Icons
Icon of the month: Lycra
Sarah Dean
Next time you hear some smart Alice saying she
doesn't believe man landed on the moon, be sure to remind her about
smoke detectors and digital thermometers, cordless drills and water
filtration units that save lives in developing countries. That's an
awful lot of real technology and innovation developed as a result
of something just faked up on a back lot in Burbank by Stanley
Kubrick. Remind her that our lives today would be very different if
scientists in the 50s and 60s hadn't focused their efforts on the
ludicrous notion of getting human beings into orbit. She wouldn't
be bouncing around in her cushion soled trainers fastened with
Velcro or bouncing on her memory foam bed; indeed if it weren't for
the developments in textile innovation brought about by the space
race, several other things would be bouncing around too. When Neil
Armstrong first stood on the moon, he was making one giant leap for
mankind and one minimised wobble for the rest of us.
Lycra was developed in 1959 by C. L. Sandquist and Joseph
Shivers, two scientists working for the Du Pont Company in
Waynesboro, Virginia. 20 of the 21 layers of the space suits worn
by the Apollo crew were made by Du Pont, who had already developed
neoprene and nylon in the 1930s. Shivers and Sandquist spent a
decade developing polyurethane-polyurea copolymer, a new
hard-wearing, lightweight, stretchable fibre which Du Pont wisely
renamed Lycra. The filaments in this new fibre were found to be so
strong, they could be stretched to seven times their original
length before springing back into shape. Lycra could also be
blended easily with other fibres, making fabrics that were easy to
launder and longer lasting. These unique properties made Lycra an
essential for the wear and tear of early space flight, and a gift
to modern people who don't like ironing much.
By the late 60s most professional athletes and swimmers were
wearing Lycra. It was not only easy to move in, but also light
weight, breathable and quick drying. Textile scientists found that
its molecular structure allowed it to take up dyes very easily, so
by the time the keep fit boom of the late 70s and early 80s came
round, Lycra was available in a myriad of colours. (Thank goodness!
Diana Moran doing lunges on breakfast telly as 'The Off-White
Goddess' just wouldn't have been the same.)
Even today Lycra remains unparalleled as the most practical
fabric you could possibly wear for sport and exercise.
Unfortunately it is also unparalleled as the least flattering. By
stretching up to 700% it helpfully draws attention to every curve,
lump and protuberance.
Countless resolutions to go to the gym have faltered when people
have caught sight of themselves in their new Lycra kit and felt too
exposed to leave the changing room - making Lycra's European slogan
'Clothes that love you back' feel somewhat insincere. It seems
fitting (no pun intended) that Du Pont, who started out as
producers of gunpowder and explosives continue to instill terror
with their products.
Fortunately Lycra's stretchiness also means it provides the
solution for those who haven't been going to the gym. Men can
purchase a Lycra-heavy man girdle, or 'mirdle', to tame their beer
gut into a tidy six pack, whilst women
have a confusing range of 'shape wear' and 'control' garments to
choose from. These terrifyingly constricting items - essentially
tight tubes of Lycra - have stern warnings on their labels stating
'Do not wear for more than eight hours.' A Victorian woman fainting
after squeezing herself into a whalebone corset is not that
dissimilar to a modern woman losing all feeling in her extremities
after pouring herself into Spanx.
Lycra is a contradiction, aid to both the fit and the fat.
It's your best friend hiding your lumps and bumps and your worst
enemy making you feel exposed. As with all enemies, Christians are
advised to turn the other cheek - the great thing about wearing
Lycra is you have got the full four cheeks to choose from.