also popular in the T-shirt industry because the Lycra prevents the cotton from shrinking to some extent, helps shirts maintain their original shape, and also alleviates the wrinkled appearance of all-cotton T-shirts.

Wool and Lycra

More and more often, woven-wool suiting material is being made with at least 1 percent Lycra. The addition of Lycra does not change the look of the wool, but it does allow the wool fibers to stretch more than they would have been able to without the man-made fiber. This means that the wool garments made with Lycra will fit more comfortably because they will "give" in areas of strain, plus they will resist wrinkles. In addition, wool/Lycra blends used in suit pants will not sag in the seat or knees, and will resist wrinkling at the bend of the thigh and knee areas. Garments made of wool and Lycra should be dry-cleaned, but if you are sewing wool/Lycra material, you should pre-shrink the fabric by moving a steam iron back and forth 1/2 inch above the fabric.

Silk and Lycra

Pure silk has almost no elasticity, which can result in pulling of a garment at the seams, and it wrinkles readily. The addition of 3 percent to 5 percent Lycra does not change the look of silk, but makes it far more comfortable to wear by allowing more stretching movement of the fabric. Lycra also adds a little more body to silk (so that it is not quite as "limp") and certainly helps defray the serious wrinkling of pure silk. Silk/Lycra blend garments may be dry-cleaned or hand washed with a gentle soap made for delicates, then tumbled dry on low.

Linen and Lycra

Linen, while expensive, is notorious for wrinkling and for being a bit rough against the skin. When 5 percent Lycra is added to the fabric, it not only softens the fabric and allows it to stretch and return to its original size and shape, but enables it to resist many of the expected wrinkles. A garment made of linen and Lycra may be put into the washer set on "delicate" and tumbled dry on low.

Polyester and/or Nylon and Lycra

The blend of man-made fibers--polyester and/or nylon and Lycra--produces an easy-care, wrinkle-free fabric that is long-wearing and comfortable. This blend can be washed and dried on regular settings. One downside is that since the fibers are man-made, the blend does not "breathe" as readily as natural fibers; therefore, some wearers may find themselves literally rolling up their sleeves at work to cool down. An advantage is that blends such as nylon, polyester and Lycra are often woven into water-repellent fabrics.

Considerations

Since Lycra is actually a polyurethane, some types of the material may not age as well as expected, and will lose their elasticity. Often, a 100 percent polyester fabric will retain its elasticity much longer than a Lycra fabric whose "spring-back" nature will diminish with age. Sewing Lycra-blend fabrics requires pre-shrinking of the fabric before cutting, very sharp scissors and pins to avoid picking the fabric, and use of polyester thread, which has some "stretch" of its own. One problem to remember is that Lycra-blend woven fabrics have more elasticity and raw edges of facings, and collars will not flatten properly as they do with all-natural fiber fabrics.

Resources

• Lycra Fiber Brand