Materials Science
Spandex. Flexible with every movement
Spandex is a synthetic fiber composed of the plastics polyurethane and polyethylene glycol. It was developed in 1959 by the textile chemist Joseph Shivers. Today, it is produced worldwide and is primarily used in combination with other fibers to increase the elasticity and dimensional stability of the textiles made from it. The material is also known as “elastane fiber,” “Spandex,” and “Lycra,” among other names.
The Properties of Spandex
Textiles containing spandex are comfortable to wear thanks to its elastic properties. This allows the fabric to conform perfectly to the body while providing maximum freedom of movement. This stretchy fiber is therefore extremely popular in athletic wear. But it also provides exceptional comfort in everyday clothing such as jeans, sweaters, dresses, underwear, hosiery, and leggings. The material also offers other impressive benefits:
- Thanks to its durable tear resistance and shape retention, elastane is extremely robust and durable.
- Just like the fiber itself, the fabric is very smooth, making it gentle on the skin and less prone to pilling.
- In addition, the material is incredibly thin, very fine, and feels incredibly soft. These properties are particularly beneficial in lightweight garments such as our sheer tights.
- Spandex also absorbs very little moisture, which is why it dries quickly.
Care Instructions
High temperatures can cause the fibers to break and become visible as white threads. Gentle wash cycles without a spin cycle, at temperatures not exceeding 40 °C, are perfectly sufficient. Since garments containing elastane are not prone to wrinkling anyway, ironing is rarely necessary. Also, avoid fabric softener. It damages the fibers and negatively affects the garment’s shape retention. And do not use the dryer to prevent your garments from shrinking.
Many synthetic fibers are derived from petroleum and cannot be completely broken down in nature. In addition, microparticles are released with every wash cycle; these can only be partially filtered out by wastewater treatment plants and thus enter the water cycle. Laundry bags specifically designed for this purpose can help capture these microparticles so they can be disposed of with regular trash.
Since there is currently no established alternative to spandex, we take care to keep the proportion of this fiber as low as possible in our products. In our product range, we are increasingly focusing on natural fibers—preferably from certified organic farming and certified organic animal husbandry—as well as recycled raw materials.
Selected products containing spandex
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