The Lycra Company, a global leader in developing innovative and sustainable fibre and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, has launched its new Lycra FIT400 fibre for knits.

The company’s latest EcoMade offering is a unique bicomponent fibre engineered to optimise the performance and comfort of knits. It delivers a durable soft hand-feel, low shrinkage and high uniformity to fabrics. Lycra FIT400 fibre is made from 60% recycled PET and 14.4% from bio-derived resources and is GRS certified.

The fibre includes two different polyester polymers, which together create a helical crimp, providing permanent stretch and recovery properties, as well as breathability, cooling comfort and chlorine resistance to fabrics.

Lycra FIT400 fibre helps set the stage for circularity, a key priority for The Lycra Company. In controlled tests under specific conditions, the fibre was recycled back into new polyester fibres, thereby demonstrating the technical feasibility of this process.*

“We developed Lycra FIT400 fibre to deliver in-demand performance benefits and an enhanced soft hand to the knit fabric category,” said Steve Stewart, Chief Brand and Innovation Officer at The Lycra Company. “This innovation also meets customer and consumer expectations for more sustainable solutions since it is made with recycled and bio-derived materials.”

Lycra FIT400 fibre will be advertised to the trade. The ‘It’s Time for Better’ campaign aims to disrupt the activewear, athleisure and swimwear categories with the message that consumers and the planet deserve better - better-functioning garments offering reduced environmental impact.

Fabrics and garments powered by Lycra FIT400 fibre are eligible for Lycra Xtra Life or Coolmax EcoMade brand hangtags if they meet specific brand quality standards. Both brands enjoy high levels of consumer brand awareness worldwide.

To learn more about Lycra FIT400 fibre for knits, visit lycra.com.

*Lycra FIT400fibre is compatible with established polyester chemical recycling processes. In multiple tests, Lycra FIT400fibre components were blended with standard polyester components and recycled back into new polyester fibres with comparable performance as standard recycled polyester fibres.