Stretch Denim

If you’re looking to buy some new jeans this fall I want you to be armed with a little info about elastane!
Often on denim fabric content labels, you’ll see the terms spandex, elastane or Lycra which are all versions of stretch content. Spandex is a term that is not trademarked and it is in fact an anagram of “expands”!
Elastane is a European term referencing elastic or expanding fabric. Lycra is a registered trademarked term owned by DuPont. 
All of this stretch content allows the denim to fit and hug your curves with more ease. One would think that the more stretch fabric content the better the fit….but that is not always the case. 
The rule of thumb is-For every 1% of stretch the jeans will grow 5% in total. So a pair of jeans with 2% elastane will grow 10% overall!  Jeans with 4% elastane/spandex/Lycra will grow a whopping 20%. That’s a lot! 
You have to consider this when trying jeans on. Denim with 4% Lycra/Spandex/elastane should be crazy tight when you buy them. Within an hour they’ll fit perfectly. So when thinking about going up or down a size be sure to check the fabric content. 
To have your jeans shrink back down to size, wash them in cold water inside out and line dry. The water will shrink the fibers and the elastane will remember it’s original form and take on its previous shape. Once dry, your jeans are ready for perfectly molding to your body once more. 
So check out those labels. The more stretch content, the tighter the jeans should be in the fitting room. If they fit a little loose when trying them on, you’ll look like you’re wearing a diaper within an hour!  

You can do this!!
XOA