Does anyone wear control top pantyhose anymore? For that matter, does anyone wear pantyhose?
Nobody Likes Compression
Years ago, when I was working as a full-time apparel exec and traveling the world in search of bras and panties for Victoria's Secret, I wore a lot of skirts. Skirts traveled well– you could wear a skirt in rotation for more days than pants, they were more comfortable for long car rides to far-flung factories and if they were made of light, flowy fabrics they didn't take up as much room in the suitcase.
I didn't love pantyhose as much, but for the professional look, in those days, pantyhose were de rigeur. But, I could never bear to wear control top– all for one reason– compression. They squeezed my mid-section and the waistband always left a red welt; I couldn't stand them.
Modulus
The secret behind control top pantyhose is that the material used to make them is designed with a very high modulus–it takes a lot of force to stretch them out and they want to return to their original state. This creates compression as a result– the "control" in control top. And this property, how much force is needed to stretch the elastic, is called modulus.
Modulus is one of the properties that can make elastic waistbands uncomfortable for little ones with sensitive skin. If the modulus is too high (in other words, if it takes a lot of force to stretch to fit), then the elastic will bind. The force as it tries to return to its original measurement will be too harsh. Lots of kids rebel against this, but for the tactile sensitive, wearing underwear with this type of elastic is excruciating.
Read more about kids and uncomfortable elastic in our blog post Why Your Kid Hates Wearing Underwear.
Comfortable Elastic is all about Balance
But designing elastic is a bit of a balancing act. If the modulus is too low and the elastic too easy to stretch, then it doesn't perform as it's meant to. It doesn't hold the garment in place.
One of my daughter's friends was wearing leggings with that type of elastic this weekend. She was constantly having to pull them up as she ran up the driveway. And we've all had experience with "dead" elastic– that's elastic that's completely lost its stretch and just lies there.
I just threw out my favorite pair of undies. They were washed and worn so many times the elastic just completely wore out. This can also happen on inexpensive underwear with cheap elastic after just a few wash cycles.
Behind the scenes at Lucky & Me, elastics are designed with comfort in mind. The elastics used are specially designed with the finest yarns, high elasticity so they stretch to fit, low modulus so they are not too tight, and good stretch recovery so the elastic returns to its original state time after time.
Lucky & Me girls underwear has the softest and comfiest elastic at both the waistband and leg openings. Boys underwear has a wide elastic at the waistband for a super soft and comfy fit. Your little ones will stay comfy all day long.
By Liz Smith. Liz has worked across the globe for many of the world's best known apparel brands, including Justice, Chico's, Victoria's Secret, and Hanes. She has worked closely with dozens of factories in more than 20 countries to ensure that production is of the highest standard. Liz has managed all aspects of garment production, from design through fabric development to sewing and merchandising - so she knows what it takes to make high-quality apparel. Liz is thrilled to share her knowledge about clothes to help discerning customers choose the finest products.