SECOND SKIN
Fall/Winter Edition 2020/2021
S e c o n d S k i n isn’t just athletic wear but rather it is athletic wear with a new purpose. This purpose is the introduction of smart fabrics that act as a second skin to your body. Some smart fabrics include Body Mapping Geo-Knits and Seismic Powered Clothing. Smart textiles can help improve our movements and performance in life. These new materials materials can be used to respond to muscle motion or regulate the temperature of our body. Smart fabrics enhance overall functionality of apparel in many ways. It can communicate, transform, and grow for our bodies. These enhanced textiles are outlandish and functional take on what clothes can truly be.
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WORK OUT LIKE A WARRIOR 3
Inspire Others to Stay Active Smart fabric is a little different than what one might think. The movie Back to the Future set up smart fabric to be self-adjusting and self-drying jackets and gym shoes. While what we have today is not exactly what the movie portrayed, there are some dilled down versions of those technologies. Smart fabrics in athletic wear focus on getting you the best workout and recovery you and your muscles need to stay healthy. However, different athletic or even daily activities requires different uses of your muscles. Running mainly focuses on using your thighs, hamstrings, and calves, while lifting or high intensity workouts rely mostly on your core. Second Skin focuses more on the body mapping geo-knit fabrics. Body mapping can be defined as having determined where the body need the most air circulation and wicking, and having strategically placed technical fabrics in these areas to get the best workout results. Body mapping technologies also use a different kind of construction called Cut-and-Sew garment construction. This technique allows designers to choose where they place specific panels and layers to create higher zones of compression and to also show the natural contours of the body. This newer way of developing active wear has already started to appear in brands like Lulu Lemon, Fabletics, Nike, and Arena and they create something different and useful for every women.
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"Strive for progress, not perfection" Lululemon creates new and
innovative athletic wear that focuses on the small details that make your life easier and to be able to focus on your workout. They have worked with many different professional and student designers to get the best research and quality for their body mapping fabric technologies. Some of their most prominent fabric developments have been their Ever Cool Everflux, Tight Sensation, and Held in Sensation. The Ever Cool Everflux adapts hotter climates, faster movements and dripping sweat. They used a fabric mix knit and Lycra that is efficient at wicking away sweat and drying fast. It is also cool to the touch and touch sensitive. It keeps you cool by pulling in the sweat and heat away from your skin and disperses it throughout the fabric so that it evaporates. Tight Sensation and Held in Sensation are both use zonal compression but have different uses for different activities. Tight Sensation gives and ultimate feeling of support and gets your muscles ready for any workout. Tight Sensation also has the use of
Lululemon's most flexible fabrics to give the customer maximus muscle awareness. Held in Sensation, on the other hand, uses zonal compression for the abs, hips, butt, and thighs. The seamless construction used allows for that cut-and-sew technique to be used in the most efficient way.
We wanted to ask Antonio Imortino, Director fo Future Concepts a couple question on the brands emerging smart technologies.
Q: When, in your opinion, would be the best
time to wear these new kinds of smart fabrics? A: "I would pick these product on days when I want to feel really powerful because it gives me more awareness of my muscles." Q: What made you come up with the idea of the Everflux fabric? A: “We pictured our customer with the unique environment that an intense workout presents. It contains lots of bodies, not much air movement and lots of sweat.” Q: What do you think is one of the biggest benefits of using this technology? A: "We make it about the environment that you’re in and enjoying that space and enabling you to be comfortable in that space."
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compression apparel SILICONE TAPING ON SHOULDERS MUSCLES FOR ADDED COMPRESSION AND STABILITY OF INJURY-PRONE AREAS
ZERO STITCHING AND ULTRA-FLAT LIGHTWEIGHT FABRICS WICKING SYSTEM THAT KEEPS YOU COOL AND DRY
UPF FACTOR OF 50+ PROTECTS AGAINST HARMFUL UV RAYS
Arena, a wellknown swim wear company, has created a full body suit for athletes that incorporates various types of smart textiles. It is made out of a carbon fiber technology with silicone taping. The taping and tightness also accelerate the supply of oxygenated blood to the muscles that need it the most in order to flush out the toxins from the bloodstream. The technology allows your body to recover from you work out faster and also helps to prevent injuries.
STRATEGICALLY-PLACED LASER-CUT HOLES FOR MAXIMUM VENTILATION CARBON FABRIC FOR INTELLIGENT COMPRESSION AND THERAPEUTIC BLOOD CIRCULATION
SILICONE TAPING ON CALF MUSCLES FOR ADDED COMPRESSION AND STABILITY OF INJURY-PRONE AREAS
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The right tights
"live your passion" -Kate Hudson Co-founder of Fabletics
Fabletics is a women’s athletic brand that lives by the mantra, “Live Your Passion”. They create clothes and utilitze smart textiles to ensure that women are inspired to stay active and to live a healthy lifestyle. The three main uses of their smart textiles are used in their Powerhold, Ultra Cool, and Sculp Knit pieces. All of these different types of leggings are made out of a seamless structure made from ultra-soft yarns. The Powerhold legging is mainly used for maximum compression for your muscles and to keep everything held together and tight. This moisture wicking fabric is also keeps your skin safe with its UPF 50+ sun protection. The Ultra Cool legging is sleek and aerodynamic which keeps the fabric cool to the touch. While it smooths and supports the body, the legging also has a satin finish that is what help keeps the fabric cool all day. The Sculpt Knit legging contours and sculpts the body in all of the right places. This leggings especially uses the body mapping technology to flatter your body shape and to help with the strategically placed ventilation.
“Tights are a huge part of any athlete's uniform and we analyzed every design and fit detail to ensure key parts of the body are compressed for the right sport.” -Helen Boucher VP of Women's Training Helen Boucher, VP of Women’s Training for Nike wanted to create a pair of leggings that would help achieve the best workout every time they are worn. These zonal tights target key muscle groups and help reduce muscle vibration. The flyvent waistband provides breathability and flexibility while the high rise waist provides core awareness. When explaining the concept of the leggings, Boucher stated, “Efficiency is always a key factor for our athletes — they want to get the most out of every workout,”. Comfort and mobility are key factors when wanting to have a distraction free workout.
At Fabletics, we create clothing that inspires you to stay active, whether that means competing in an iron(wo) man competition, sweating in the studio, or chasing after your kids.
-Kate Hudson Co-founder of Fabletics
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workout anytime, anywhere
Editor
Shayna Salzman
Professor
Andrew Fionda
Class
FASH 419
Sources
https://www.fabletics.com/about#our-story https://shop.lululemon.com/designs/_/N-1z13xjmZ1z140xk https://www.fabletics.com/fabric-guide https://news.nike.com/news/the-right-tights https://shop.lululemon.com/designs/_/N-1z13xiqZ1z140xk?mnid=ftr;en-US;designs;construction https://www.fabletics.com/outfits
Brands Used for Research
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Second Skin Fall/Winter 2020/2021 Edition Shayna Salzman I FASH 419