Everything You Need to Know about Performance Fabrics Now!

In our fast paced lives of weekly schedules, overbooked daily planners with meetings and appointments, and only just a little bit of time left over to fit in that morning workout, we seem to gravitate toward any new innovative technology that will make our life run easier, smoother, faster, and more efficient.  Exercise gear made with performance fabrics is one of those trends.  Many innovative styles and materials claiming to make you live smarter, cleaner, and look leaner are cropping up everyday.  So the million-dollar question is, are performance fabrics actually beneficial to your morning exercise routine?  And the answer is a resounding yes!

If you are wondering what performance fabrics are and how you can integrate these fabrics into your exercise wardrobe, read on.  This blog will give you the skinny on everything you need to know about dressing the part of a world class athlete, even if your running speed this week actually started lagging behind the times you logged last week.  MoodFabrics.com offers several completely new styles of performance fabrics to keep you looking great and running back up to speed whatever your exercise routine.

Let’s take a look at some of the fabrics traditionally used for exercise apparel and see how new materials elevate them to performance fabrics status.  Performance fabrics are specifically engineered to help athletes perform better.  Some provide compression to the skin and muscles which improves circulation.  Others wick moisture away from the skin helping to keep you dry and comfortable when working up a sweat.  The benefits of wicking away moisture are immense to every athlete.  Some of the best of them include preventing rashes and chaffing.  There are a myriad of uses for performance fabrics that will help you achieve a healthy body.  Shape.com also has an excellent article, “10 Fitness Fabrics Explained”, that is incorporated here as a reference.  So before you hit the gym, look into creating a special wardrobe out of every fantastic fabric described in this blog.  You might just lose that baby weight quicker than you thought, or at least look and feel good while trying.

 Traditional Exercise Fabrics

Spandex

Spandex or elastane fiber also known by the name brand, Lycra, is a wonderfully lightweight stretchy fabric that molds to the contours of your figure.  It is extremely durable and often blended with woven fabrics such as cotton, rayon, and polyester.  Lycra is ubiquitous in modern exercise wardrobes because it moves with you.  This makes it extremely comfortable to wear for all of your favorite workouts.  Here are a few stylish picks of Lycra fabrics from MoodFabrics.com that you can use to trick out your wardrobe in exceptional exercise duds.

Performance Fabrics Excellently Engineered for Exercise

Bamboo Spandex

Fabrics made with Bamboo fiber are performance fabrics engineered for exercise because they contain natural moisture-wicking properties and provide UV Protection.  Bamboo is also lightweight and allows your skin to breathe.  MoodFabrics.com has a wide selection of bamboo, Lycra, and viscose blends that will make whatever workout style you design fit comfortably and keep you up on your “A” game.  Everyone can benefit from adding some stretch to their exercise wardrobe.  Most do so with traditional spandex.  However, the amazing properties of bamboo spandex will perform wonders for you on the court and lend a naturally soft hand, pun intended.  Check out the recommendations below if you are looking to design the best exercise gear with performance fabrics that are budget-friendly and get the job done.

Traditional Exercise Fabrics

Polyester Cotton Blends

Polyester Cotton blends probably already play a major role in your exercise wardrobe.  Polyester is a durable fabric that holds up well to any amount of wear and tear.  For instance, ever wonder why that beloved windbreaker from your college track team is your go to piece when heading out on long runs and hikes through rainy weather?  Its probably because it is made with polyester.  Polyester is also a lightweight synthetic fabric that does not easily absorb water or wrinkle.  When blended with cotton, polyester can have a luxuriously soft feel.  It is less absorbent than cotton but not water-repellent.  So if you happen to get drenched while looking at a rainbow over hidden waterfalls on your secret hiking trail, it probably won’t dry as quickly as some of the newer performance fabrics now offered on MoodFabrics.com.  But if you are just beginning to stock up on exercise wardrobe essentials, don’t hesitate to try-out traditional polyester cotton blends like those below.

Performance Fabrics Excellently Engineered for Exercise

Max-Dri Cotton Polyester Blends

Max-Dri materials added to polyester cotton blends aid in wicking moisture away from your skin.  A great fabric for those fed up with sweaty workout clothes, Max-Dri polyester blends will give superior wicking quality to whatever stylish design you create.  Sew a high tech pair of biking shorts to compete in the Iron Man Challenge or simply for a bike-ride around the park.  Any garment made with Max-Dri fabrics will be your go-to piece for endurance training on scorching hot days.  The quality of these blends can also be judged by their GSM or grams per square.  GSM is the metric measurement of fabric.  To convert GSM to ounces for those athletic types who are used to weighing their food for optimal nutritious effect and can’t easily get down with the metrics, just divide by 33.906.  As far as exercise fabrics go, heavier fabric weights are better quality since they tend to be more resilient to repeated wash and wear.  Most fabrics over 200 GSM are considered medium weight and of good quality.  MoodFabrics.com’s newest offerings of Max-Dri performance fabrics weigh in at over 250 GSM and represent the best of the best.

 Tricot Fabrics

Tricot fabric is another performance fabric used for active-wear and in particular for swimwear.  The fabric is suitable for water-sports because of its dense construction.  With lengthwise and crosswise ribs in the knit, it repels moisture and is simultaneously sturdy and stretchy.  Tricot fabric is also very soft and allows the skin to breathe.  This makes it incredibly useful for treasured undergarments and bikinis.  Choose this perfectly performing high-tech exercise fabric that will hold its shape for easy garment construction with durability and strength.  MoodFabrics.com offers several fantastic styles of Tricot fabric like those shown below to be used by professional volleyball players and beach-combing weekenders alike looking to revamp their wardrobes with versatile sports and swimwear styles.

Traditional Exercise Fabrics

Cotton Fabrics

Cotton is a great natural fabric that repels odors giving you that fresh and clean quality in whatever low-impact exercise you prefer.  Cotton is a natural cellulosic fiber that absorbs moisture and can be easily cleaned.  Most cottons are naturally resistant to odor causing bacteria, yeast, and molds.  Because cotton has a naturally high pH and alkaline chemical properties, it fights bacteria that grow in acidic conditions.  Cotton is a well-known and popular traditional exercise fabric that comes in an appealing array of styles and designs.  Below are a few choices of cotton jersey and organic cotton styles from MoodFabrics.com that can be used for all of your Athleisure designs.  Do some good for the earth on your quest for better health and well-being by picking up a few yards!

Performance Fabrics Excellently Engineered for Exercise

Tencel Fabrics

Tencel, the trade name for Lyocell, is a cellulosic material that is made from wood pulp.  It has a great feel and very soft hand making it almost smoother than cotton.  This fabric has the same health enhancing benefits as the performance fabrics previously described above, but Tencel might be considered the superstar of them all.  It has great moisture wicking properties like Bamboo Spandex, the strength and durability of Tricot Fabrics, and a high-end look and feel.  Pick up a few yards and create colorful jackets and stylish jeggings to take on long hikes and jogs through the most difficult trail at your nearest nature reserve.

Athletic Mesh Fabrics

Athletic Mesh is a performance fabric important to serious athletes who need their exercise garb to also protect them against sweating which may cause rashes and chaffing.  You can design basketball shorts or any of your favorite active-wear styles with athletic mesh and even forego wearing bulky undergarments while working out as all serious athletes do to maximize the protective effect.  Or you can sew the athletic mesh strategically onto your designs in the special areas that will work to protect you during a grinding game of one on one.  Check out these new styles from MoodFabrics.com.

Compression Jersey Fabrics

Jersey fabrics with compression qualities are all the rage.  Compression fabric may help improve the circulation in your joints.  With documented increases in blood flow through the muscles of athletes, take this fabric for a spin and see if it can do the same for you.  Studies have shown that compression gear helps with recovery time after frequent physical activity.  In other words, wearing compression active-wear may help you improve your body’s efficiency post-workout.  Compression fabrics help your body to recover faster so you can jump out of bed the next day with no pain.  Whoever came up with the motto “no pain, no gain” never wore compression active wear during and after a workout!  An added bonus is that compression exercise gear also makes your body look great by subtly sucking in all the jiggly bits whenever you wear them.

Are You Ready for a Workout?

 Now that you’re equipped with all of the information you need to create a high-tech custom-made exercise wardrobe with performance fabrics and the coolest new styles in traditional exercise fabrics, your early morning workout will never be the same.  You can thank Mood Fabrics for helping you to revolutionize your exercise wardrobe later.  It is my hope that you’ll be too busy enjoying the new healthier and stronger glowing skin you’re in due to the benefits of a fun and fabulous consistent daily exercise routine.  But if you do get a chance, let us know exactly how new performance fabrics are working it out for you.