According to Italian polyamide yarn producer Contifibre, laddering is one of the most frustrating and annoying things experienced by those who wear tights or stockings. With this in mind the company launched a development project more than two years ago to develop and commercialise a series of innovative yarns for the production of fine denier anti-ladder hosiery.

The result was Lycra Fusion covered yarns and Contifil polyamide, both of which are identical in their aim but completely different in their appearance in order to meet the various demands of hosiery consumers.

Lycra Fusion covered yarns were developed in close collaboration with Invista and recently launched at the Lycra Legwear Forum in Verona, Italy. The covered yarns have a matt cosmetic appearance with exceptional fit and comfort, Contifibre says and under the correct hosiery finishing conditions the special bi-component structure of this unique elastane reacts to bond each stitch so ensuring exceptional resistance to laddering, the company adds.

Lycra Fusion is based on Invista’s new patent-pending technology where the bi-component technology delivers fusibility with superior stress-strain performance functions helping to prevent runs whilst maintaining stretch and recovery benefits. According to Invista, Lycra Fusion fibre not only helps make hosiery ladder resistant, but it also improves the durability and wear life of legwear, delivers exceptional fit and maintains shape retention, can be adopted by hosiery makers on commercial machines and processes and provides a uniform appearance to hosiery.

Contifil was a direct development by Contifibre at its Contifashion development centre and is designed for those customers looking for elegant sheen and high level of transparency. Here too a bi-component yarn structure locks in the stitches during the hosiery finishing process to give a ladder resistant bright garment.

Contifibre says that thanks to these developments women no-longer need to live in fear of finding a place to change their tights or resort to the classic nail polish fix.