Why do so many clothes have spandex in them now? At least women's clothes do.

[raccoon]

It's mostly a matter of percentage.

Is it just the vogue?

[jollyreaper2112]

1. burp

Have you seen what we've been eating?

[Gin]

2. I for one, don't like it.....spandex changes the fit.... IMO

[hlthe2b]

25. I agree... especially mixed with cotton...

Cotton naturally stretches anyway, but could be brought back to shape after a warm water wash and light tumble dry on low. Now, pants and jeans made with cotton and spandex often, don't.

[PATXgirl]

3. Don't know about any other ladies but for me, it's all about fit and comfort.

I only buy jeans and slacks with spandex now so they look right in fit but are still comfortable to work in.

Edited to add: And it's not about weight or size.

[meti57b]

11. I agree!

[quinnox]

4. I don't even know what spandex is to be honest

I have heard of it, but don't think I have any clothes with it.

[Honeycombe8]

41. Almost all jeans these days have a bit of spandex.

Spandex is stretchy material.

If you look at the tags on your jeans, I bet they will have a small percentage of spandex (like 3%). If your jeans have a little give when you sit and bend, and then tend to retain their shape afterwards, they have a bit of spandex.

I have Levi's mainly. They all have a bit of spandex. Even a lot of dress/work pants for women have a bit of spandex these days.

[Quantess]

5. The Koch brothers own spandex.

Or is it lycra?

[RepublicansRZombies]

21. Lycra is spandex and yes the Koch brothers are putting it in everything

Also check your food for cellulose.

For instance- added to parmesan to 'prevent caking'

Koch Wood pulp is being used for filler in everything.

[Quantess]

28. Well to be fair, diarrhea caused by cellulose breaks up the day a bit.

Loose stools gives you a few more breaks in the routine. Adds a little excitement.

[katmondoo]

6. I don't like it and worse last summer it was not

printed on the T-shirts I bought. They ended up all being too tight and uncomfortable. I like 100% cotton and nothing else. Wasted $40 to $50

[Lindsay]

7. It certainly is the vogue, but

I think there's a profit motive behind pretty much every fashion. (May be just me and my paranoia, of course.) I think it allows manufacturers to be less fussy about fit, and so they can sell to more people.

I admit I like spandex in some things; it makes for comfortable jeans, but I'd rather have an all-cotton t-shirt because I have insanely sensitive skin.

As a side note, I think I remember reading that Lycra spandex is part of the Koch Bros. empire. Make of that what you will.

[trumad]

8. I have no problem with it.

[MADem]

16. My, what racy looking....pantaloons? What are those things called?

Showing my years, here...

The cut-out flower is a real attention-getter...!

[Cleita]

29. Gym pants.

Apparently, her work outs make her look like that. I have seen those things on rather fat ladies at the gym and the effect is different. Hopefully, in the future, the work outs will bring them closer to looking like that hot young lady in the picture.

[MADem]

38. "Gym pants" have certainly changed down the years!!! nt

[Cleita]

39. They have. They aren't the same old baggy sweats anymore. n/t

[RepublicansRZombies]

20. notice how thin the fabric is on brand new shirts now?

I'm sure it is all about fashion though, has nothing to do with trying to save a buck...

[HiPointDem]

32. one of my pet peeves. why even buy a t like that, which you know is going to fall apart in a few

wash cycles.

i notice men's t-shirts are still normal though.

[Auggie]

34. Leave it to trumad to illustrate the point

[Marr]

9. Because of widespread obesity?

Last edited Mon Nov 12, 2012, 03:26 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't know-- I imagine it's stretchier and less restrictive.

[HappyMe]

12. Sadly, I think that's it.

[NickB79]

15. Unfortunately, that was my first thought as well. nt

[Arugula Latte]

18. My guess, too.

Off topic ... Johnny Marr, is that you? If so, I love your playing!

[Marr]

19. HAHA

It is not, but I'm a huge fan.

[Arugula Latte]

23. He is a god among guitarists.

[liberal_at_heart]

33. yes some of us are bigger

I'm not ashamed to say it.

[Major Nikon]

43. Lots of athletic wear is made out of spandex

Spandex is popular because it makes tight fitting clothes not feel that way.

I'm certainly not obese, but I love my spandex biking gear. I'd wear spandex every day if I thought I could get away with it, but it's hard to find a decent business suit made out of the stuff.

[RepublicansRZombies]

10. Brand names for spandex include Lycra - made by Koch subsidiary Invista

Have you noticed the 'cellulose' filler in all our food now too.....Koch wood pulp....

[sinkingfeeling]

13. I hate it. Even tees have spandex or some stretchy stuff. I don't like clothes

skin tight on me.

[librechik]

14. I love it. Makes clothes more comfy and active.

We aren't all stick-thin models, you know....

[kestrel91316]

17. So they can make everything close fitting so men can ogle better.

I HATE spandex. Everything it's in is too hot for most the year here. I have some sleeveless shirts with spandex and I wear them in summer but they can be uncomfortable.

[Luminous Animal]

22. I like 3% spandex blended into some clothing..

Especially women's professional shirts that are fitted. With spandex added, the seams don't pull and the shirts last longer.

[Zorra]

24. Well, the truth is, I like the way stretch jeans make my ass and legs look.

And I'm a bit below average weight for my height, so it has absolutely nothing to do with obesity in my case.

[RebelOne]

26. All my jeans are stretch.

I love the Pajama Jeans. I don't have to lie on my back on the bed to zip them up after washing. I just pull them up and wriggle into them and they stretch out to fit immediately.

[dixiegrrrrl]

27. I have seen them for sale..in size 4X!

I know enough about them to know they fit tight, right?

tight fit + 4x size?????

[Cleita]

30. It does shape pants to your proportions making the fit look

better without having the expense of getting alterations. Otherwise I don't care for it for other garments.

[liberal_at_heart]

31. I wear stretchy jeans from Lane Bryant

First of all being bigger the stretchy pants are the only pants I have found that look good on me. I use to wear these god awful pants and my husband absolutely hated them. He likes how I look in these jeans. Secondly, my weight fluxuates. Sometimes I'm a size 14 and sometimes I'm a size 16. So having stretchy jeans really helps.

[ljm2002]

35. It makes the material stretchy...

...and I find it to be helpful, especially in jeans and fitted blouses. Not that I wear fitted blouses! But as for jeans, I think it's a great improvement, it means you can buy them a little snug and they are still very comfortable. Just MHO.

[TwilightGardener]

36. Wish I could find jeans without spandex. Every single pair I try on

in every single store is "stretch" jeans.

[politicat]

37. Wrinkle resistance, recovery, wearing ease.

I sew, so this is something I keep an eye on. 2-5% spandex content will keep most fabrics from wrinkling badly (though HE washers and lower power drying stalemates this), thus making ironing less necessary. (the clothesline is best for fewest wrinkles, but not everyone has space or climate for clotheslines.)

When fabrics are worn, body heat and motion will stretch certain areas (especially knees, elbows, hips and shoulders). Cotton and linen will retain that stretch after wear and get pulled out of shape after a while; wool will bag. Lycra allows for better recovery so that clothes hold their shape better. Also, a Lycra blend fabric overlocks (serges) better than a non-stretch woven. That means seams can be serged instead of requiring a more difficult seam finish.

And wearing ease is the amount of extra room beyond measurements needed to physically wear clothing. For a well tailored fit in a non-stretch woven, one either has to sew for oneself or get everything altered. Also, especially in women's clothing, everything is still cut on a standard slopes that uses a B cup. The mean cup size in both the US and Europe is a C cup. ( this is changing, but it's a legacy issue due to cutting and patterning technology.) Stretch woven fabric lends ease without excessive darting or other odd alterations.

The big issue is that as a culture we have decided that clothing should be cheap. As long as we will only pay $10-20 for a tee and $20-40 for jeans, will continue to have to alter how we mass produce clothing. I sew fast, but a tee for me that fits costs about $10 in fabric and about 2 hours in labor (this being after I have perfected my fit and know exactly how to build it.) That's $30 at $10 an hour, and doesn't factor in sales, transit, energy. Anything more complex than a tee? The price goes up.

And for those saying that clothes don't fit the way they used to? 1) don't look at the sizes because they are almost useless at this point through size drift. Use a tape measure and know your honest measurements. 2) try it before you buy it and get a different size if it binds or pools at the small of the back. If you don't like the fit, don't spend the money, because it will never get better.

[Fire Walk With Me]

40. It is the revenge of the 1980s.

Playing now: Spandex Ballet, "True".

[BlueMan Votes]

42. ever-expanding waistlines...?

and thighlines...and armlines...and necklines...

[screenamus]

44. Because the Koch Brothers make Spandex, silly

Spandex is a product made by Dow & the Koch brothers.

Nothing more maddening than trying to find a quality pair of women's jeans made of good ol' shrink to fit, classy breathable cotton.

Make your voice heard!
Let the stores where you used to shop know that you don't buy their cheap, saggy, disgusting excuses for blue jeans.