Fabric that has changed fashion

Lycra is a fibre that you can weave with anything like nylon. It increases the life of a garment, says Hector Choksi

IN 1959, when Lycra was introduced by Du Pont Company, it was a super stretching spandex fibre. Today the name has turned into a generic term for all stretch fabrics, whether silk or cotton. Contrary to what people think, lycra is not nylon. It is a fibre that you can knit or weave with anything like nylon or viscose. Lycra increases the life of the garment by 10 times. In some countries, it is mandatory for the manufacturers to use lycra in the neck area of the T-shirts as it doesn’t loose shape.

In India, Elyxa is the Indian brand name for lycra. Blouses in Elyxa can be tailored in the conventional way, but can be a size smaller so that they fit perfectly. Other fashion items like dress materials for salwar kameez and ethnic wear will give the garments a better fit. The very restrictive churidars (drainpipe pants) can now turn into a comfortable fashion item.

Lycra proved a great factor in designing saris also. Taking inspiration from both East and West, a new range of saris was created by Deepika Govind, using a number of different lycra-blend fabrics, including cotton, lame and silk.

The saris have six advantages over traditional garments, thanks to their use of ground-breaking sensitive fabric with lycra-fibre made by Eurojersey.

Greater comfort: The fabric now stretches in two directions, thanks to the innovative use of lycra-fibre.

Less material: Saris can be made with only 4.5 yards of fabric compared to the usual six yards.

Lighter weight: Thanks to sensitive fabric with lycra, saris are now half the weight and drape more easily.

Improved breathability: Ideal for warmer climates.

Quick drying: With easy care status, fabrics are easy to wash and dry quicker than traditional fabrics.

Enhanced colours: Sensitive fabric has a completely uniform surface, resulting in colour enhancement and high-definition yield for prints; it also provides endless creative possibilities for inserts and creative edgings.

Another reason for the popularity of lycra is among the upwardly mobile fitness freaks. Frequenting the gym is considered not only good for health, but also imperative for one to be part of the "in-crowd." It is also believed that in the case of athletics and sports, a form-fitting garment makes all the difference in the performance of an athlete. This is because with fitted garments the muscle temperature increases by as much as 2 to 3 per cent. This in turn will help a sportsperson to perform more efficiently. When muscles are compressed with fitted garments, their efficiency improves as the physical power and endurance of an athlete increases. Stretch fabrics negate the effects of heat and cold on the body, thereby helping the body to stay at peak performing level. Body-fitting tops and tights are being translated into seamless, long sheath dresses, especially for evening-outs and party wear. Fashion pundits used to describe this as the "armoured look", but now nobody comments on them.

For maternity dresses, the pre-natal range of westerns includes pairs of jeans and cotton capris supported by lycra waistbands that cover the belly. The high-waist capris and jeans have come with inner adjusters that have loops to tighten or loosen and take you through every month of pregnancy. Formal trousers in cotton-lycra fabric trade the regular zips and buttons for elastic stretches. Loose-fit T-shirts and formal shirts also come in cotton-lycra fabric. There are dungarees, too, that make you look adorable. Slip into a pair of denim dungarees and again, the lycra side panels will stretch through every progressive month.

When it comes to men’s wear, lycra is again superb. In his shirt collection known as of My Milky Soul — an all- white collection with strong texturing based on lycra — fashion designer Mohan Kocchar has combined lycra-fibre with cotton, polyester, nylon and organza in his collection. When it comes to trousers, the lycra content helps the trouser regain shape faster and adds comfort at stretch points, making it suitable for easy ironing and maintenance. Moisture management treatment enables moisture to spread on a larger surface area, thus evaporating faster. Due to this, the deep bonding of stains and dust is also restricted and, thus, stains can be removed faster.

Lycra has enabled fashion designer Anju Chotrani to come up with high-slit kurtas and draped dupattas worn over naughty little nothings. Significantly, her ghagra-choli ensembles were displayed on male models in a ramp show at Delhi recently. Then there are minimalists like Duresh Adhikari and Asha Jaykar, who are making the most of lycra in their latest collection of drawstring pants with organza-lined tie-up vests, apricot yellow bundis with shredded circular appliques and a three-piece white silk organza robe with sleeve detailing worn over an inner tank top.

In general, lycra lines are very basic with greater attention paid to detailing than in related fabrics like crinkle cotton, velvet, chiffon and organza. The silhouette, cut and style of garments are infinitely more sporty and vibrant than most conventional Indian designs. — MF