Zeno Active Germany: Sports Dress Built on Polyester/Spandex Ponte Roma Knit
Zeno Active, based in Germany, needed a sports dress that delivered abrasion resistance for daily wear without moving away from a clean, commercial silhouette. The finished fabric was Polyester/Spandex Ponte Roma Knit.
Project brief and fabric selection
The fabric selected combines Ponte Roma Knit (fine rib double knit) with PET with 12-20% elastane, giving durability with easy care. Construction is fine rib double knit at 250-310 GSM. The brief also asked for plus dimensional stability. Each lot was checked against ASTM D4966 abrasion before cutting began.
Construction and fit decisions
Pattern and construction were adjusted around the chosen fabric: seam placement moved away from high-friction areas, stitch density was matched to the elastane content, and the fit block was revised once the first wear trial showed the panel tension distribution. The development brief set the outcome as the fabric passed 25000 Martindale cycles without yarn break.
Dyeing and finishing approach
Finishing was limited to processes that support abrasion resistance for daily wear. Soft handle came from construction rather than heavy softening, which keeps performance stable through repeated washing. Consistency between repeat lots mattered more to Zeno Active than an isolated best result.
Measured results
Measured outcome: the fabric passed 25000 Martindale cycles without yarn break, verified by ASTM D4966 abrasion. Size sets were checked after five home washes to confirm that dimensional change stayed inside the agreed tolerance before bulk release. Fabric Polyester/Spandex Ponte Roma Knit supplied the base behaviour for abrasion resistance for daily wear.
Repeat order performance
The style moved to repeat orders after two seasons. Bulk fabric is now booked against a fixed recipe, with test reports issued per lot, and the Ponte Roma Knit construction is used for additional colourways in the same programme. The Germany market requires documentation, so reports shipped with every lot.
