GK offers fabrics that are produced to meet our exclusive stretch and quality standards.
GK takes tremendous pride in having the best fabrics in the industry. As the leader in
performance apparel, it's important for us to advise you of the tendencies of certain
fabrics, as well as practices to avoid.
Our fabrics can be grouped into two categories:
- Long Wearing Durable Fabrics: Nylon/Spandex, Velvet, DryTech, Brushed Tricot,
TechMesh, Campus Stretchtek and Campus Performance Mesh.
- DryTech may shrink when heat is applied.
- Sequinz cannot be applied to Velvet.
- Special Care Fragile Fabrics: Hologram, Mesh, and Nylon/spandex with Foil
(Mystique)
- Note that certain high fashion fabrics are more susceptible to wear and
fading than other traditional long wearing, durable fabrics. Hologram and
Nylon/Spandex with Foil (Mystique) fabrics will dull slightly in jeweled
areas due to heat application.
Fragile Fabrics need extra special care:
- Repeated wear and washing may cause the fabrics to fade or lose foil.
- Alcohol in all aerosol products, such as hairspray, affect these fabrics. Please
cover garment before applying. Perfumes and body lotions can also affect fragile
fabrics.
- Deodorants and perspiration may cause these fabrics to color bleed, fade or lose
foil, especially when the two colors meet under the arms. We recommend the
use of pure crystal deodorant, which does not contain Aluminum Chlorohydrate.
- Mesh could potentially be damaged due to the rigors of certain routines, where
person to person contact can add stress to the fabric. You are free to order this
fabric, but do so with great discretion because Elite Sportswear, L. P. will not
guarantee the life span of this fabric. If you choose to use mesh in a design you
will be asked to sign a waiver. The waiver states that Elite Sportswear, L.P. will
not be responsible for replacing or repairing your garment(s).
- Color transference or color bleed occurs when a white or light color fabric is
combined with a bright or dark color fabric. This is a common industry problem
and can become obvious under certain conditions, especially when a light color
garment is worn under a dark color warm-up or short and/or when damp
garments are left in gym bags. It is impossible for Elite Sportswear, L.P. to
guarantee that our fabrics will not bleed, even by following proper washing
instructions, due to the individual nature of each athlete's wear/washing
procedure. The following is a list of fabrics that may be at greater risk for color
bleed, when combined with white or light color fabrics: Berry Mystique, Black
Mystique, Navy Mystique, Red Mystique, Rich Red Velvet and Merlot Mystique.
You are free to order any fabric and color combination, but please do so with
great discretion. If you choose to combine light and dark colors, Elite Sportswear,
L.P. will not be responsible for replacing your garment(s) if color bleed occurs.
- Fabric softeners negatively affect the adhesives used in our garments, causing
the foil on our fabrics to discolor and the embellishments to fall off.
Important Washing Instructions for all fabrics:
Garment(s) must be washed separately. Turn garments inside out. Use a mild liquid
detergent, gently hand wash in a large volume of cold water. Rinse immediately.
DO NOT allow garment to soak. Pat dry with a clean towel and use a thick plastic hanger
to air dry.
DO NOT use fabric softeners. Fabric softeners negatively affect the adhesives used in
our garments, causing the foil on our fabrics to discolor and the embellishments to fall
off.
DO NOT dry clean. Dry cleaning uses harsh chemicals that can damage the fabric and
embellishments used in our garments.
DO NOT iron. The heat from an iron can melt and/or discolor the delicate fabrics in our
garments. Excessive heat can also weaken the adhesives used to attach the
embellishments to the garment and cause them to fall off.
Elite Sportswear, L.P. will not guarantee any garment that is not washed and dried as
directed. If you choose to combine sensitive fabrics and colors, it is at your own risk. GK
may refuse returns on special orders in those combinations.