California Apparel News

First it was tags and labels, and now threads and needles are finding their days numbered thanks to an emerging technology that uses adhesive film and ultrasound to construct “seamless” garments.

Patagonia president Yvon Chouinard said the sewing machine may eventually become a dinosaur as seamless technology becomes more popular. The company is already making a jacket completely free of threads and stitches.

A growing number of garment producers are opting to use adhesive film rather than thread to hold garments together. Even though the seamless option is at this point more expensive than cut-and-sew operations, manufacturers are choosing the technology because they are seeing results on the sales floor. The technology eliminates bulky seams and stitching that can irritate skin. Seamless garments are about 15 percent lighter than their stitched counterparts and are generally more comfortable, according to proponents. With advancements from companies such as Shirley, Mass.–based Bemis Associates Inc., the technology is taking a path similar to that of heat transfer labeling in the T-shirt sector a couple of years ago.

Adhesives started making their way into garment construction about two years ago in the innerwear sector, primarily as a way to bond fabrics over elastics in brassieres. Adhesives migrated into swimwear and surfwear when Carlsbad, Calif.–based Rip Curl introduced seamless construction in boardshorts about two years ago. The company’s research and development staffers found that the side and front stitching of regular boardshorts rubbed against the skin when surfers jumped onto their boards.

Now, outerwear companies are catching on. Market leaders—including The North Face, Columbia Sportswear Co., Eastern Mountain Sports, Cabela’s and Mountain Hardware—have integrated bonding technology into parkas, sleeping bags, tents and other gear. While the technology is primarily used to bond seams, companies such as Arc’teryx of Vancouver, British Columbia, have used it to create drawstring channels and attach zippers and hoods.

“The biggest quest in the performance outerwear market is to create a more durable but lighterweight product,” said Star Miklashed, lead outerwear designer for San Leandro, Calif.–based The North Face. “This technology allows us to do that. It reduces layers of fabric in the seam, lowering the weight and height, which leads to less abrasion. Plus, it’s durable. It has good flow at a low temperature, and it has excellent stretch and recovery.”

The North Face is using Bemis’ Sewfree technology, an adhesive film that bonds fabrics together for a permanent seal. The thermoplastic adhesive comes in a tape-like format and can be applied with traditional fusing presses or ultrasonic drums, which use a horn-line instrument rather than a needle to generate heat and weld fabrics together.

Bemis officials said the seams are as strong as sewn seams and have better elasticity, allowing the garments to react better to stretching, twisting and turning. The fact that the seams are also waterproof is another boon to surf and outwear companies.

While these processes are currently more expensive than traditional cut-and-sew methods, advancements in equipment are bringing prices down.

“We see other companies making major capital investments [in equipment],” said Bemis Marketing Manager Chris Parlee.

“This can go everywhere,” she added, explaining that outerwear is just the tip of the iceberg.

Surfwear companies are now building totally stitchless garments using adhesives on the front of shorts as well as on the sides. Other performance athletic companies are using the technology for bicycle shorts and jerseys, body suits, and garments for just about any activity that requires form-fitting apparel, Parlee said.

Parlee said it is only a matter of time before the seamless concept trickles down to the fashion and lifestyle categories. The only reason it has not yet is because most designers do not know about the technology, she said.

“We see how it can benefit the construction of blouses, for example,” Parlee said. “But everybody is resistant to change. Our challenge is to get [manufacturers] to see how it all works.”

The company will have a lab at its booth during the Jan. 29–Feb. 1 run of the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City.