Posted August 5, 2014

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Burlington, a division of International Textile Group, Inc. (ITG), has announced product expansions and new offerings.

 

Plaidology™ Collection

The company said it has expanded its Plaidology™ Collection. The 100 percent piece-dyed plaid collection allows customers to create a custom plaid design from a variety of fabric weight, pattern sizes, and repeats. Perfect for active lifestyles, these fabrics combine fashion and function to move seamlessly through the day.

 

Burlington is introducing Plaidology Plus with more function at the Outdoor Retailer show this week. The expanded process offers even more creative print options to functional fabrics while saving time and resources, it said. With Plaidology Plus, customers create a unique electronic CAD design and Pantone colors.  Burlington takes those elements and prints it onto one of its many performance-enhanced fabrics, allowing customers to coordinate color and strategy between a solid fabric, custom Plaidology piece dye and a Plaidology Plus print design.

 

"Plaidology fabrics are 'lifestyle ready' and easily transition from one activity to another," said Belinda Burt, product development manager for Burlington. “Whether casting your fishing rod, running around town or enjoying a neighborhood cookout, these fabrics offer unique flexibility in design, color, performance and comfort."

 

The Plaidology process allows for shorter lead times and lower dye lot minimums compared to yarn-dyed plaids, Burlington said. Customers begin the Plaidology process by choosing their preferred fabric style, pattern and color.  Plaidology contents vary from four-color to two-color varieties allowing for light, medium and dark shades. The next step is to determine the desired Burlington® performance technology. These element management solutions can be applied as a single technology or cross-matrixed for multiple functionality and protection from elements such as sun, water, and insects.

 

"It's an exciting process," Burt said. "This technology allows customers to quickly and easily create a color story and theme across numerous fabrics, giving the consumer advanced performance fabrics that feel and look great."

 

Durapel® Eco

Burlington also announced the introduction of Durapel® Eco, an environmentally engineered finish that provides water repellency free of fluorocarbon compounds. Durapel technology is a unique water and stain repellent finish with exceptional durability that provides maximum protection through repeated washings while maintaining the aesthetics engineered into every fabric, the company said.

 

Durapel Eco expands on Burlington's Durapel® Plus. Inspired by nature, Durapel Eco replicates the "Lotus Effect," producing an inherent coating that creates repellency in the same way that Lotus leaves repel dirt and rain droplets roll off the wings of a butterfly, Burlington said. 

 

Durapel Eco fabrics carry the bluesign® approved label certifying they have been manufactured using bluesign® approved dyes, chemicals and raw materials.  The bluesign® system offers a third-party approval certification for the textile industry that takes into account the whole production process and minimizing the impact on the environment and safeguarding human health.  Burlington became a bluesign® system partner in June 2013.

 

"Performance and protection are key components in clothing the outdoor enthusiast," says Bill DiIanni, director of Burlington Labs. "Our new Durapel Eco technology provides our customers with a solution they have come to expect with reduced environmental impact that reflects the enthusiast's sustainable ideals." 

 

MERINO FX

Additionally, Burlington has unveiled MERINO FX, a revolutionary collection of season-less performance merino fabrics designed for outdoor enthusiasts.

 

The natural comfort, resilience and versatility of wool make it a staple to any outdoor wardrobe, according to the company. The MERINO FX collection includes 100 percent merino and merino-blended technologies in various weights and constructions across of variety of styles and advanced performance. The collection features performance and sustainable blends that incorporate CORDURA® certified yarns, Supima cotton, flax and Tencel®, along with plaid fashions made from 100 percent merino.

 

"Harvested from merino sheep, merino wool is often overlooked as a year-round and versatile fiber," said Tom Aubrey, product development manager for Burlington. "The very thing that makes wool warm in winter makes it cool in summer, and the natural give and elasticity of wool fibers yields to the body's movement, making them incredibly comfortable, wrinkle resistant and longwearing – a perfect complement for outdoor lifestyles."

 

Merino wool naturally regulates temperature and excels in insulating the body against the heat, as well as the cold. The fibers trap pockets of air close to the body and these pockets warm or cool as the need arises. Wool fibers are hydrophilic and have an unmatched ability to absorb moisture and transmit it to the air, keeping the body dry and comfortable, summer and winter, the company said.

 

Comfort is an added bonus of merino wool. Because it is a very fine fiber, merino is incredibly soft and lightweight and offers unexpected comfort that is perfect for next to skin applications. These fabrics are easy to care for, have natural antimicrobial properties and most are machine washable.

 

"Wool also provides a tremendous platform for sustainable fabrics," Aubrey said. "It is 100 percent biodegradable and is incredibly durable due to its crisp, compact structure that far outlasts many synthetic fibers. We have further enhanced the sustainable versatility of merino with MERINO FX blends using Supima cotton, flax and Tencel fibers.”