Element Six United States: Zip-Front Jacket Built on Polyester/Spandex Spacer Knit
Element Six, based in United States, needed a zip-front jacket that delivered colour fastness in dark shades without moving away from a clean, commercial silhouette. The finished fabric was Polyester/Spandex Spacer Knit.
Project brief and fabric selection
The fabric selected combines Spacer Knit (two faces joined by spacer yarns) with PET with 12-20% elastane, giving durability with easy care. Construction is two faces joined by spacer yarns at 280-380 GSM. The brief also asked for plus a resilient middle layer. Each lot was checked against ISO 105-C06 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 wash fastness reached grade 4-5 on all shades.
Dyeing and finishing approach
Finishing was limited to processes that support colour fastness in dark shades. Soft handle came from construction rather than heavy softening, which keeps performance stable through repeated washing. Consistency between repeat lots mattered more to Element Six than an isolated best result.
Measured results
Measured outcome: wash fastness reached grade 4-5 on all shades, verified by ISO 105-C06. Size sets were checked after five home washes to confirm that dimensional change stayed inside the agreed tolerance before bulk release. Fabric Polyester/Spandex Spacer Knit supplied the base behaviour for colour fastness in dark shades.
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 Spacer Knit construction is used for additional colourways in the same programme. The United States market requires documentation, so reports shipped with every lot.
