1. The Development of Swimwear Fabrics

Throughout the development of swimwear, the fabrics used have evolved from pure natural fiber fabrics, chemical fiber fabrics, and mixed fiber fabrics to materials that produce minimal resistance and maximum comfort to the body.

One of the earliest swimsuits was the Racerback designed by Arnie Borg. At that time, clothing was made of wool, which lacked elasticity and could not remain in its original state, making it prone to wrinkling or forming airbags, thereby reducing the speed of swimmers. In 1974, DuPont Corporation of the United States invented a polyester fiber that can stretch in both directions. This fiber is elastic and covers uneven parts of the human body, making the body more streamlined, greatly reducing the resistance of athletes when moving forward.

In 1992, a new type of swimsuit called the "S2000" appeared. The swimsuit fabric is made of polyester microfiber and lycra ® Made of elastic fibers and specially treated. Therefore, its resistance coefficient is relatively low. The update of the fabric has increased the overall coverage of the swimsuit.

In 2000, Speedo launched a new type of swimsuit - the first generation shark skin FASTSKIN, also known as the "Fast Skin" FS1. It is a human like skin made using a principle similar to shark skin structure. After special treatment on the fabric, a new type of fabric is adopted, which includes a ridge like structure similar to the sharp protrusions on shark skin. Its width and height are strictly made according to the proportion of shark structure. At the same time, a component called "super elasticity" is added to the fabric of "fast skin", which can effectively reduce muscle vibration.

In 2004, the second generation shark skin swimsuit FASTSKIN FS2 was introduced. This full body wrap swimsuit is made of two different surface performance fabrics, Fast skin and Flex skin. Fast skin is a warp knitted fabric containing 75% cationic polyester fiber and 25% elastic silk, with a surface embossed pattern that mimics shark skin to achieve a water repellent effect. Flex skin is a warp knitted fabric containing 80% polyester fiber and 20% elastic silk. The fabric is treated with mercerization and coating to make its surface flat and smooth, and subjected to water repellent treatment.

In 2007, Speedo launched its third generation shark skin swimsuit, the Shark Skin FS? PRO swimsuit. Shark skin PRO is made of advanced fabric fabric, woven from chlorine resistant elastic yarn and ultra-fine nylon yarn. Tests have shown that the swimsuit has the lowest water absorption, and the fabric is currently the lightest on the market, with a 15% higher elasticity than similar products. This elasticity increases core stability and reduces muscle vibration, thereby reducing energy loss.

The fourth generation shark skin FASTSKIN LZRRACER, which was just released in 2008, is made of LZR Pulse fabric with ultra-light, low resistance, waterproof, and quick drying properties. It is the world's first crease free racing swimsuit produced by supersonic fusion. In addition, the special LZR trim used on the swimsuit can shape the swimmer's body as streamlined as possible, reducing the resistance encountered during swimming.

Nowadays, a new type of bio based PTT swimwear fabric has been introduced, and CortecTM swimwear fabric is produced by DuPont's Sorona ® (New polymer) as the raw material, is the crystallization of technical cooperation between Haitian Light Textile and DuPont Company. It combines the advantages of nylon and polyester, making the fabric both functional and comfortable. It has a soft hand feel, good stretchability, bright color, high color fastness, resistance to sunlight and chlorine, stain resistance, and non ironing properties, making it particularly suitable for swimwear. Compared to warp knitted polyamide and polyester spandex fabrics, it may become the preferred fabric for the new generation of swimwear. With the development of today's science and technology, various high-tech new types of fabric fibers have emerged, effectively changing the strength, elongation, modulus, and elasticity of fibers, and meeting the needs of swimwear fabrics in various functions such as waterproofing, breathability, wear resistance, elasticity, and comfort as much as possible.