Stretch denim fabric was invented at the end of the 1970s and completely changed the game’s rules. It allowed for the creation of more flattering jeans that accentuated the body’s shape while providing unmatched comfort. Candiani pioneered stretch denim in the 1980s during its boom and now aims to reduce its environmental impact with innovative solutions.
What is stretch denim?
The original denim is made entirely from cotton. The heavy traditional denim fabrics are strong and long-lasting, but they can also feel stiff and rough on the skin. This led fashion designers like Peter Golding and Elio Fiorucci to realize in the late 1970s that there was a need for new options for their clients. Until then, all jeans were pretty much the same: five pockets, raw fabric, medium to high waist, and a straight fit.
The introduction of elastane, invented in the late 1050s, revolutionized jeans. It allowed for the production of stretch denim, resulting in more form-fitting, comfortable, and sexy jeans. Golding launched the first stretch jeans in 1978 in his store in Chelsea, London, which was frequented by famous trendsetters like Twiggy, Bianca Jagger, Rod Steward, and David Bowie.
Closer-fitting and more feminine styles, like the one launched by Golding, became popular wardrobe staples for women in the 1980s. US brands such as Jordache and Calvin Klein started offering designer stretch jeans with distinctive designs, typically on their back pockets, to identify brands and designers.
Stretch denim typically contains a blend of cotton and elastane, with the percentage of elastane determining the level of elasticity. Over the years, stretch denim has significantly grown in market share and now represents about 80% of the global denim market.
However, conventional stretch denim has environmental drawbacks due to the use of polluting materials. Elastic synthetic yarns, derived from fossil fuel-based materials, contain microplastics and are difficult to recycle. They take hundreds of years to decompose and release harmful materials into the environment throughout their life cycle.
A 2023 Textile Exchange report revealed that the production of virgin fossil fuel-based fibers increased from 63 to 67 million tonnes in 2022, indicating a growing overproduction issue in the fashion industry. Fast fashion contributes to this problem, promoting the purchase of more clothes at lower prices, but each item is worn less frequently than before. The United Nations reported that clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014, with over 70% of these garments containing synthetic materials.
The European Parliament noted a 40% increase in the amount of clothes purchased by European citizens since 1996. Annually, around 16 kg of textile waste per citizen is collected. Only 4.4 kg are separated for reuse or recycling, while the remaining 11.6 kg are incinerated or end up in landfills, releasing their toxic substances into the environment.
Advantages of stretch denim
The main benefit of stretch denim is the ability to create tighter, more flattering jeans that enhance the body’s shape while providing exceptional comfort. Stretch denim allows for high freedom of movement and feels soft against the skin. Additionally, stretch denim maintains its original shape after use and washing without deforming.
Stretch denim is flexible and versatile and comes in a wide range of styles that go beyond skinny or slim-fit jeans. It is perfect for any body type and can keep its sleek and polished look throughout the day, reducing the annoyance of baggy knees that can occur with traditional denim.
While these advantages are typical of all stretch denim fabrics, the level of elasticity depends on the percentage of stretch materials they contain. Super-stretch denim offers the highest level of elasticity, making it ideal for creating skinny-fit jeans that hug the body’s shape. Comfort-stretch denim has slightly less elasticity and is well-suited for creating wider-leg stretch jeans.
The significant environmental impact of traditional synthetic elastic yarn highlights the importance of investing in high-quality stretch denim as part of the buy less, buy better concept. High-quality stretch jeans are durable and can maintain their shape even after multiple wears. Synthetic fibers can break down more easily than cotton, causing denim to become overstretched. Additionally, they offer comfort and flexibility throughout the day and complement the wearer’s body type. These qualities support sustainable business practices that aim to extend the lifespan of clothing.
Candiani’s stretch denim products
Candiani’s stretch denim fabric gained fame in the 1980s for combining authentic aesthetics and elastic performance. These high-quality features made it the foundation of the emerging Los Angeles premium denim industry.
Before the birth and rise of premium denim, jeans were seen as a basic item in the US. However, premium denim brands changed this perception by offering a wide range of new styles, shapes, washes, and emotions to their customers, effectively elevating the image of jeans. In the words of Adriano Goldschmied, premium denim brands transformed jeans from a commodity into a symbol of luxury and style.
Today, premium denim must necessarily blend superior looks and performance with innovation and sustainability. That’s why we are dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of stretch denim.
This commitment led to the launch of the ReLast collection, made with stretch yarns obtained from pre-consumer recycled materials, and the ReSolve collection, a stretch denim fabric with a neutral impact at its end-of-life as it has no toxic substances. However, our patented COREVA™ technology represents the most significant milestone in this journey. It allows for the production of the first compostable and plastic-free stretch denim worldwide.
COREVA™ stretch denim offers unparalleled natural comfort. This innovative technology replaces conventional elastic yarns with a plant-based material that does not compromise the performance, elasticity, softness, and aesthetics that have always distinguished Candiani’s premium stretch denim fabrics.
COREVA™ denim is easier to recycle at the end of its life cycle compared to conventional stretch denim. Moreover, tests showed that the inevitable waste resulting from this process could be used as compost to grow plants, helping to close the loop in the fashion industry by returning garments to nature and cultivating new raw materials using regenerative farming methods.