what are all these spandexes ?

moleskin, milliskin, jumbo, regular, mesh, high performance ...

which ones can be used for swimwear ? does it matter ?

I really need a good fabric store nearby that carries all this stuff ... i hate guessing and trial by wallet

robb

Reply to
robb
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Did you search swimsuit or swimwear fabric. Here's a couple I found but I know there are others.

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Juno

Reply to
Juno B

You can scratch moleskin for swimsuits. The original moleskin is a chamois-like cotton fabric famed as a durable work-pants fabric for British road-menders. Most moleskin today is a similar suede-like material of polyester. The cotton stuff wears like iron; I have both pants and a vest of it. JPBill

Reply to
Bill Boyce

...

this

Hi Juno, Thanks. yes i did a search similar to your suggestion and i found lots of sites. most with very limited and passable "swimwear" selections but then i get to a site like the ones listed below (with swimwear/dance etc listed as a possible use) and you get all the variety/colors one might want but too many for this amateur sewer and amateur's eye.

i am left wondering what is the difference between these fabrics that they have such different categories ?

For example the following list of spandex with pages of spandex types and styles

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for the help.robb

Reply to
robb

...

this

is a

for

suede-like

both

Thanks Bill,

I do not know if this makes a difference but the moleskin listed at the link below is a nylon/spandex blend and you werre taling about cotton in your post. So, i do not know if the term "moleskin" implies cotton/spandex only and i am not trying to be a contrarian but this nylon version makes me wonder if it might be suitable for swimwear ?

Eg.

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again robb

Reply to
robb

I think that the nylon spandex combination is the one that is generally the fabric of choice for swimwear. I really think you should order samples to get the feel of the fabrics you're looking at. If you go to this link you may get a little more information. I've dealt with them and know if you call, they will probably answer your questions over the phone. They were very helpful when I called them. Juno

Reply to
Juno B

Mesh sounds a bit, um, revealing.

Lizzy

Reply to
Lizzy Taylor

Robb, Best advice I can give you, go here

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Look at the swimwear fabrics page. They give fairly good descriptions of everything. Better thing than that, they give FABULOUS customer service. If you call them, it doesn't matter who you talk to, they will know how to help you. They can answer any questions you might have and will have the supplies you need. If I need anything for making swim suits, this is the first (and last) place I go. NAYY.

HTH

Sharon

Reply to
Sharon Hays

Moleskin is a peached finish -- probably not what you want for a swimming suit. Milliskin is typically used for dance leotards; won't be chlorine resistant. Mesh is mesh -- it has holes. Dunno about the others -- probably best to either obtain samples or correspond with the store about the structure of those fabrics.

If the fabric is going to be exposed to a pool, it has to be chlorine-resistant, and most lycra blends are not. Otherwise, one day you dive in and come out wearing the towel someone tossed you.

Do not assume anything with lycra in it is chlorine resistant if it's not marked as such on the bolt (and I've gotten skunked a couple of times that way anyhow). That includes elastics, too. Chlorine and bromine are pretty good oxidizers... even more so in warmer temperatures.

And yes, woven nylons, even supplex, bag when wet.

Kay

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

[trim]

generally

order

you go to

with them

over the

Thanks Juno,

I have ordered some swatches and samples.

After i fired off a few (alot) of e-mails to different spandex sellers regarding there "swimwear" spandex and asking if it was chlorine resistant.

still awaiting a few replies though

thanks again, robb

Reply to
robb

...

this

Look at the

everything.

If you call

help you.

supplies you

first (and

just annoys the

Thanks Sharon,

Another spandex/lycra shop added to my list.

robb

Reply to
robb

...

a swimming suit.

chlorine resistant.

samples or correspond

one day

if it's not

times that

bromine are pretty

Thanks Kay,

Oddly to me, some of the RTW spandex/lycra stuff we purchased for the kids last year barely lasted the swim season and it was not a particularly busy season. Essentially as you pointed out they go from slightly tight to a fully extended stretched out bag like someone just disentegrated all the lycra/stretch part out of the suits..

It was a gradual acceleration of the disentegration but unexpected . Since we planned for outgrowth anyways the issue was the ?early? suit failure or maybe that is to be expected.

A couple of spandex merchant/places i contacted said their spandex/lycra was chlorine resistant up to ~30 launderings and then the resistance would begin to fade/fail. Does this sound reasonable/true or something to run from ?

Thanks again for the help and advice. robb

Reply to
robb

Either they're underestimating the number of wearings deliberately, or they're not selling the good stuff. Back when I was swimming in a heavily chlorinated pool 3x/wk, a suit would generally last me a year if I rinsed it well after I got out of the pool... which makes it about 150 wearings.

There is a poly/lycra fabric that's being claimed as "chlorine proof". Haven't worked with it.

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Reply to
Kay Lancaster

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