Performance Apparel Markets - Grado Zero Espace Srl
Performance Apparel Markets - Grado Zero Espace Srl
Performance Apparel Markets - Grado Zero Espace Srl
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<strong>Performance</strong> <strong>Apparel</strong> <strong>Markets</strong>, 1st quarter 2006<br />
Seamless knitting and stitch-free technologies<br />
Shima Seiki was involved<br />
in setting up Knit Factory<br />
Boutique in Japan,<br />
offering “an original<br />
sweater just for you”<br />
Stitch-free processes are<br />
more expensive but costs<br />
will come down<br />
Seamless knitting is also<br />
suitable for smart fabrics<br />
and wearable technology<br />
In the NuMetrex heart<br />
monitoring bra, it offers a<br />
tighter fit and thus allows<br />
sensors to be in close<br />
contact with the body<br />
Japan-based Shima Seiki, which makes knitting machines, tested this<br />
concept in Japan when it was involved in setting up Knit Factory<br />
Boutique—a production factory and retail shop combined in one<br />
facility. The shops offer “an original sweater just for you”. The sweaters<br />
are priced from ¥15,000 to ¥30,000 (US$128-US$256). Shima Seiki<br />
considers this project to be one of the most promising forms of retail<br />
fashion, alongside Internet shopping.<br />
Stitch-free processes are currently more expensive than traditional cut<br />
and sew. However, developments in equipment will bring machinery<br />
costs down and make the products more competitively priced.<br />
Seamless knitting also has a role to play in smart fabrics and wearable<br />
technology. It has already been used for integrating electronics into<br />
fabrics with the purpose of monitoring the body.<br />
For example, the NuMetrex heart monitoring bra from Textronics is a<br />
seamless garment. Seamless knitted garments are particularly suitable<br />
for this purpose because sensors incorporated into the garment need to<br />
be in close contact with the body. Seamless knitting enables garments<br />
to be made with greater compression in places where a tighter fit is<br />
needed.<br />
Figure 3<br />
NuMetrex seamless heart<br />
monitoring bra<br />
Source: Textronics<br />
Protective wear and<br />
medical garments can also<br />
be served by seamless<br />
technology<br />
And the special support<br />
hose needs variable<br />
compression to be precisely<br />
fitted to the body<br />
Protective wear and medical garments represent further sectors which<br />
can be served by seamless technology. Removing seams offers<br />
opportunities to provide greater protection—because the seam of a<br />
garment is often the first component to fail. Research into protective<br />
wear and medical garments made with seamless technology is currently<br />
receiving attention.<br />
Also under focus is special support hose, which needs to be precisely<br />
fitted to the body. By incorporating variable rates of compression in the<br />
garment, the hose can be made tighter in areas where more support is<br />
required.<br />
36 © Textiles Intelligence Limited
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