NEW YORK — Something old is something new in activewear fabrics.
Polyester staple fibers made from 100 percent post-consumer soda bottles are getting some serious play from key activewear fabric producers, who said they were tapping into a high environmental awareness level of the activewear customer.
In addition, those fabrics made from 100 percent recycled polyester, or blends with virgin polyester, are giving the fiber — traditionally not a key activewear fiber — a dramatic entree into that arena.
Two polyester producers, Wellman Inc. and Hoechst Celanese, unveiled recycled polyester last year. Wellman’s is called Fortrel EcoSpun; Hoechst’s is Trevira II. And DuPont, the world’s largest polyester producer, expects to get into the recycled act by the middle of next year.
Here, a look at some of the companies using the “soda bottle” fabric.
Through an arrangement with Dyersburg Fabrics Inc. and Patagonia, EcoSpun is being knitted into DyerSport ECO, a fleece fabric used in Patagonia outerwear. The fabric is constructed of 80 percent EcoSpun and 20 percent Fortrel polyester filament.
Brookwood Cos. has put Wellman’s product into a new line called The New Earth Collection, which it is aiming at both the outerwear and activewear market.
Malden Mills Industries, the leading fleece fabric producer, is incorporating Trevira II into its Polartec 100 line, a collection of underwear layer fabrics; and its 200 and 300 lines, a series of lightweight outerwear fabrics. Patagonia, Timberland and L.L. Bean all have integrated the fabrics into their 1994-’95 lineups.
“The recycled fabrics are a growing portion of our activewear business,” said Howard Ackerman, Malden’s general manager. Ackerman said they accounted for about 10 percent of Malden’s total apparel fleece line, adding, “Last year, they accounted for less than 1 percent.”
“I think, looking down the road two to three years, they could become, 50 percent, 60 percent or even 70 percent of our line,” Ackerman said.
The Malden executive went on to say that the price differential between recycled and virgin products has decreased dramatically, as Hoechst, Wellman and the fabric producers “are learning how to make the product more efficiently.”
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“Still, the onus is on the fiber producers and the yarn spinners,” Ackerman said. “They need to be fully behind this.”
Amber Brookman, president and chief executive officer of Brookwood, said her company’s move to the recycled fiber “fulfills a social responsibility we believe in. It’s not just what we are putting into the market, but what we are taking out of the landfills.”
Brookman said Brookwood will “become even more active in the recycled fabrics area” in the coming years.
While the big news is in recycled polyester, Lycra spandex and cotton still rule the activewear business. However, new twists in Lycra/cotton blends, along with an increased use of nylon, have added some freshness.
“The bodywear and activewear market is still hot for cotton and Lycra, along with Supplex and Tactel nylon,” said John Adelman, vice president of circular knits at Lida Inc. Adelman said Lida is adding texture with more ribbed and brushed looks, and is also working on several fabrics with a dull-shine finish.
Guilford’s hot activewear offering is a sueded cotton and Lycra fabric, “which is adding something new to a business that generally has a lot of me-too looks to it,” said Cliff Caro, Guilford’s activewear manager.
“Texture is still the number one thing we are doing,” said Kathy Simses, vice president of design at Missbrenner Inc. Simses said activewear fabrics, which account for about 5 percent of Missbrenner’s business, could become as much as 10 to 15 percent in a few years. “If it’s activewear, most everything has some Lycra in it,” Simses added. “But nylons that are brushed to have a cotton feel are becoming more important. It’s a category that is generating a lot of excitement.”
In addition to its recycled offerings, Brookwood is also highlighting DuPont’s Cordura, a 160-denier nylon, which combines a soft hand with a rugged construction.
“We’re also doing a fabric called Retroflex, which has a matte metallic look,” Brookwood’s Brookman said.