Fleece, the Next Big Fabric in Today’s New Normal?

Let’s talk about fleece. The fluffy fabric is not only wildly versatile, but abundant in nature, deriving from a number of different animals (sheep, rabbits, camels, and more). Each kind of fleece has its own specialty, but all fleece have one thing in common - they are known for the incredible warmth, softness, and overall comfort they provide. In addition to being an ultra cozy fabric, fleece also boasts many beneficial qualities which make it an obvious choice for loungewear.

One of the many strengths of fleece is that it’s a long-lasting fabric, with some kinds creating products that last for up to ten years! Fleece’s durability lets consumers rest assured that the product they are buying won’t be a waste as it’ll keep even after repeated use - something that happens when you’re spending a lot of time at home. 

Ok so fleece is long-lasting, big deal; what sets it apart from other durable fabrics? For one thing, it is completely organic, meaning that it is 100% biodegradable - great news for our planet and eco-conscious consumers! Another positive, especially for those with sensitive skin, is that many kinds of wools are hypoallergenic. No one wants to be itchy and uncomfortable while lounging at home, right? Garments made from fleece also tend to be breathable and moisture-absorbing as well, making it an all-around great choice for loungewear and sleepwear products.

What goes into making the perfect fleece product? We sat down with an expert from Santoni to learn more about the finer details of fleece products and their production.

He explains that when looking at any fabric, it is important to first understand its applications. For example, fleece is a versatile fabric with multiple uses from leggings to bedding. One of the most common applications of fleece is as the base for sweaters. The warmth that the wool provides makes it an ideal choice for keeping you cozy in cooler temperatures.

Once you have landed on an application, sweaters in this instance, it is necessary to reflect on the season of use and the scenarios it will be used in. Will it be a light sweater made for a casual stroll outdoors on one of those cool spring days or a thick sweater that can be worn at a formal dinner party in the winter months? Only after these things have been given some thought, can you move forward with creating the actual design, our expert notes. 

Depending on the season of use, the thickness of the fabric will vary. You may opt for a two-yarn (small terry) sweater for early spring whereas a three-yarn (large terry) sweater might be more appropriate for the winter months. 

All of the above and more should be taken into consideration when crafting the perfect sweater. The sweater production process is complex and comes with many decisions including selection of the raw material, determining which weaving process will be used, actually weaving the fabric, dyeing, shaping, and more.

As a manufacturer, Santoni prides itself on being a valuable player in fleece production. When asked what is giving them a leg up in this area, the Santoni expert replied that the secret was their Zenit F series of knitting machines. Of course, we wanted to know what was so special about the Zenit F.

This machine is a single jersey machine capable of knitting three-yarn fleece products. Its mechanical design has been refined to ensure that loops all over the fabric are completely uniform while at the same time reducing the product’s rate of damage. The flatness, uniformity, coverage and stability of the loops of the three-yarn sweater fabrics made by the Zenit F are top notch. You can tell a lot about fleece quality from the stability of the loops and its coverage and it isn’t hard to tell that the fleece made with Zenit F is first rate.

In addition to these qualities, the Zenit F also possesses high production efficiency, able to knit fleece garments at a quicker and more effective rate than competitors. It is capable of creating fabrics with varying grammage specifications through simple debugging. Users of this machine will find that it meets a wide array of their needs as well as provides them with the technical support needed to aid them in the research and development of new sweater fabrics.

Our expert mentioned that there may be a few aspects of fleece creation that designers might not be fully aware of. For example, aside from material selection and determining the thickness of the fabric, you must also not overlook its functionality. This is more than just whether or  not the sweater is warm. Functionality can be increased by looking at the various properties of your fabric. This allows you to create a product that is anti-static, anti-bacterial, or even water-resistant among other things.

As mentioned earlier, there is a growing demand for loungewear, including comfortable sweater products, as consumers spend more time at home. Faced with the diverse needs of buyers, fabric manufacturers have developed sweater fabrics with a multitude of functions to meet this demand by using different functional yarns and adjusting their proportions. For example, wool is used in the fabric to achieve natural skin-friendly, warm, moisture-dispersing, and antibacterial qualities.

If you’ve been keeping up with the market trends, it’s likely that you are already considering incorporating fleece in your next design. The Santoni Zenit F might be just the machine you need to help take your product to the next level. Contact us to learn more about how we can work together.

Key Takeaways:

• Zenit F is a single jersey machine that produces three-yarn fleece with uniform loops.

• The market is trending towards loungewear as more people stay at home, leading to an increase in demand for fleece products.

• Fleece is a versatile fabric that can be used for many things from leggings to bedding to sweaters.