Word: knits
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Curls and Stretches. Unlike regular knits, which are produced by inter-looping a single yarn, double knit fabric is made by interlocking the loops from two strands of yarn with a double stitch-one in back, one in front. This makes a strong, supple cloth that is suitable for dresses, suits, jackets and even rainwear. Double knits, which had been made in West Germany and Italy for decades, did not come into their own until English textile makers in the early 1960s found that they could produce the fabric with polyester. This was made possible by a process called texturizing...
More than 300 firms have leaped into production. The most spectacular corporate success in double knits has been eight-year-old Texfi Industries Inc., headquartered in Greensboro, N.C. Texfi President Joseph Hamilton, 51, who left his job at Burlington Indus tries to help found the firm, was quick to see the need for a single producer who could knit, dye and finish the fabric. He borrowed money, issued a public stock offering to get more and went into production. Texfi is now the biggest producer of double knits, with estimated sales this year of $160 million, a 66% increase over...
Second to Texfi is Deering Milliken, a privately held company that pioneered large-scale U.S. double knit production with woolens in 1959. Duplan Corp., which began buying up small knitting mills in 1968, is in third place. During last year's recession, the firm posted record sales of more than $156 million, a substantial portion in double knits...
...front runners gained an early lead partly because most major weavers, like Collins & Aikman and J.P. Stevens, miscalculated double knit's staying power and were late getting into the race. Burlington Industries, the nation's biggest textile firm, began making double knit fabric only 18 months...
Despite their popularity, double knits have drawbacks. Being less tightly bound than top-quality woven cloth, double knits develop snags more easily. Cutting them is a problem; a garment is sometimes larger or smaller than its stated size. Alterations are also tricky because rips or marks can be left behind when a seam is let out or a waist expanded. Since there is no such problem when a garment is shortened or taken in, it is better for customers to buy a garment that is a bit too big rather than a bit too snug. Moreover, because of the limitations...