Stretch fabrics are essential in fashion, especially for activewear and swimwear, because they allow garments to mold to the body and move with ease. The magic behind this flexibility comes from elastane, a fiber that lets fabric stretch and bounce back into shape.
Key Points About Stretch Fabrics:
- Stretch and recovery: Fabrics with higher elastane content offer more stretch and are better at returning to their original shape.
- Weight of the fabric: Heavier fabrics tend to keep their shape better but have less stretch.
- Natural fibers in the mix: Blending elastane with natural fibers can lead to a loss of elasticity, especially when the fabric gets wet.
Stretch and Rebound: What It Means
Rebound refers to how well fabric returns to its original size after being stretched. For example, if a fabric stretches from 15 cm to 24 cm, that’s a 60% stretch. The important part is how easily it snaps back to its original length. In most cases, we care most about the softer stretch because that’s where the comfort comes from.
Sometimes, certain parts of a garment—like straps or waistbands—need more rebound strength to help them keep their shape and stay snug over time.
Challenges with Diagonal Stretching
Even though knits don’t have the same grain structure as woven fabrics, stretching them diagonally can still cause issues. Pulling fabric at an angle can lead to wrinkles or ripples if it’s not strong enough in both vertical and horizontal directions. It’s essential to account for this when designing garments that will need to hold their shape under various movements.
The Role of Lining in Garments
Lining can have a big impact on how fabric stretches. If you add lining to part of a garment, such as the front of a dress or swimsuit, the extra layer will change the stretch behavior in that area. This added weight can make the fabric behave differently from the unlined sections, affecting the overall fit.
How Fabric Choices Can Affect Fit
Every time you switch to a new fabric, it’s a good idea to adjust your pattern. For example, let’s say you’re working with a fabric that’s 150gsm, made of 85% polyester and 15% elastane, with a 70% stretch capacity. This fabric might stretch comfortably up to 25% before it starts to feel tight and would work well with around 10% negative ease (where the garment is smaller than the body for a snug fit).
But if you move to a thicker fabric, say 200-220gsm, you might only get a 15% stretch. Even if your original pattern technically fits, the garment could feel tighter or harder to put on. The wearer may feel uncomfortable or think they need a larger size, even though the fit issue is due to the fabric’s reduced stretch.
To keep your designs fitting perfectly, adjusting your pattern to match the fabric’s characteristics is key. Even small differences in fabric properties can greatly impact how the finished garment looks and feels.