Fabrics for apparels, where comfort, durability and fit are the main criteria are manufactured with incorporation of Lycra. Stretch has fairly obvious impact on comfort, adding flexibility and freedom of movement. This research was carried out to test woven and knitted fabrics in combination of 97% cotton and 3% Lycra for their physical properties. These properties would be useful for construction of garments providing comfort, ease of body movement, and a good fit with shape retention. It was found from the study that strength and elongation values of compact woven fabrics were better with presence of Lycra. Knitted fabrics with looped structure exhibited highest elongation values. Growth and recovery property of fabrics showed better recovery value. Shrinkage behavior for all four fabrics was also within tolerable limit. The results of cyclic loading showed that even with Lycra woven fabrics could give recovery range within very lower limits of stress than knitted fabrics. The results of stretch and recovery on wearing would be useful for predictions of sizes to accommodate range of body sizes which could be used for construction of garments even with different styles. Woven Lycra blends would have additional advantage of allowing sewers to more closely fit a pattern and be very comfortable. For knits they would be comfortable as well as more of dimensionally stable fabrics.
