About Spandex
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Spandex, or Elastane, is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity (stretchability). It is stronger and more durable than rubber - its major non-synthetic competitor. The fibre was invented in 1959 by DuPont chemist Joseph Shivers. When first introduced it revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry. It is one of the most used and best materials in lingerie. This new fibre is marketed by Invista, formerly part of DuPont, and it has become a generic name for the fabric in many parts of the world. Invista discourages such use, protecting its trademark vigorously.
“Spandex” is a generic name and not derived from the chemical name of the fibre unlike most synthetic fibres, instead it was derived by shifting around the syllables in the word “expands”. Spandex is the preferred name in North America; elsewhere it is referred to as “elastane”. Other spandex trademarks include Elaspan (also Invista’s), Dorlastan (Asahi Kasei) and Linel (Fillattice).
Spandex is made from the polymer Polyethylene Glycol and has both urea and urethane linkages in its backbone. Spandex’s special property of being soft, strong and flexible is that it has hard and soft blocks in its chemical structure. The short polymer chain of a polyglycol, which is around about forty or so units long, is soft and rubbery. The rest of the repeat unit of the fibre, with the urethane linkages, the urea linkages, and the aromatic groups, is extremely rigid. This section is stiff enough that the rigid sections form different chains that clump together and align themselves to form fibres. Because of these two separate blocks in its structure, Spandex is known as an Elastomer.
In comic books, superheroes and superheroines commonly wear costumes thought to be made of spandex. However, early superhero comics predate the invention of spandex, it was the printing processes which only rendered images with distinctly separate solid blocks of colour and because spandex is almost exclusively made in the same bright solid colours as the early Golden Age comics it was assumed that costumes were made of spandex.
During the 1970s and 1980s, spandex rose in popularity amongst many rock and heavy metal bands, particularly glam metal bands. The main reasons for this massive, almost universal, embracement of spandex amongst rock/metal bands was due to the fact that spandex retained its stretchy, tight fitting quality, even after extended wear. Denim jeans and leather strides tended to sag and wear, while spandex did not. Also, the stretchiness of the material did not constrict musicians’ movement onstage, allowing them to perform high kicks, or to rest their feet on monitors. Some of the rock/metal bands who used spandex leggings included Queen, Ratt, Motley Crue, Judas Priest, Bon Jovi and Twisted Sister, as well as many other bands. By the end of the 1980’s and the decline of glam metal, and metal in general, with the advent of grunge, spandex fell out of fashion and many older glam bands found themselves being referred to as ‘Spandex Jockeys’.
While glam metal bands were getting into the spandex craze, so were many glam-oriented Country stars, especially women like Dolly Parton, Margo Smith, and Dottie West. Dottie West is probably the best known out of any Country singer for wearing spandex outfits on stage.
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Courtesy of Land of Models 