Italian warp knitter Sitip has developed a new range of specialist fabrics designed specifically to offer sustainable solutions for manufacturers of leggings and pants. The new collections, which will be on show at the upcoming Functional Fabric Fair in the USA and at Performance Days Munich, stem from the company’s Native Sustainable Textiles technology, a production system that encompasses recycled yarns and low-environmental-impact chemicals, along with a reduced consumption of natural resources.
Among the new fabrics is Native Cosmopolitan Rio, a 220gr polyamide pre-consumer recycled warp knit fabric that is GRS, Oekotex Standard 100 and Bluesign certified. It is a four-way stretch, fine gauge and shaping fabric equipped with Eclipse Sun Protection technology that protects from UV rays (UPF 50+), with no-see-through effect and is comfortable on the skin thanks to Microsense Soft Performance technology. A further variant is Native Cosmopolitan Rio PLX, made within polyester with the same characteristics but heavier at 240 gr and printable.
Also new is Native-Cosmopolitan Paris which at 170g is a polyamide pre-consumer recycled warp knit fabric that is Oeko-tex Standard 100 and Bluesign certified. Again, this is 4-way stretch, free-cut and fine gauge, full dull and shaping equipped with Eclipse Sun Protection. This fabric also has no-see-through effect and is comfortable on the skin thanks to Microsense Soft Performance technology. A brushed version is also available.
The lighter-weight Native-Cosmopolitan Sydney (130g) is a polyamide post-consumer recycled warp knit fabric that is Oekotex Standard 100 and Bluesign certified. It also offers four-way and comfort stretch and is fine gauge with Eclipse Sun Protection. For mid-layer shirts, Sitip has developed Native-Instinct (180g), a polyamide pre-consumer circular fabric that is GRS, Oekotex Standard 100 and Bluesign certified with both brushed and embossed versions (Barrets and Abeille patterns) available too.
“The Sitip fabric collections for sportswear, urbanwear and athleisure ensure exceptional performance, impeccable style and attention to sustainability,” ,” the company said. “Perfectly responding to the new performance and design needs required by the market and by the end consumer, increasingly in search of comfort combined with technical nature and technology, in full respect of the contemporary lifestyle: versatile, technical, sustainable and durable fabrics and garment.”
Elsewhere, Sitip has added to its environmental pledges with the addition of two new targets for 2023. Over the course of the year, Sitip will undertake to start the process for the Organization’s 14064 CarbonFootPrint Certification. This includes the quantification and reporting of direct or indirect greenhouse gas emissions with a view to reducing its emissions through carbon management and enhancing its level of corporate social responsibility. It will also design a new plant for the abatement of polluting waste water.
