FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 2000. All Rights Reserved

Fashion by Maureen McNamee The last thing anyone would expect to see on the hiking trails is a climber dressed in a polyester suit like the one worn by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, but the fabric has come a long way since the days of disco. Synthetics no longer fit the sweaty stereotype of the ’70s – they have become the chosen material for high-tech gear worn by athletes. And now polyester and fashion are once again partners on the dancefloor as well. Synthetics are increasingly popular with designers and shoppers who have taken their cue from sportswear – in both fabric and style. "I’ve slowly watched it go from strictly tech to getting into fashion," says store manager Colin Pitman of Coast Mountain Sports, which sells both tech wear and casual clothes. "And every year I see that happen more and more." Pitman says that a few years ago, athletes started choosing more high-tech materials instead of cotton, once preferred for its breathability and durability. He explains that cotton is hydroponic, so it likes water. "It will breathe, but if you start perspiring in cotton it will absorb that moisture." The result is that the wearer ends up with a layer of water next to their skin which, when the wind blows, will cool down the body temperature – not a desired effect when you’re standing on top of a mountain. However, synthetics like polyester and nylon are naturally hydrophobic, so they repel the water and keep it away from the skin. "It takes that perspiration and throws it into the air." Pitman, who has worked in the business for more than eight years, knows that fact doesn’t fit the stereotype of sweaty synthetics. However, he says that like athletes, the general population is starting to realize that it’s true. "The biggest obstacle we run into is convincing people from the ’70s that polyester is good," he says. In the past, synthetics were tightly woven and didn’t allow the skin to breathe. Now the weave is more open, allowing the skin to breathe and repelling any moisture. "The polyester of today is actually sewn in a completely different way," he explains. "If you look at it through a microscope it looks like a screen door." But that’s only one of the reasons synthetics are showing up in everyday clothing like nylon pants and shorts, polyester T-shirts, and polar fleece sweaters. Pitman says people like the fabrics because they find them easy to care for, they don’t shrink and they don’t fade. "It got into the fashion industry," Pitman says. "People started to wear the technical clothing as more of a casual piece." The influence of sportswear on streetwear is showing up in the styles as well, according to the owner of Blue Light Special and Purr. Jenny Falconer points to the popularity of hoods, vests, trainers and toggles in today’s fashions, and says even high-end Prada has a patent leather and metallic running shoe. "Even in high fashion I think designers are using sportswear-influenced looks," she says, noting that hoods have appeared on evening gowns. "It started at street level... and almost trickled up to high fashion." She believes the look is popular because of society’s busy lifestyle – it’s easy to wear, it enables people to look good and feel comfortable at the same time, and almost anyone can pull the style off. "Calgary is a very sporty city... everyone here dresses like they’re going to go on the ski hill at any minute," Falconer says. She predicts that the style will eventually fade, but that it will disappear faster in other places than it will in Calgary. "I think it’s something that will always be with Calgarians.... We’re very active."

| Back To This Issue Table of Contents | Back To Main Index |