sewing Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a sewing needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fab ...

, elastic is a

notion Notion or Notions may refer to: Software * Notion (music software), a music composition and performance program * Notion (productivity software), a note-taking and project-management program from Notion Labs Inc. * Notion (window manager), the s ...

which is sold in narrow strips and generally serves to increase the ability of garment to stretch, either to accommodate movement or to make the garment suitable for wearers of many different physical sizes. Elastic comes in four forms of construction, each with costs and benefits. The component which performs the actual stretching is made of either

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, an ...

or a synthetic material such as

spandex Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont's Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia, US. The g ...

; this stretching component is then covered with polyester,

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pe ...

, or a combination of these or other fibers which allow it to be attached to clothing. High-quality elastic is able to be stretched to twice its original length and then return to its unflexed state without showing appreciable wear.

Types

Elastics may be either braided, knitted, woven, or transparent.

Braided

Braided elastic, the most common form of elastic, becomes more narrow as it stretches. Stitching or piercing this kind of elastic causes it to quickly lose its ability to return to its original shape (a ball-point

sewing needle A sewing needle, used for hand-sewing, is a long slender tool with a pointed tip at one end and a hole (or ''eye'') to hold the sewing thread. The earliest needles were made of bone or wood; modern needles are manufactured from high carbon steel ...

will minimize this damage). It has distinct parallel ribs along its surface, and is used for hems, swimwear, and leg bands.

Knitted elastic

Knitted elastic is considered soft, lightweight, and quite strong. It does not narrow when stretched, and piercing it with a needle does not affect its ability to return to its original shape. It is considered practical for lightweight fabrics. Knitted elastic may be used to create "fold-over elastic", also called "FOE", which has a strip down its center made of weaker material. This strip allows the elastic to be folded in half along its length, making it useful for finishing the edges of garments.

Woven elastic

Woven elastic, also called non-roll elastic, is very strong, and is firmer, thicker, and more shrink-resistant than other forms of elastic. It is used for items such as upholstery and car covers. It has both crosswise and lengthwise ribs, making it resemble a window pane. It does not narrow when stretched nor is it affected by being pierced, and its structure keeps it from rolling or folding when under stress.

Transparent elastic

Transparent elastic is actually transparent

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) refers to a class of polymers composed of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane is produced from ...

and it is not braided, knitted, or woven. It can stretch to three or four times its original length with complete recovery to its former shape.

Content

Rubber is made of

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...

, and today some elastics are made without rubber, particularly those used in the medical fields. The most common elastics, however, are made from latex-based rubber and polyester fibers— these forms tend to hold up well to being worn and washed regularly. Elastics made with nylon tend to have a soft luster to them, and are used for lingerie and some swimwear. They do not tolerate high heat, and should not be exposed to high temperatures inside a dryer. Other elastics are made with cotton, which tends to shrink slightly after being worn and washed but is very versatile and is an all-natural alternative to man-made fibers.

References

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