Why Nylon Spandex Is Ideal for Leotards and Other Clothing Items

What is a leotard? It’s a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment. It covers the torso but leaves the legs exposed. You’re likely to see dancers wearing leotards, as well as acrobats, gymnasts, figure skaters, circus performers, and, on occasion, actors and/or athletes, too. If a leotard covers the legs, then it’s called a unitard. As for above the waist, leotards can be sleeveless, short-sleeved or long-sleeved.

The leotard first became popular thanks to Jules Leotard, a French acrobatic performer who wore the garment back in the mid-1800s.

Today’s leotards are typically made of stretchable nylon spandex. Did you know that spandex is a modern day synthetic (man-made) fiber? Known for exceptional elasticity, it’s popular for many other reasons: it’s lightweight, supple, comfy, flatters the figure, and it even dyes easily. Thanks to a scientist at DuPont in the late 1950s, spandex developed to the point where it could suitably be used for garments when blended with another fabric, like cotton, linen or nylon.

In the early 1960s DuPont put out its brand of spandex, called Lycra, in the form of women’s pantyhose and underwear. Later on, spandex expanded to uniforms, swimwear, and athletic apparel. If you were alive in the 1980s, you probably remember seeing women wearing leggings made from spandex (and cotton) as they did their aerobics classes.

The combination of spandex and nylon works so well for making leotards. Nylon is made of polyamide, a molecule that allows for rigid flexibility. Spandex is made of a polyether-polyurea copolymer which is also flexible-- able to curl on itself at rest but also be pulled straight without breaking. When spandex and nylon combine, together they make for fabric that can stretch but also holds its shape in a rigid enough way to look good and function well for people and their movements.

From white to black, with many bold colors in between, like pink, red and blue, Fabrictopia offers a nice variety of nylon spandex for sale. You can see what nylon spandex choices are available here.

If you were thinking of making your own leotards, you should buy nylon spandex from Fabrictopia, which is located at 2950 Fondren Road in Houston, Texas. You’re also welcome to call 713-977-0747 or email info@fabrictopia.net with any questions you might have.