Quality Fabric Of The Month: Tactel® Fuses Fashion And Performance

The 2000 International Hosiery Exposition (IHE), held in Charlotte, N.C., was the venue for the introduction of new products made using Tactel®, DuPont’s family of innovative specialty, fine denier per filament nylon yarns. With Tactel, fashion and performance are fused in a variety of seamless applications including swimwear, activewear, lingerie and support garments, as well as the complete spectrum of legwear. Tactel and Lycra® are used in combination to offer softness, luster, texture and visual interest as well as comfort, fit and freedom of movement.


Seamless Concepts

Tactel and Lycra are leading players in the growing market for seamless fashions. “The current uses of seamless have only touched the surface of what is possible with this innovative technology, as more women look for innovative ready-to-wear fashions,” said Kathy Smith, intimate apparel marketing manager for DuPont Lycra. “It is our partnership with key industry leaders that has made this growth possible.”

In the category of seamless apparel, Tactel has developed a multifunctional concept collection which presents possibilities for a variety of garments from intimate apparel to bodywear to ready-to-wear. New silhouettes, patterns and textures are available using jacquards, tone-on-tone, color blocking, striated effects and combinations of sheer/opaque and bright/matte.

“We are seeing a growing awareness of fashion, style and embellishment in the seamless category,” said Ida Corraggio, intimate apparel marketing manager for DuPont Tactel. “The fluid designs of seamless garments help to redefine the silhouette, while trends such as romantic florals and control tops and bottoms softened with ornamentation offer the perfect combination of functionality and allure.”


New Fashions In Legwear

Some of Tactel’s new legwear products combine fashionable new textures and bold colors with softness, breathability and durability. Among these new products is Hue’s new fashion sock, Sport Shell, made of Tactel Aquator™, a double-sided fabric that keeps feet dry and comfortable by wicking moisture away from the skin.

Also new on the legwear scene is Nine West’s So Strong line of 20-denier sheer hosiery made of Tactel Duo™.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the solution in creating products that consumers are looking for,” said Sharon Cook, DuPont’s retail marketing manager for Legwear. “Our Tactel family of yarns can help our customer’s brands stand apart with our offerings of different lusters, shimmers and color vibrancy. We allow the consumer more fashionable options, helping turn hosiery into a contemporary accessory.”


Tactel Soft Black

Tactel Soft Black, the newest offering in DuPont’s line of Tactel products, is solution-dyed to give the black a softer appearance than is achieved in package-dyed yarns. When blended with other yarns, it can be overdyed to obtain a uniform, deep color. The integrity of the companion yarn is maintained, while Soft Black enhances the styling capabilities of the blend. Particularly well-suited for jacquards and other patterned effects in seamless apparel, Soft Black is available
with a variety of yarn effects including air-jet-textured marls, false-twist combinations, covered  and fancy yarns, organzines, metallic looks and soft-as-cotton natural looks.



For more information on DuPont’s new Tactel products, contact Eleanor Walsh, DuPont, (212)
255-1081.


August 2000

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