Page 79 - TEXtalks. August- September 2023

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Long-lasting activewear and athleisure

apparel that helps reduce fiber damage

LYCRA® ADAPTIV BLACK fiber is for long-lasting
activewear and athleisure apparel that helps reduce
fiber damage caused by UV rays, sunscreen, and
anti-chafing creams that can negatively impact a
garment’s fit, functionality, and lifespan. This
technology also provides durable, spun-in true black
color that resists fading and minimizes fiber
grin-through and glitter. Garment makers and brands
can create size-inclusive garments that deliver a
second-skin fit and enhanced comfort with this
versatile fiber.
for online sales. Costs are significantly reduced by
It satisfies the consumer’s need for better-fitting undercutting patterns. The ADAPTIVE BLACK fiber
clothes and an improved wearing experience to drive generates excitement and new business with
sell-through along with increasing consumer innovative technology designed to meet consumer
satisfaction and repeat purchases to build brand loyalty. needs. By driving down the value chain it delivers a
unique wearing experience, with standard textile
With greater shape tolerance within size range to equipment and production methods to create fabrics
improve fit, it potentially reduces returns, especially that deliver in-demand performance benefits.

Digital fibre can collect, store and analyze data

The first fibre that is able to digitally sense, store, and encoded and processed in 0s and 1s.
then analyze activity after being sewn into a shirt has
been developed at the Research Laboratory of The new fibre was created by placing hundreds of
Electronics at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of square silicon microscale digital chips into a preform
Technology). that was then used to create a polymer fibre. By
precisely controlling the polymer flow, the
Yoel Fink, head of the lab, says digital fibers expand researchers were able to create a fibre with a
continuous electrical connection between the chips
the possibilities for fabrics to uncover the context of
over a length of tens of metres.
hidden patterns in the human body that could be
used for physical performance monitoring, medical
A digital fibre can also store a lot of information in
inference, and early disease detection.
memory. The researchers were able to write, store,
and read the information on the fibre, including a
Until now, electronic fibers have been analog – 767-kilobit full-color short movie file and a
carrying a continuous electrical signal – rather than 0.48-megabyte music file. The files can be stored for
digital, where discrete bits of information can be two months without power.

August/September 2023