Nine trends tables at Performance Days
03/05/2012
In all, there will be nine tables in the trends area, set up according to categories. The first of these is waterproof and breathable for which there will be “numerous developments for 2014”, the Performance Days organisers have said, with a series of extra light fabrics weighing in at less than 100 grammes per square-metre.
In softshell and three-layer, visitors will find further examples of fabrics that have become lighter. Here, the lightest laminates use 15-denier yarns for the outer and 10-denier for the backing. The samples on display include sheer polyamides, new cottons and even bamboo piqués. Softshells display a great variety, featuring “extreme elasticity”, the organisers have said.
New fleece and brushed knit fabrics are well suited for sports activities. They too are light, but still have good volume and smooth, pearl, and soft outer surfaces. The warp knits are silky and smooth thanks to carbon or diamond brushing. The napped linings have tiny hairs or stamped or cropped 3-D waffle structures.
Shirt and bottomweights are lightweight, windproof and breathable and weigh in at under 30 grammes per square-metre while still being able to withstand a water column of up to 10,000 millimetres. There are some extremely light, elastic, down fabrics with yarn strengths of less than 20 denier.
Some knits for summer are soft, smooth, and silky, while others have been given structure. All grades deliver a rapid transport of perspiration away from the skin and antibacterial treatments like Polygiene have become common, the Performance Days team has said. Polyamide microfibres are used as well as polyester and both include blends of cotton or rayon and can be found with or without elastane. A hot new topic is summer wools, pure or in blends.
Soft compression with high elasticity and outstanding resilience is also an important active-topic. For circular knits, seamless-qualities are at play with zones of different processing methods.
A dry feel is achieved through special grades and processing of the yarns.
A variety of outer surfaces make the fancy table interesting, with rubberised, waxed, rainbow shimmer, and translucent with a milky coating all among the options. Rustic flannel has become a functional fabric with a transparent inner finish and tattered surfaces give bonded fleece qualities a used look, similar to that of woven fleece.
Workwear fabrics offer protection and can be either warming or cooling. They are robust and highly resistant to abrasion, are not too stiff and are fireproof and heat resistant, but still feel like cloth. There are extra robust jerseys, even some made from aramid yarns that still feel soft and supple to the touch.
Finally, on the eco table there are examples of recycled fabrics or recyclable materials as well as fabrics made from natural, renewable, and environmentally friendly fibres,including organic cotton, Tencel, and fibres with coconut, bamboo or coffee in the mix. A new topic for summer 2014 is recycled wool.
Share this story:
