Fossil-fuel based petrochemicals have long been the go-to for stretch and other activewear materials, but attitudes — and investments — are changing with the times. Some brands and consumers are turning to wool, a natural activewear input used long before synthetic stretch took the industry by storm.
More recently, market leaders in synthetic spandex like The LYCRA Company and Hyosung have been expanding their portfolios by turning corn and sugarcane, respectively, into proprietary, plant-based bio-spandex fibers for activewear and athleisure brands.
Whichever route brands take, one thing is non-negotiable: eco-friendly alternatives must supply the same performance, durability and comfort to consumers as their synthetic counterparts.
“Skin-kind clothing made from natural, toxin-free materials is gaining traction, responding to an emerging consumer demand for athleisure without irritants that are also better for the environment,” said Rachael Gentner, director of active + outdoor at trend forecaster Future Snoops. “We see a lot of merino wool, cotton and Tencel taking over active assortments.”
Bio-Based Spandex
As stretch remains non-negotiable in activewear, companies have been searching for ways to switch from petroleum-based spandex to bio-spandex. Activewear brand Pangaia is an early adopter.
Pangaia has always focused on sustainability, and long partnered with scientists, technologists and material innovators “to rethink how things are made” and move performance materials away from their dependence on fossil resources.
“With our latest iteration, we’ve combined plant-based EVO® Nylon developed with Fulgar and regen™ BIO Max elastane created by Hyosung, bringing together partners and materials that help move us towards lower-impact alternatives,” Maria Srivastava, chief impact officer of Pangaia told Hertzman Global Intelligence. “Our role is to challenge existing systems and develop new pathways, inviting our community into that journey as we continue to learn, evolve and introduce new solutions together.”
The LYCRA Company has also delved into bio-based stretch, using U.S.-based feedstock.
In what it deems “the future of sustainable stretch,” renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber made with QIRA® offers the same benefits as the company’s classic LYCRA® fiber at a lower impact. The fiber is made from 70% renewable content derived from field corn grown in the U.S., giving Midwest farmers a pathway into fashion and a new revenue stream.
The fiber also has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of LYCRA® fiber by up to 44%, according to the company.
Consumers are also actively searching for sustainability, noted trend market intelligence company Trendalytics. After analyzing social media, search trends and retail data, sustainable swimsuits are experiencing accelerated growth, with searches up 1,427% last year.
In its first commercial adoption of plant-based spandex in swimwear, Italian brand Arena debuted a collection of swimsuits made from recycled nylon and renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber.
“Sustainability can happen only if all the systems work in the same direction,” said Cristina Cantoni, global PR and communication manager at Arena, during a panel discussion at MarediModa in October. “Our partnership on Arena’s latest swimwear collection is proof — from fiber to fabric to finished garments — that Arena’s new swimsuits consider the planet at every step.”
“Arena is just the beginning,” Arnaud Ruffin, vice president, apparel – brands and retail, The LYCRA Company, told HGI. “We’re working with brands and retailers across the globe to bring the next generation of activewear, denim, underwear and legwear to life, with collections starting to launch from AW26 and continuing into SS27. LYCRA® fiber is the connecting thread for partners who want to lower their CO₂ footprint while continuing to deliver what consumers expect most: comfort, reliability and performance.”
Wool Enhances Performance
Natural wool has long been heralded as a sustainable base layer for outdoor sports, but a recent four-year study by North Carolina State University shows it can even enhance performance. The findings highlight that merino wool garments outperform other major apparel fiber types by supporting more stability in thermal comfort.
According to The Woolmark Company, 100% wool base-layer garments provide greater thermal comfort in outdoor ‘stop-go’ sports such as hiking, cycling and rock climbing. This is most noticeable during the resting phases of these sports when the potential for experiencing ‘after-chill’ is greatest.
The findings imply that athletes wearing wool expend less energy maintaining their thermal equilibrium than if they wear other natural and synthetic fabrics, leaving them with more energy to use for their sport and competition.
New Zealand-based company Icebreaker, which is owned by VF Corp, has championed merino wool for decades.
“With our long-standing ‘Move to Natural’ purpose, Icebreaker is well positioned to continue leading the natural performance market,” said Ravikant Sharma, global product innovation manager of Smartwool and Icebreaker.
“Since embarking on our plastic-free journey in 2018, with 84% plastic-free fiber composition, we’ve made remarkable progress. Today, 97.56% of fabrics in our 2024 collection are plastic-free — an achievement we’re proud of. But it’s a milestone rather than the destination. Our commitment to creating performance apparel without unnecessary plastic remains stronger than ever.”
Recycling Ramps Up
Recycling is another way to stack more sustainability onto activewear.
Activewear brand Lululemon continues its materials innovation push by forming long-term partnerships, including a 10-year agreement with Samsara Eco to scale enzymatic recycling for nylon 6,6 and polyester, and a multi-year collaboration with ZymoChem to help scale plant-based inputs for nylon 6,6. The activewear company recently became an investor in biorecycling company Epoch Biodesign’s latest $12 million fund.
“At Lululemon we are focused on advancing preferred materials and circular product solutions while maintaining our high performance and quality standards that our guests expect,” said Yogendra Dandapure, chief materials scientist at Lululemon in a statement. “Our collaboration with Epoch Biodesign is part of a broader portfolio approach to circular innovation as we work toward our Impact Agenda 2030 goals. This work is centred on learning and understanding what’s technically possible today to inform future scaling and product plans.”
The company anticipates launching its first prototypes by end of year.
Patagonia went neoprene-free a decade ago with Yulastic, a natural, fine rubber filament from Yulex that’s comparable to synthetic elastane in performance and durability. The company more recently added a circularity program for recycling.
Patagonia collects end-of-life Yulex rubber wetsuits for Bolder Industries to break down to the molecular level for reuse. The recovered material is converted into BolderBlack, a sustainable carbon black reintegrated into new Yulex wetsuits.
“You can use RCB to solution-dye the yarns used in the linings of the suit, or backpacks, or any synthetic fabric or trim that is black, really. To simplify, think of it like a cake. You can’t take an old, stale cake and make a new cake, but what if you can turn an old cake into flour and use it to bake a new cake? That is radical,” said Hub Hubbard, Patagonia surf product line manager, on the company’s website.
