As the weather warms up, you can see that more and more people are wearing yoga pants on the streets and office buildings. Yoga pants have left the gym and become a fashionable way to wear. The price of yoga pants currently on the market ranges from tens of yuan to thousands of yuan. How should we choose?

source:pexels

fabric

If you pay attention to the labels on yoga pants, you must have read these three names:Nylon (nylon), polyester, polyurethane. Most yoga pants products currently on the market are generally made of these three fabrics.

** Nylon/Nylon:** Nylon is the Chinese name of synthetic fiber Nylon, and you may be more familiar with its translation name "Nylon". It is the world's earliest synthetic fiber variety. It is strong, wear-resistant, light, soft and has good breathability.

polyester: 涤纶也就是聚酯纤维，具有出色的抗皱性和保形性，可以让衣物在穿着过程中不容易起皱。较好的吸湿排汗性能，可以帮助保持皮肤干爽，同时还具有快速干燥的特性。

** Spandex:** Spandex is a highly elastic fiber that improves the ductility, elasticity and close-fitting of the fabric. Everyone often sees triangular mark Lycra LYCRA, which is a very well-known Spandex fabric. A survey of commercially available yoga garments shows that the Spandex content of some yoga garments can be as high as 25%-40%, especially the Spandex content of yoga pants is relatively high.

Product name/abbreviation

|

main advantage

|

main disadvantage

---|---|---

Polyester/polyester fiber

|

High breaking strength, high elastic modulus, excellent wrinkle resistance, good heat and light resistance, and washable and wearable (you can wear it without ironing after washing).

|

Poor hydrophilicity and easy to generate static electricity; poor skin-friendliness and poor breathability.

Nylon/Nylon/polyamide fiber

|

Good tensile strength and impact resistance, outstanding wear resistance and high strength.

|

Not resistant to sun exposure, long-term exposure will cause fading and strength loss.

The main advantages and disadvantages of polyester and nylon

Generally speaking, nylon has higher strength, better elasticity, and better wear resistance; nylon has more moisture absorption than polyester, and its touch to the skin will be more skin-friendly. When sweating, there is no sultry feeling of polyester fabric.

Therefore, the comprehensive properties of nylon + Spandex blended fabrics during use are better than polyester + Spandex blended fabrics, and nylon + Spandex blended fabrics are also more common in high-end yoga garments.

Impact of fabrics on prices

根据 2024 年 1 月中旬的市场报价，尼龙 DTY（DTY 是纺织术语，是化纤的一种变形丝类型）的价格约为 19200 元/吨，涤纶 DTY 仅为 8850 元/吨，This determines that there will be some differences in selling prices for yoga garments made of these two fabrics from the fiber raw materials side.

source:pexels

what needs to be explained here is:Polyester is relatively much cheaper, which does not mean that polyester is a inferior material. 事实上，涤纶是一种特点突出、综合性能优异的纤维，是中中国制造量最大、应用最广泛的化学纤维；纺织行业统计数据显示 2023 年 1-11 月，中国涤纶产量共计约为 5269 万吨，锦纶产量约为 423 万吨。正是由于中国涤纶的生产技术成熟、产量巨大，规模化的大生产带来了价格很“平易近人”。

What is the difference between nylon 6 and nylon 66?

Currently, the best-selling product on the market mainly uses nylon 6 (nylon). Nylon is a general term and can be divided into many types according to its chemical composition. Statistics and actual conditions of the textile industry show that nylon 6 (PA6) is the main nylon fabric used in consumer garments made in China, and some high-end brands use nylon 66 (PA66) fiber, but the proportion is very small. This also led to price differences.

将尼龙 6 和尼龙 66 的性能做对比的话，尼龙 66 的性能更胜一筹，在强度、弹性、耐磨等方面，尼龙 66 均好于尼龙 6，尼龙 66 面料的手感也更加顺滑。Since nylon 66 is so good, why not use it in large quantities?

source:pexels

目前，中国中国制造尼龙 66 的产量不足 20 万吨（而 2022 年中国涤纶的产量约为 5300 万吨，大家可以从这两个数据来感受一下产量上的巨大差距）。 Moreover, nylon 66 is mainly used in industrial, military, protective clothing, etc. in China. Due to its production constraints, nylon 66 is still rarely used in daily civilian clothing.

This is mainly because the production of adiponitrile, a key raw material for the production of nylon 66, has long been a problem in China, with high import dependence. Adiponitrile has long been monopolized by a few companies in Europe, America and Japan, so China's production of nylon 66 has not been able to increase. ** However, what can be expected is that starting from 2020, China's adiponitrile manufacturing technology will make breakthroughs, multiple industrial projects will be completed and put into operation, and the output of nylon 66 made in China is in a growing trend. ** After production increases, consumers can look forward to seeing the excellent performance of Chinese-made nylon 66 on a variety of garments, including yoga garments.

Other factors affecting prices

Of course, the material is only one aspect that determines the final price. In addition to fabric materials, design, craftsmanship and brand premiums are important factors in determining the pricing of yoga garments.

** **

** Layout design:** In terms of the layout design of yoga pants, in order to improve the fit and comfort between yoga garments and the body, high-end yoga garments usually adopt more complex cuts, such as using structural designs such as darts (here,"save" sang sounds), clothing design terminology), parting lines and other structural designs to improve the functionality and aesthetics of yoga pants.

** Processing technology:** In terms of processing technology, complex versions will increase the difficulty of processing, and more complicated processing processes will also increase costs, which will be reflected in the final price.

Seamless integrated knitting technology is also used in the manufacture of some high-end yoga garments. Taking into account the different requirements of various parts of the human body for heat, humidity and pressure comfort during yoga exercises, seamless knitting technology can realize the zoning of clothes. Design and weaving, the entire yoga pants have no seams, and the fit and comfort are better.

越来越多瑜伽服装的设计更加注重时尚性和个性化，实现与日常服装的混搭，Adding popular elements or adopting popular craftsmanship will increase production costs and ultimately be transmitted to the selling price.

buy on demand

Although there are many low-priced products, everyone will also flock to brands. Consumers still need to decide the choice of yoga pants based on their actual situation and financial ability.

When purchasing, you can stretch the fabric by hand to feel the extensibility and resilience of the fabric from top, bottom, left and right. Try it on to feel the touch between the fabric and skin, support for muscles, etc.; choose the appropriate size and style, avoid being too tight and oppressive.

At the same time, yoga clothing should be washed promptly after use, and dried in a cool and ventilated place after washing with cold water. It should not be exposed to the sun for a long time.

It is no easy feat implementing digitalization initiatives in industries with many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) like agriculture.

[1]Zhang Xinggang. Chinese-made nylon 66 ushered in a high light moment [J]. China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Observation, 2022, (04): 22-23.

[2]Zeng Cheng, Zhao Hongyan, Sun Yaxin, et al. Development status and prospects of China's nylon 66 industry [J]. High-tech Fibers and Applications, 2022, 47 (06): 9-16.

planned and produced

Author 丨 Song Lidan Consulting Engineer of the Industrial Research Department of China Textile Construction and Planning Institute

Audit 丨 Zhang Jie, Chief Engineer of China Textile Construction and Planning Institute

Planning 丨 Fu Sijia

Editor in charge 丨 Fu Sijia

Reviser 丨 Xu Lai, Lin Lin

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