Almost every premium denim brand out there nowadays has produced a pair of jeans with a stretch denim fabric. This is simple an elastane fiber blended with the rest of the denim fabric, which is normally cotton, to creating a body-fitting stretch quality. This material was first produced in Europe in the 1970's by a man named Legler but at the time it wasn't something people wanted or were even interested in. A few years later, a man by the name of Peter Golding, who was known not only for his fashion design but for his rock and roll music as well, started looking into a Japanese stretch denim that was originally 96% cotton and 4% spandex. This material eventually produced the world's first stretch jean in 1978 that was launched out of Golding's ACE store in the UK. After that the UK saw a huge growth of stretch denim in the 1980's which expanded world wide in no time.
The History of Spandex
The synthetic fiber, spandex or elastane, is known for its exceptional elasticity. Although it is less durable than natural latex, which is its major non-synthetic competitor, it is fairly strong. In 1959, DuPont chemists Sandquist and Shivers developed this copolymer in a labratory in Virginia that revolutionized many areas of the clothing and fashion industries once it was introduced. The name "spandex" is an anagram of the word "expands" and is commonly used in North America, while in many European countries is referred to as "elastane" and is known as Lycra in Britain.
How Much Stretch Do You Want?
The whole concept of stretch denim has derived from aging 100% cotton jeans. A well made 100% cotton premium denim jean will form to your body and be just as comfortable after years of wash and wear. Yes, stretch denim has been developed in order to get this fit once you make the purchase but they don't have the life span of a 100% cotton premium denim jean. Some jeans for women can include up to 4% stretch for that extreme form fitting style while jeans for men usually include 1-2% stretch. It is common among premium denim brands to have a 2% stretch in their women's jeans and a 0-2% stretch for their men's jeans.