Taking a Deep Dive into Santoni Seamless Tech
Seamless technology opens the door for easier modification in garment production
Despite differences in fashion across cultures, one common denominator for women across the globe is the bra. No matter what outerwear style looks like in each country, most women have encountered some variation of the bra. And as styles continue to change over the years, the bra remains a constant, providing much-needed support.
We previously spoke with Santoni Shanghai board member Tiziano Sandonini about the evolution of the modern bra and what its future could possibly look like. Santoni Shanghai has a number of seamless machines available, so this time we sat down with Lorenzo Gennari, Santoni’s Chief Sample Development Technician, to discuss more on what is currently achievable with using seamless technology for the bra.
The emergence of the seamless bra has allowed women to have an undergarment that is nearly invisible under thin clothes. It also means less irritation for those with sensitive skin. However, in addition to these boons, seamless technology also has further implications for the future of the bra. During our conversation with Mr. Gennari, we also talked about body mapping and how this can be used to aid in the creation of seamless bras as well.
One of the things we hear most about seamless bras is that they only offer a low level of support. We asked Mr. Gennari his thoughts on how it would be possible to achieve high- and mid-level support. He says that while Santoni has never done this previously, the key would lie in creating different structures within the material. By combining a unique stitch setup with a different yarn texture setup, he believes that this would attain varying levels of compression, which could, in turn, translate to varying levels of support.
With the new programming software iPolaris, it is possible to program the machine to have different yarn tension on the fabric in a specific area within the same knitted course. This allows you to change the tension of the fabric in a specific area. Using body mapping to focus on specific areas of the bra can be done only using the iPolaris software, as the old software does not have this body mapping functionality.
That being said, while body mapping remains the most promising option for creating different levels of support in the bra, it does have its limitations. The biggest limitation Mr. Gennari found was that the area being worked on must be large enough to allow the machine to change its setup from section to section.
Mr. Gennari also spoke with us about how different structures might contribute to achieving the variation in the support we’re looking for. Using a ribbed structure vs a holding structure, for example, could result in different degrees of compression. He notes that typically in a Santoni bra we see the holding structure used in the center of the bra as well as sometimes on the side of it. We never see this structure used in the bottom of the bra. However, in the Santoni Pioneer Program, designer Yixian Li uses the holding stitch under the belly in her line of maternity undergarments. Mr. Gennari envisions that this structure can be used in a similar manner in the bra to provide more support.
Ok so we know that structure type can affect the seamless bra, but what about yarn choice? Are some better than others? We asked Mr. Gennari his thoughts on which kinds of yarns were best to use in a seamless bra. He remarked that there are no limitations to the type of yarn that can be used, but it’s important to understand the application it will be used for.
Natural fibers are becoming more popular than synthetic these days, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are always the better choice. Man-made yarns have endless possibilities depending on the application. For instance, man-made yarns from the reflective fiber can be used in a sports bra to provide the wearer with extra protection in low light settings.
What unique features do Santoni seamless machines like the Ipolaris have that allow them to create seamless garments? As mentioned earlier, Mr. Gennari says that one of the most unique abilities is the capacity to have varying knitting structures within the same row on one piece of fabric without the need for sewing any thread.
The ability to have differing stitch lengths is also a plus for the seamless machines as this allows for the possibility to create variations in the yarn tension for more or less support. At the same time in other areas of the garment, where perhaps comfort is the priority, we can opt for another, softer yarn.
Another option that seamless technology provides is the ability to form double layers for garments - whether it be a bra or something else. Double layers are beneficial in that they provide the garments with added reinforcement.
While the bra has changed drastically over time in its transition from corset to the modern bra we’re now familiar with, it could potentially still have a long way to go on its evolution path. The emergence of seamless technology is possibly the most promising advancement for the bra to continue to evolve.
At the moment Santoni seamless bras are best for low support needs, but the capabilities of their machines are highly encouraging and suggest that this will not always be the case. The ability to use multiple stitch types on one fabric as well as create double layers without the need for traditional cut and sew technology proves to be a step in the right direction for providing varying levels of support.