Yamini Jhanji

By Yamini Jhanji

Sportswear constitutes an integral part of technical textiles and encases great potential as far as technological and design innovations are concerned. The sports textiles have witnessed tremendous evolution and that too at a much faster pace compared to ready to wear segment. The sports clothing is no longer restricted to sportsperson involved in performance sports or strenuous physical activities. However, there has been a surge for sports apparels and accessories among health conscious, fitness freak and gym enthusiasts. Accordingly, the sportswear industry has witnessed revolutionary advancements in development of different sportswear categories like active wear, leisurewear and athleisure to fulfill the requirements of sportsperson as well as health conscious millennials. The basic and functional requirements of comfort, breathability, light weight, anti-static and anti-odor properties can be engineered into sportswear by optimum selection of fibers, yarns, fabrics and garments’ designing aspects. The chapter will provide an insight on the classification, requirements, design aspects, raw material procurement, innovative and sustainable concepts employed in sportswear to enhance the functionality and comfort characteristics of sportswear. Furthermore, the role of technology and fashion in sportswear transformation is also covered in the last sections of the chapter.

Part of the book: Textiles for Functional Applications

By Yamini Jhanji Dhir

The increasing environmental concerns and depletion of petroleum resources have increased the importance of natural fibers and have stimulated researchers and industries to use sustainable fibers instead of conventional synthetic fibers. Besides exceptionally brilliant mechanical and physical properties are also attractive aspects of natural fibers enabling the utilization of natural fibers in myriad of textile and non-textile applications such as clothing, and reinforced composite products in various industries such as automotive, building, and furniture. Natural fiber composites are composite materials comprising of reinforcing fibers derived from renewable and carbon dioxide neutral resources such as wood or plants. NFCs find application in molded articles that demand moderate strength for acceptable performance for various indoor and outdoor applications. A rapid drift from oil-derived polymers and mineral-reinforced materials to sustainable alternatives has fostered automotive and packaging industries to start utilizing natural fiber composites in their designs. Accordingly, natural fiber composites are serving as energy efficient and sustainable alternatives replacing traditional materials such as metals, polymeric resins, and reinforcement fibers. A worldwide clamor for green products and thus upsurge in sustainable alternatives have been witnessed as a result of diminishing petroleum reserves worldwide, exorbitant prices of petroleum, and high disposal costs of petroleum-based composites along with inability of decomposition of some petroleum-based composites. Contrastingly, natural materials outshine the petroleum-based products in being renewable, inexpensive, biodegradable, and eco-friendly.

Part of the book: Natural Fiber