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Show V jCp? (CdDimsmiiiimfiimg Ilimtfeiposit Synthetic materials make today's sportswear chic and functional by Dennis Hinkamp consumer information writer Utah State University If you go to an aerobics class, road race or tennis court you are likely to see a "veritable potpourri of multitudinous colors," as Howard Cosell might say. The new colors and styles may reflect Americans' infatuation with exercise, but these sports clothes are also more functional than the old gray sweats we used to wear. According to La Jean Lawson, a graduate student in clothing and textiles at Utah State University, new fiber development has made exercise more comfortable as well as fashionable. She says the idea behind the new fibers is creating a more comfortable "micro-environment" for the athlete. When you are participating in your favorite exercise you want to stay dry as possible and not too cold or hot. This presented some problems for the old fibers we used to make sports clothing. Lawson summarizes the attributes of some of the new materials: Polypropylene: Cotton is comfortable, but it has the undesirable characteristic of retaining moisture. So, when you perspire during exercise, you end up with a cold, damp layer of material next to your skin. This can be especially disastrous in cold weather exercise. Polypropylene, on the other hand, does not absorb moisture, and it wicks moisture away from the skin. This keeps you dry during exercise and helps to eliminate that clammy feeling you get from exercising in cold weather. Gore-tex: This is not actuariy a new fiber, but a method of laminating existing fibers with a waterproof, breathable membrane. The Gore-tex membrane has microscopic pores that allow perspiration water vapor to escape, but at the same time An n lot water on the outside come in. The result is probably the first exercise suit you can wear comfortably in the rain. - Gore-tex, a brand name, is being applied to rain suits, gloves, shoes, hats and anything else that needs to be moisture resistant. Gore-tex products tend to be expensive, so competitors have been coming out with similar products in the past couple of years. Among the competitors are Gamex, Lavock-PH, Lavock-PH, More-tex and Savina. Lycra: Spandex is the generic name, but Lycra, a Dupont tradename, is more commonly known. If you look at it under a microscope, Lycra fibers look a lot like corkscrews. It is this shape that helps give Lycra its stretchy quality. Although very few pieces of clothing are made of 100 percent Lycra, it is blended into many other fabrics. Nylon and Lycra blend swimsuits and leotards are among the most common uses for this sythetic fiber, but it is also blended into tights, jeans, socks, hats, sweater and anywhere else you want a garment to keep its shape but still have stretchability. Nylon: We almost take nylon for granted, but it was one of the first synthetic fibers applied to sportswear. Most people will remember the great comfort improvement nylon running shorts were compared to the old cotton variety. Nylon is strong, lightweight and non-absorbent desirable characteristics charact-eristics for swimsuits and warm-weather warm-weather running gear. Many athletes also prefer nylon because it rinses out and dries quickly. It also is fairly abrasion- and tear-resistant. tear-resistant. Lawson says research continues to improve sportswear designed for the needs of various sports. Competitive sportswear needs to aid the body's own heat-regulating system, allow for freedom of movement and provide the athlete with protection from the elements. |