Question from Larry
Was wondering what your opinion on spandex,elastane,or etc in clothing. I’m in the middle of buying some clothing such as jeans and short most of it is organic cotton and organic wool.There is also some non organic cotton pieces as well but on most of them (shorts and pants mainly) they all seem to have a small percentage of elastics. I had looked online about it before contacting you and my questions what is spandex made of and is it toxic to wear even in small amounts?
Lisa’s Answer
Spandex, also know as elastane or the brand name Lycra, is made of at least 85% polyurethane. Like other synthetic fabrics, the cause for concern is in the chemicals used during the finishing process. Some sensitive people may react to spandex due to these chemical treatments. If you are buying clothes from a company that uses organic cotton and wool, they are likely knowledgeable about the spandex they use and what chemicals it may contain. Give them a call.
If you are not someone who is sensitive to spandex, I would not be concerned about this small exposure.
is there a diffrence between elastic and spandex?
Spandex is a synthetic material with elastic properties. Lycra is a brand name of spandex fabric. Spandex is also called Elastaine in some countries. Elastics used in clothing can be a number of different materials that provide stretch. It can be spandex, synthetic rubber or latex or any material that provides stretch.
There is a website (cottonique.com) that has all 100% organic cotton with no elastic in anything. They even carry bras with no elastic. It also includes, tees, socks, PJs for men and woman,
I’m highly sensitive to spandex, Lycra, Nitrile gloves, etc. Two companies I rely on are Cottonique and Decent Exposures. If you have clothing made at Decent Exposures, you would need to supply your own elastic or ask for drawstrings. I sew with a cotton-latex elastic you can buy on reels. So far I don’t react strongly to this latex.