First elastane-alternative garment comes to market
Sports brand Under Armour has announced a first garment to use elastane alternative Neolast.
It presented Neolast at the start of 2024, after working on its development with Dallas-based materials company Celanese Corporation. The partners described the fibre as offering powerful stretch properties along with durability, comfort and high levels of moisture wicking, but also recyclability.
It is produced using a proprietary, solvent-free, melt-extrusion process. This process offers what the companies have called “increased production precision”, allowing spinners to dial power-stretch levels up or down and engineer fibres to meet a broad array of fabric specifications.
The first Neolast garment to come to market is a new version of the Under Armour Vanish Pro T-shirt for athletic training and gym work.
Senior product director at Under Armour, John Hardy, said the T-shirt had a minimalist design to “allow the Neolast material to shine”. He said the durability of the material would increase the product’s lifespan.
“We are proud to have developed the first apparel with this innovation,” Mr Hardy said, “and are excited about bringing more performance garments that utilise the future of stretch to athletes everywhere.”
