Search

2017-10-01

Davies, Nicola

In recent years, the enormous popularity of athleisure (active wear worn as day-to-day clothing) has energized an otherwise sluggish apparel industry. The global growth is expected to continue, with sales forecast to reach US$350 billion by 2020 (up from only US$197 billion in 2007). Among the...

2017-06-01

Davies, Nicola

Surgical sutures have been used for centuries to join two edges of a wound together to allow the body to heal faster. Originally, sutures were made from plant or animal materials such as silk, cotton, or catgut. Modern sutures are typically synthetic and made from polymer fibers. They can be...

2015-06-01

Pelc, Corrie

Everyone knows that textiles can protect. Bullet proof fabric in vests and other garments can help save the lives of law enforcement officers, while fire resistant textiles are used in the gear worn by firefighters who run into burning buildings. However, what if textiles could not only protect,...

2015-02-01

Musante, Glenna B.

It still may not have a leading role, but if there is any doubt that sustainability has moved from bit player to supporting actor in the performance wear industry, consider these numbers. In 2010, Unifi—a global manufacturer of fibers, including a line made from recycled plastic bottles—opened...

2018-06-01

Wojciechowska, Iza

It’s a dangerous world out there—but there are also new technologies being used to create increasingly strong and resistant textiles that protect users from those hazards. Firefighters, soldiers, law enforcement officials, manual laborers, and power-tool users are finding garments more and more...

2015-02-01

Musante, Glenna B.

There was a time when shopping for a pair of hiking socks was a simple matter. For warm weather hiking, you would probably pick a thin athletic sock made from cotton or synthetic fibers. If it was winter, you would buy a thick pair of socks, probably wool, and hope they wouldn’t be...

2018-02-01

Davies, Nicola

What if your shirt could keep you warm when it is cold outside, and cool you down as soon as you enter a heated building? What if your trousers could look like a regular pair on an average day, but automatically transform into puffy outdoor gear when you go to a colder climate? What if all you...

2014-06-01

Aspland, John Richard

Born in Leeds, England, to parents in the elementary school teaching profession, it seemed quite natural that Aspland would follow teaching as his primary profession of choice, albeit at the university level. Fate decreed rather differently.

2017-06-01

Aspelund, Karl

This article is the second in a series of review articles focused on apparel and textiles for intravehicular activity (IVA) in space-based habitats and during longduration space flight (LDSF), such as a planned Mars mission. The focus of this article is on the ability of IVA textiles to protect...

2017-08-01

Aspelund, Karl

This article is the final of three in a series of review articles focused on apparel and textiles for intravehicular activity (IVA) in space-based habitats and during long-duration space flight (LDSF).