STRETCH DENIM

Stretch Denim- Denim fabric made with a percentage of elastan fiber in the weft, giving it a body fitting stretch quality.  The first mill to produce this special denim in Europe was Legler, in the late 70s. though initially without great success.  One of the earliest stretch jean lines was produced in Hong Kong by Peter Golding, using Japanese stretch denim.  In 1980 Levi’s launched in the UK the first complete womenswear program of stretch jeans with the help of Lauffemuhle’s Elasttenim.  This initiative met with very good response in Great Britain and other brands soon followed suit.  Marks and Spencer (UK) was the next to bring stretch to the consumer, this time using a Legler range.  And the following years in Europe saw a boom in the stretch phenomenon, notable with France’s Buffalo and, around 1983/84, Germany’s Mustang.

Lycra- A trademark of the multinational fiber company Du Pont de Nemours, introduced in the early 60s.  An elastan fiber originally launched for the swimwear and lingerie market, it came to be used in jersey, sportswear and jeanswear fabrics.  Erroneously synonymous with stretch.