Fabrics

FABRICS

1. What are "e;Wicking"e; and "e;Breathable"e; fabrics?
2. Knit-Wick™ Fabric
3. Cotton/Poly/Lycra Fabric
4. Polartec® Fabric

What are "e;Wicking"e; / "e;Breathable"e; Fabrics?
When clothing gets wet from perspiration it sticks to the skin and hinders the evaporation process. The evaporation process keeps our body temperature at its appropriate level to keep us cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In the summer months, keeping cool is pretty obvious, surprisingly, in the winter, the same process keeps us warm.

When we work or play outside in the cold our body temperature heats up, causing us to sweat. The sweat soaks into our clothing, causing it to stick to our skin and hindering the evaporation process. The wet fabric lies on our skin, keeping us cold even while we continue to work or play hard. Add rain or snow to this mix and we get some real problems trying to keep warm and dry!!

Cottons, nylons and polyesters have always been notorious for hindering our evaporation process. While wool has been known to be warm when wet, it weighs a TON when in this state. But, thanks to modern technology, we have learned how to battle the elements in a comfortable and fashionable way by turning fabric breathability into an art.

The new fabrics have one basic character, Breathability! They have special weaves that give them the ability to let our cooling process happen by "e;wicking"e; the sweat away from our skin. There are lots of different ways that the manufacturers have applied this weave to the clothing industry. Supplex nylon has a special weave that lets the steam out while keeping the wind and even the rain out. Gortex and Ultrex products have developed a special coating to put on fabrics to make them virtually waterproof while still being breathable. Polar products have developed a lofty fabric to make the clothing warm (remember air trapped in the weave makes little heat pockets) and breathable. The hundreds of variations on all of these styles have make the world of outdoor clothing fun and exciting!!

Always keep in mind that the idea behind clothing is to be comfortable while we are working or playing. These new products not only feel good but look great too!!

Knit-Wick™ Fabric
DesignWraps is taking a new direction this year by offering a new base fabric we call Knit-Wick™. This is a light weight, high performance active fabric with mechanical stretch that wicks away moisture from your body making it ideal for running, dancing, exercise and active clothing, and also perfect for motorcycle apparel! This naturally wicking XMC Polyester is the dream fabric you've been searching for.

Cotton/Poly/Lycra Fabric
DesignWraps™ Cotton/Poly/Lycra is a blend of cotton, polyester and Lycra. This fabric gets softer with every washing. The luxurious feel combined with the breathability of cotton creates a versatile fabric that is comfortable and functional. The lycra adds stretch, while the polyester helps to control the shrinkage and adds some wicking capabilities. 55% Cotton, 35% Poly, 10% Lycra.

Polartec® Fabric
Don't be fooled -- not all polar fleece is the same. If you're looking for a soft, colorful polar fleece to make that great pullover pattern for yourself or a cute coat for your kindergartener. As you shop around you'll find a HUGE DIFFERENCE in price from one store to another, and yet the difference in fleece is not that obvious!

Well here's the scoop.

Polar Fleece is categorized as a performance fabric. Performance fabrics are meant to do more than look good. Performance fabrics can be waterproof, warm, light-weight when wet or dry, easy-care, fast-drying, breathable/moisture-wicking, wind-proof, sun, salt, and chlorine resistant, or a combination of these high-tech qualities.

Malden Mills first developed Polar Fleece, now called PolartecTM, in the 1970's. It has the advantages of wool (warmth even when wet and breathability/wicking) without the disadvantages (weight, bulk, care/cleaning and comfort). Many Polartec products are waterproof and/or wind resistant. Malden's Polartec is a high performance fabric that you can count on.

There are many look-a-likes on the market. A Polartec knockoff may not do what you want. When you purchase your fleece, ask who manufacturers it, and what it can do. Malden's performance fabrics are guaranteed pill-proof, warm, light-weight, easy-care, breathable / wicking and have great color-retention.

Polartec's® 100-series fleece is incredibly comfortable, and is designed to be worn next to the skin. Perfect for active athletes, Polartec® Microfleece provides incredible warmth for the fabric's weight and is constructed from rugged, non-pilling fibers. Offering the ultimate in perspiration management, this wicking fabric also boasts an anti-microbial finish to resist odor-causing bacteria.

Polartec's® Power Dry® uses two weights of polyester yarns in a knit fabric that moves moisture away from the skin at least 30% faster than comparable, high-performance fabrics. This ideal base layer uses a brushed yarn next to the skin, which moves moisture through the fabric to the exterior of the garment. The denser, exterior yarns have a high surface volume to effectively disperse the moisture and protect the wearer against harmful UV rays.

Polartec® Power Stretch® fabrics feature body-hugging 4-way stretch and are very breathable. They keep you dry when you sweat and provide warmth without weight. These are the most versatile outdoor and fitness apparel fabrics available today. Many of the fabrics feature a proprietary construction with two unique surfaces: the durable nylon outer layer is wind- and abrasion-resistant; the soft inner layer pulls moisture away from your skin keeping you dry, warm and comfortable. Other fabrics in the series feature compression stretch which can improve performance and reduces the chance of certain types of stop-go injuries. All the fabrics excel at handling the demands of the next-to-skin environment.

A perfect insulating fabric, Polartec® Thermal Pro® fleece provides great warmth with minimal weight for superior layering between a base layer and shell. Thermal Pro also offers great moisture-wicking, unbeatable breathability and rugged durability. After the ride, Thermal Pro garments are machine washable and fast-drying to get you back in the saddle quickly.

Polartec® Wind Pro® has all the benefits of traditional fleece ™ excellent moisture-wicking ability, light weight, great breathability, and warmth ™ but with four-times the wind-resistance of standard fleece. A durable, machine-washable fabric, Windpro is also quieter than laminated windproof fleece, and water-repellent to shed rain and snow.