A SIMPLIFIED HISTORY OF STRETCH IN FASHION
KNIT Antiquity: On Egyptian bas-reliefs, queens dresses, possibly knitted.
KNIT III-IVth century: Knitting (see Byzantine knitted stockings in the Cluny Museum, Paris).
KNIT XI-XIIth century: Knitted jackets at the Museum of SENS and at V & A.
Ditto during the Renaissance.
BIAS XIIIth century : Bias fabric inlays in dresses cut.
BIAS XVth century (perhaps earlier): Bias trousers in Northern India (called pyjamas in Europe) or jodhpurs.
JERSEY 1667: Invention of the mechanical knitting in the island of Jersey.
JERSEY 1780: Garment for a man in black silk jersey. Musée de la Mode, Paris.
GUM 1840: FIRST ELASTOMER, women's shoes in unbleached leather, with gum smocks.
JERSEY 1880 : Lady’s suit and sportswear in blocked wool jersey. Ditto for a man sport jacket (see book History of the wool), underwear for women and men in jersey silk or cotton (perhaps wool).
BIAS 1870-1880 : Use of bias in the back, in women's suits, for comfort.
1880 With the invention of sport, uses of knitting.
GUM 1920 : creation of silk tulle (jersey) mixed with gum for corsets.
1920 : Madeleine Vionnet theorises bias ; SILK JERSEY DRESS by Chanel: two different approaches to the concept of freedom and comfort.
1920-1930 : Ladies’ suits of wool jersey couture by Chanel, Patou, Molyneux, etc..
1931 : Creation of Elanca elastomer in Switzerland. 1936 : Using Elanca for tulle and fabrics for girdles and underwear. 1950 : Use for nylon satin swimwear and ski pants.
1950 to 1960 : Various elastomers are created in the West, used for sportswear and fabrics for pants.
1963-1970 : CREATION OF LYCRA 1963-1970, the finest and most extendable elastomer. REVOLUTION of Lycra jersey for swimwear, dance (polyamide Lycra jersey), sportswear, lingerie fabrics (satin, silk, jersey cotton or polyester) and pants (wool, jeans, cotton).
1975 Giorgio Sant'Angelo, American designer, creates clothes in Lycra jersey.
1982-1985 Marc Audibet CREATES MONO THEN BI-STRETCH FABRICS FOR FASHION WITH THE HELP OF MANUFACTURERS AND THEN THE SUPPORT OF DUPONT DE NEMOURS: the concept of FASHION STRETCH.
1985 Start of research on the thread of the spider.
1986 Alaia creates his knit-stretch. Gaultier, Lagerfeld, and ALL creators use the stretch, including stretch leather.
In the 2000s, the concept of STRETCH invades the world of cars, of the eyewear. EVEN AIRCRAFT MADE WITH STRETCH FABRICS are envisioned.
Marc Audibet 's Ilustration 2012
Trope-L'oeil 
Violeta Sanchez & Marco de Rivera 
