Gore has announced the launch of a new XCR Stretch fabric we first
told you about earlier this year.
The easiest way of describing it is simply that it does what it
says on the box. Gore has taken its highly breathable XCR membrane,
as used mainly in top-end technical shell clothing, and mated it with
a stretch face fabric and a backing knit .
Although the company has produced stretch fabrics before, this is
the first one using a more robust woven, as opposed to knitted,
construction making it ideal for technical use where toughness and
abrasion resistance are important.
'The [new] fabric has given designers the freedom to
create waterproof garments with a closer fit and a modern clean
line.' Says Gore's Jonathan Burnell.
'This allows a reduction in the volume of fabric in the jacket,
meaning fewer restrictions to the wearer in terms of movement and
vision. Now the outer shell can move in harmony with other stretch
layers in the clothing system.'
Clothing using the new XCR Stretch fabric is due in the shops for
autumn/winter 2002, which means you'll see it later this year and
companies who'll be using it include Berghaus, The North Face,
Marmot, Haglofs, Peak Performance, Millet, Eider and Mammut.
We'll be bringing you first impressions as soon as we can, but
it's not the only new fabric in Gore's line-up. As regular users will
know, there's something else on the way, but we can't tell you about
it until August.
Technical Bit The materials include PA Cordura and elastane
in the face fabric, a 100 per-cent Gore-Tex XCR Stretch membrane and
a backing knit using PA and elastane.
See
the Gore-Tex UK web site
