TRADITION EMBRACES HI-TECH IN SPECTRAUSA’S BI-BLEND T-SHIRT
Fashion and hi-tech are not always the best of bedfellows, but a fresh take on a classic design by Californian T-shirt manufacturer SpectraUSA is upping the ante on what is shaping up to be the future of fashion’s staple garments. The Chino-based apparel giant is delving into blending traditional garment design with hi-tech science in their proprietary fabrication process, bringing a new kind of blended t-shirt to the market: The SpectraUSA Bi-Blend.
With the high premium consumers are expected to pay for the longevity and durability of modern consumer goods, it is not surprising that SpectraUSA’s Bi-Blend T-shirts have found immediate traction in the saturated wholesale and retail market sectors. The early success and rapid expansion of the Bi-Blend range are attributed to the unique manufacturing process of this specific textile, as well as the specially developed ratios of the Bi-Blend cotton-polyester mix within the yarns themselves, allowing breathable, moisture-wicking garments with Athletic level performance and durability. SpectraUSA CDO Brian McLaughlin explains that the market leader which comes with Bi-Blend T-shirts is two fold: Firstly, it can be found in the athletic styling and responsiveness of the garment and; secondly, in the ease of printing on these t-shirts afforded by the unique mix of cottons and polyester in the jersey textile itself. As Bi-Blend favors a cotton-heavy mix, printers are reporting how easy it is for these t-shirts to take, and hold a quality print.
Bi-Blend is the proprietary title SpectraUSA uses to describe the functional elasticity of polyester when combined with the strength of cotton, making for a garment that resists wear and tears in a way that cotton alone struggles to do. The resultant cotton-poly fiber is also imbued with an innate ability to wick perspiration away from the body, making Bi-Blend the ideal fabric for the most intense workouts and, combined with polyester, cotton becomes a truly durable and long-lasting blended fiber which can take a beating and keep ongoing.
Cotton may be the world’s favorite textile but without polyester to support it literally wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. Where cotton is tough, polyester is flexible and elastic; where cotton picks up dirt, stains, and coloration from the natural environment, polyester is stain and dye resistant and, where cotton gets wet, polyester remains dry. The strength and durability of Bi-Blend is a boon for activewear garments because of its natural durability, flexible character, and its perspiration wicking abilities. The varying grades of Bi-Blend make it a truly versatile combination as it can be blended to match almost any level of functionality or design.
The distinguishing factor which seems to set SpectraUSA’s specialized Bi-Blend garments apart is in the dedicated cotton-to-polyester fabrication ratios; the resulting textile allows the process of screen printing onto a polyester-rich moisture wicking fabric far easier than was previously imagined. Whilst garment printers celebrate, these unique fabrication ratios also offer the additional benefit of a smoother, sleeker profile to Bi-Blend shirts. SpectraUSA has been steadily rolling out Bi-Blend options in a number of styles and functional adaptations since its inception. Their design department now boasts a swarth of styles in these unique fabric formulations including: Ladies’ racer back tanks, crew- and v-necks, men’s tanks, crews and long-sleeves, a youth Bi-Blend t-shirt, and a cleverly formulated and highly functional unisex fashion raglan, as well as a broad range of cross-over unisex options to help printer’s and resellers cover as many of their retail potentials as possible.
SpectraUSA spokesperson Brian McLaughlin is understandably hesitant to divulge the secrets behind the secret sauce of his Bi-Blend apparel, but he does offer these garments in two variations: A traditional Athletic heather grey-with a very high cotton to polyester ratio; as well as the flagship SpectraUSA Bi-Blend with the narrower cotton-to-polyester formulation ratio, creating a t-shirt specifically designed for the rapacious fast-fashion and high-tech needs of these modern times.
SpectraUSA’s proprietary Bi-Blend apparel has been positioned to answer many of the questions asked by a demanding retail sector in terms of comfort, durability, printability, quality and the ever crucial cross-over between traditional garment design and hi-tech fabrication methods. With Bi-Blend we find a garment that is hard to beat for its pure athleticism, and no-wrinkle classic styling, legendary durability and comfort. Combining the elegance of traditional American t-shirt design with the practical advancements of hi-tech fabrication, and knitting this into every inch of Bi-Blend American-grown cotton yarns produces a new kind of activewear textile that is, print, lifestyle and fashion friendly, whilst staying true to its American roots.