Material

Elastane. Comfortable with every movement

Elastane is a synthetic fiber made from the plastics polyurethane and polyethylene glycol. In 1959, textile chemist Joseph Shivers developed the fiber for the first time together with the American chemical company DuPont. Today it is produced worldwide and used mainly in combination with other fibers to increase the elasticity and dimensional stability of textiles made from it. The material is also known as "Elastane fiber," "Spandex" and "Lycra," among others.

The properties of elastane

Textiles that are provided with elastane have a pleasant feel thanks to its elastic property. The fabric thus adapts optimally to the body and at the same time grants it maximum freedom of movement. The stretchy fiber is therefore extremely popular for sportswear. But it also makes everyday clothing such as jeans, sweaters, dresses, underwear, hosiery and leggings extremely comfortable to wear. The material also has other convincing advantages: - Thanks to its lasting tear and dimensional stability, elastane is extremely robust and long-lasting. - Just like the fiber, the fabric is very smooth, making it skin-friendly and not 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 fine tights - Spandex is also lowly moisture absorbent, which is why it dries quickly Care instructions High temperatures can cause the fibers to break and become visible in the form of white threads. Gentle wash cycles without spin program, not exceeding the temperature of 40 °C, are perfectly sufficient. Since textiles with elastane do not tend to wrinkle anyway, ironing is hardly necessary. You should also avoid fabric softener. It attacks the fibers and adversely affects the shape retention. And avoid using the dryer to prevent shrinkage of your textiles.

Sustainable handling of elastane

Many synthetic fibers are based on petroleum and are therefore not biodegradable. In addition, every wash cycle releases microparticles that cannot be completely filtered out by sewage treatment plants and thus enter the natural water cycle. Specially developed laundry bags help to filter out the microparticles so that they can then be disposed of in the residual waste. Since there is currently no sustainable alternative to elastane, we are extremely careful to keep the proportion of the fiber as low as possible in our products and to give preference to natural and recycled materials.

Selected products with elastane

Recommended Topics

By nature, cotton feels pleasantly soft on the skin, and it also has a low allergy potential. Due to these extremely skin-friendly properties, cotton has been one of the most popular natural fibers for the production of textiles for thousands of years. From home textiles such as towels, comforter covers and blankets to clothing, many of our products - especially those that come into direct contact with the skin - are made of pure cotton.

View more

Viscose is a regenerated fiber of natural origin, as it is produced from the cellulose of various woods. Unlike synthetic fibers, viscose is not obtained on the basis of petroleum, which is why it is completely biodegradable.

View more

You can literally experience one of the great benefits of Tencel™ for yourself, namely when you wear clothes made of or with Tencel™. These fabrics are not only breathable and wick away natural body moisture well. They are also pleasantly smooth with a silky feel, have a flowing drape and are cool against the skin. Frequently, shirts, blouses, T-shirts and dresses are made from or with Tencel™ - you can see some examples on the right. However, the versatile fiber can also be made into firmer fabrics, some of which resemble jeans, and used for pants and the like.

View more