A Short History Of Spandex: Essential In Modern Fashion


by Susan Francis - Date: 2007-07-12 - Word Count: 343 Share This!

It's not a secret that, these days, spandex fiber has had a remarkable effect on the clothing we all wear. A blessing to our mothers and grandmothers, spandex was first introduced in ladies' underwear as a replacement for rubber. But today, spandex, also known as elastane in Europe and other parts of the world, is one of the leading materials used in both men's and women's under-, inner-, outer-, and active wear.

The scientist Joseph C. Shivers already invented spandex fiber in 1959 after a decade of research. Called a bizarre polyurethane, spandex is a long-chain synthetic polymeric fiber. Soft and rubbery segments of polyester makes it possible for the fiber to stretch up to 600% and then recover to its original shape.

Ladies' underwear are considered the foundation of the spandex business. Spandex started a boom in the 1960s, when it was mainly used in women's lingerie. However, the fiber soon ended up in men's and women's figure-flattering swimwear and was shortly after introduced in professional sports as the French Olympic ski team used spandex in the clothing.

In the 1970s, cyclists replaced their old shorts for "aerodynamic" spandex shorts, and the versatile fiber began to find its way into dancewear and street fashion. By the 1980s spandex had a leading role in hosiery, and the fiber enlarged its presence among champion and amateur athletes who used spandex to improve their performance if not their appearance.

Indeed, fashion has played a main role in the wider use of spandex. Trendy fashion brands set fashion trends with the use of spandex in leggings and other garments. Over the past decade spandex has found its way into all layers of society, from traditional men's suits to teen and children's wear to plus size swim suits.

As the fabric is able to stretch up without losing its original shape, it is therefore recommended to full figured women. A bathing suit made of spandex will still look good on you although you have used it several times. Therefore, always look for a spandex tag when purchasing a plus size swimsuit.

Related Tags: swimsuits, womens clothing, beachwear, plus size swimwear, beach outfit, beach clothing, womens swimsuits, womens bathing suits, full figured women

This article is written by Susan Francis. She works part time as a journalist. For more related articles on this subject written by her or the latest plus size swimwear fashion, you are invited to visit the website www.swimsuits-plus.com. This is an online information source for plus size swimsuits.

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