Frequently Asked Questions of alt.lycra
Version 4.01 - January 5, 1997
Created by:
The Invincible (invncble@best.com)
Maintained by:
Robert Goodwin (rsg0910@iglou.com)
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This FAQ is now maintained by Robert Goodwin, rsg0910@iglou.com. The
Invincible (invncble@best.com) no longer maintains this project.
All suggestions, comments, additions, and corrections are welcome and
greatly appreciated! Please email them to me at rsg0910 address. A webpage
is provided for updated FAQs, at:
http://members.iglou.com/rsg0910/lycrafaq.html
It will not be HTML-ized, but kept in regular text format.
Much of the information was collected from postings from the alt.lycra
USENET group as well as personal email contacts. Some of the information is
paraphrased.
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About the FAQ:
The alt.lycra always needed a simple document that could answer the
basic questions and concerns that all newcomers to the wonderful
material that we call lycra had. From simple questions such as "Where
can I get..." to the more complicated "How can I make...", they
appeared on the newsgroup again and again. The FAQ is designed to
make it easier and better for the puzzled user to find the answer to
the nagging question. The information in this list was collected from
the postings on the news group. I will continuously monitor all the
relevant info and decided if it is worth placing on the FAQ. Anything
that could be considered personal will not be placed into the FAQ
unless consent is given. Credits to particular people can be removed
or replaced with a pseudonym if desired. Lastly, I encourage all
lycra fans to contribute to the FAQ.
Copyright (C) 1995 by The Invincible, Robert Goodwin, and the members of
the Usenet Newsgroup, alt.lycra, for their invaluable information. All
rights reserved.
Disclaimer:
This document is distributed "as is" by the author. The author will
not be held accountable for an direct, indirect, accidental, or
consequential harm or damage to any property or persons. The author
is in no way connected to any of the businesses and suppliers offering
service. Also, the author does not receive any kind of payment,
monetary or otherwise, for writing and maintaining this FAQ.
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Table of Contents:
==================
1. Background Information
1. FAQ History
2. What is alt.lycra?
3. History of alt.lycra
4. Netiquette on alt.lycra
2. Terminology
1. Lycra
2. Spandex
3. Leotard, Unitard, Catsuit
4. T-Back Sports Bra, Body Suit, Bike Pants, Biking Shorts, Capri
Pants (Capris), Stretch Pants, Ankle Pants, Stirrups, Thong Back
Brief, and Bikini from LycraTM Spandex Terminology Listing
3. Online Information
1. Online Catalogs
2. Personal WWW Pages
3. Online Lycra-related Information and Opinions
4. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and #alt.lycra/#lycra channel
4. Normal Lycra Wear
1. How can I overcome my fear of wearing spandex in public?
2a. What is a dance belt and where can I get a nylon lycra dance belt?
b. Where can I get a nylon lycra dance belt?
3. Review of Different Brands of Tights
4. Review of Different Brands of Leotards
5. Review of Different Brands of Unitard
6. Taking Care of Your Lycra
7. How does supplex lycra compare with nylon lycra?
5. Play Gear
1. How can I make a cheap lycra hood?
2. How can I make a cheap lycra sleepsack?
6. Entertainment
1. "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers"
2. Are there any other TV shows or movies that have people wearing
lycra?
7. Suppliers of Lycra and Lycra-related items
1. What mail-order companies carry lycra items?
2. What companies sell plain spandex?
3. What lycra specialty companies are there?
4. Are There Any Good Lycra Shops in London?
5. Where can I get rubberized lycra or speedskating/luge suits?
6. Danskin Factory Outlet List (Locations and Phone Numbers)
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1. Background Information
1.1. FAQ History:
All other previous versions - no information available
Version 2.0 - Adding copyright and disclaimer information.
Reorganizing the information into subgroups. Adding
Table of Contents. (November 12, 1995)
Version 2.1 - Adding more homepage information (Dupont and Kerryjtv).
(November 16, 1995)
Version 2.2 - Removing entry for Pro Belt Dance Belt from
International Male catalog (December 9, 1995)
Version 3.0 - Adding more terminology from the LycraTM Spandex
terminology index, adding some instances of spandex
from the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers", renumbering
Section 4-6, creating Section 5. (Play Gear), rename
Section 4. to (Normal Lycra Wear), adding "How to
overcome fear of wearing spandex in public", adding
creation of alt.lycra, adding stores in NYC to get
lycra t-shirts, adding review of different brands of
tights, leotards, and unitards, adding taking care of
your lycra.
version 3.1 - Reclassifying the online resources (WWW Pages), adding
the following www pages: Sports Europa, cyclist
dressing up, online catalog from a sailing mail-order
company, online L.L. Bean catalog, griping about people
wearing spandex, online catalog from Playware, online
catalog from Adam's and Gillian's BDSM, and cycling
fashion commentary; adding review of supplex lycra,
adding Danskin Factory outlet list, adding Ms. Morraine
in lycra supplier list, adding Male Hide Leathers in
specialty section.
version 3.5 - Robert Goodwin (rsg0910@iglou.com) took over from The
Invincible after no updates were made to this document
in nearly a year. This is merely a minor addition to
reflect the changes. After more corrections are added,
version 4.0 will be released. Minor corrections to
margins were done to make it look a bit more readable.
version 4.0 - Added the Internet Relay Chat server listing and channel
names, updated Entertainment with some lycra sightings,
and updated the Young Originals review.
version 4.01 - Added final Young Originals review, added Gandolfi
review, deleted Mark Chester's listing at his request, and modified the
Netiquette section.
1.2. What is alt.lycra?
The purpose of alt.lycra was to discuss anything related to lycra, the
synthetic fiber created by DuPont. This ranged from where do get a
particular item to what were the different opinions about a specific
lycra item. Stories (non-fiction and fiction) with some mention of
lycra have also been posted here. It is also a place where anyone a
bit shy about their enjoyment of lycra could talk to others for
support and encouragement. In a time where dressing up in lycra could
have lead to a stereotype or label being placed on the wearer, this
group offers help. Finally, this group has been a place for everyone
to see that there is nothing wrong with wearing and enjoying lycra.
1.3. History of alt.lycra
- m91djm@ecs.ox.ac.uk (Dan Mitchell)
History; there was a lot of discussion of the merits of lycra amongst
a (incidentally mainly male) group of readers of soc.bi, amongst which
the suggestion of setting up a group specifically for the topic came
up; so I actually did get one set up.
- porsupah@tbyte.com
The creation of alt.lycra took two newgroupings, at any rate - the
first one (issued at drycas? I'm not sure) managed to get the group
through to some sites, but left many still outside the sleek fun. The
esteemed Mr. Mitchell and I wondered how best to solve that, and I
ended up asking some kind Canadian site admin (I can't remember who)
to resend the newgroup, figuring that newgroups coming from two
distinct parts of the net might make it filter through effectively.
Within a few days, the group was visible to a useful majority of
sites.
1.4. Netiquette on alt.lycra:
Please read the following comments concerning the alt.lycra.
This group is listed on the alt hierarchy in the Usenet. There will be
posts that will have a sexual connotation to them. Likewise, sexually
explicit language will be used which should be taken without any kind
of offense. If any of the above disturbs you, please do not subscribe
to this newsgroup.
When posting to alt.lycra, please be respectful to the views and
feelings of the other readers. Continued harassment and questionable
comments will not be tolerated, as you may be reported to your
provider. Finally, behave in a proper but not necessarily agreeable
manner. Debates or disagreements are bound to happen. However,
mutual respect is expected. Insulting the members of the group or
their interest will only cause a negative backlash against you. As
usual, personal postings are allowed, as there seems to have been no
large complaints filed.
No posts by commercial businesses for the sake of advertising. Rating,
or discussing a particular product is welcome, of course.
Anonymous posting to alt.lycra is welcomed. However, anonymous
postings will have the same guidelines as any other kind of posting.
Posting binaries on this group is generally discouraged, since the
group is considered a non-binary, that is, it is not called
alt.binaries.pictures.lycra. Some providers have no formal policy,
while others do. There are some reports of some who have removed it,
while others may in the future. The best suggestion is to post it in a
binaries group, like alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.fetish.latex, or
something similar, and post on alt.lycra where you can find it. Some
of us still read the group offline, and answer offline, so it's best
to post binaries elsewhere. It is possible that there may be an
alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.fetish.lycra, but no one has ever made
mention of it.
2. Terminology
2.1. Lycra - by Susan B. (an207248@anon.penet.fi)
Lycra is the DuPont registered trademark for their brand of spandex
fibers. Since 1992, DuPont has been advertising Lycra heavily in the
US (and maybe elsewhere) print medium, pointing out that Lycra is ONLY
available from DuPont.
Vyrene is another brand name for spandex, but has not been seen in the
US for more than a decade.
2.2. Spandex - by Susan B. (an207248@anon.penet.fi)
Generic term (mostly in US) for the family of lightweight, rugged,
stretchy fibers containing at least 85% polyurethane. Polyurethane is
a type of "plastic" material that is very similar to rubber in many
respects but has many superior characteristics and none of rubber's
"bad" habits.
First patented in 1954 by DuPont (US), spandex fibers were improved
significantly during the mid and late '50s until they began to
displace elastic (rubber) in corsets, girdles, bras, and such around
1960.
Spandex is three to six times more powerful than elastic on a weight-
to-weight basis, and unlike elastic, spandex is highly resistant to
abrasion, ozone, oils (including skin oils and applied lotions), and
detergents. And also unlike elastic, the fibers of which, must be
relatively thick to be strong enough to be used in modern high-speed
knitting machines and must be covered with another material such as
cotton or nylon (an expensive process) to be suitable for use in
clothing, spandex fibers are thin, strong, and light, and can be
knitted directly into fabrics in their raw state. All of these things
make spandex far superior to elastic for use in stretchy garments.
When spandex is added during the knitting process to other fibers such
as nylon or cotton, which have essentially no "stretch" at all by
themselves, the result is a fabric that is light, thin, durable, and
cool, has plenty of stretch, and a variety of finishes (from matte to
shiny metallic). Fabrics containing a small amount of spandex are
frequently used in close-fitting sport outfits, street clothes, and
less expensive fetish items, all of which are comfortable, form-
fitting, and allow complete freedom of movement. Fabrics containing
higher percentages of spandex are used for all kinds of foundation and
"figure control" garments, and similar fetish wear, generally
eliminating the NEED for boning.
Elastane, but before 1976, elastomeric, is the similar generic term
usually found outside the US.
2.3. Leotard - by UZYG79A@prodigy.com (George Schaaf)
Leotards are basically like women's one-piece bathing suits. They
can, however, have long sleeves.
Unitard - by UZYG79A@prodigy.com (George Schaaf)
Unitards come in several styles, but they all incorporate some kind of
a leg (bike short, knee-length pant, ankle length, or even footed,
where they cover the foot too). These don't have to have full-length
sleeves either. Sometimes bike-short length unitards are called
"bikatards".
Catsuit - by invncble@best.com (The Invincible)
Catsuits are essentially unitards with attached long sleeves.
The cover the body from the next to the toes. Gloves, feet, and a hood
can also be attached to the catsuit to provide total body coverage.
Front or back zips are part of them, to allow the wearer to get in and
out, to give the suit its look on the wearer. The newer catsuits
coming out are now incorporating hoods.
2.4. T-Back Sports Bra, Body Suit, Bike Pants, Biking Shorts, Capri Pants
(Capris), Stretch Pants, Ankle Pants, Stirrups, Thong Back Brief, and
Bikini from LycraTM Spandex Terminology Listing
- piero@cyberverse.com (Dairenn Lombard)
T-Back Sports Bra: This is garment, though does not appear to be a bra
has built in cups for support, comfort and stability. It takes on the
features of brassiere because of the shoulder straps, however, it is
only removable by means of a shirt. This is mostly worn for people
engaged in high-movement exercise activities.
Body Suit: This is identical to a leotard (which looks like a bathing
suit); however, the difference is that, in order to be made for casual
living, it has been made with an opening under the crotch to
facilitate easy removal without having to remove all of ones own
clothing (this comes in handy in the event one may need to visit the
facilities).
Bike pants, biking shorts: Because it is tremendously unsafe to ride
bicycles with baggy jeans on, bike pants were developed so the clothes
would not catch within the chain or the tire spokes so the bike will
suddenly stop flinging one from their seat (which is disastrous under
any circumstances). Bike Pants are made with spandex and are about
half-thigh length and can be worn in daily use for comfort.
Capri pants (capris): These pants (though not obligated to be made
with spandex) go as far as half-way down the shins.
Stretch pants, ankle pants: These are ordinary pants, however, like
all spandex, it clings to the body like tights. Some have taken to
weaving spandex into denim for "stretchable jeans."
Stirrups: Pants with stirrups to keep the pants legs down; almost
always made with Spandex.
Thong back brief: This garment is worn for the comfort(?) of the one
exercising, it is worn over the unitard/bike-a-tard/leotard/biking
shorts and to fit snugly between the cheeks of the buttocks.
Bikini: Traditionally thought to be the name of the entire swimsuit,
it is, in fact, only the definition of a style of briefs cut for that
swimsuit. Many swimsuits are made that are two-piece, however though,
are not bikinis. More accurately, they should be referred to two-
piece bikinis (only referred to as a bikini for ease of
verbalization). Bikinis are cut with the legs high and with the flesh
of the crotch partially seen on each side; the rear has each buttock
half-covered in an upward V design. Some bikinis are cut with a
low-stomach as to have a dip downward into the crotch to present the
optical illusion that the woman's stomach is in fact a lot longer than
it originally is. This piece of fabric, for the peace of mind for its
wearer is made for spandex (so it may continue to remain on their body
even if something does snag onto it).
The unique quality about spandex (Lycra brand) is the ability to
absorb sweat, keeping the body cool. This makes exercising less
burdensome by relieving the body of the weight of the clothes that, if
made with cotton, would be heavy with one's own body sweat.
3. Online Information
3.1. On-line catalogs
http://catalog.savvy.com
Found a WWW location that will send catalogs from many, many
different kinds of companies. Several of the listing were for
athletic clothing and equipment (i.e.baseball, football,
wrestling...)
http://www.steamedheat.com/
Steamed Heat's home page. They carry male and female lycra items.
http://www.lubricants.dupont.com/catalog/page8.html
One of the WWW pages from a catalog from Dupont with cycling related
items.
http://pwr.com/sporteuropa
The Sports Europa Homepage/Online Catalog. Still Under Construction.
http://paw.com/sail/sailangl/shorts
An html page from an online catalog, showing spandex shorts.
http://www.llbean.com/products/xcskiing/GY14-2/
An html page from the L.L. Bean online catalog for skiing tights.
http://www.playware.com/
An online catalog of lingerie, underwear, etc. from Playware.
http://www.catalog.com/utopian/catalog/new.html
A page from Adam's and Gillian's BDSM online catalog with lycra
hoods.
3.2. Personal WWW Pages
http://phymat.bham.ac.uk/Lycra/
A Gay Men in Lycra Gallery WWW page. These are images of men in
spandex. Also, there is a resource list of UK suppliers.
http://users.aol.com/kerryjtv/index.htm
A personal WWW page of a lycra fan. Images of him in a Spiderwoman
and black catsuit outfits.
http://pacificrim.net/~robert/pic3.html
A sequence of images of a recreational cyclist (un)dressing up.
3.3. Online Lycra-related Information and Opinions
http://www.fashionmall.com/media/editors/jean/docs/jfindex.htm
A short commentary on cycling fashions
http://bird.taponline.com/style/Lycra.html
A short commentary on Lycra through the ages.
http://www.cedarville.edu/student/s1140578/spandex.htm
A personal homepage with one page for griping about men and
overweight people wearing spandex.
3.4. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and #alt.lycra/#lycra channels
From: "Christopher D. Garry" (docg96@i-2000.com)
The list of DALnet Servers I have came from mIRC, I attached them
below. As for getting on to IRC, it depends on what IRC program you
use. The name of the channel is #Alt.Lycra.
And here's the story on how it was born;
"One day I was sitting in the #Red_Dragon_Guild, which is a Free Form
Roleplaying room I created, watching people jump in and out, wondering
to myself, why don't more people use IRC. Then I logged on to the
#Alt.Lycra newsgroup, as I usually do every night, and started reading
posts. One night, I had seen a posting about Superhero bondage
fantasies, and I posted a reply to it... and someone posted a reply
back to me... and so on and so on. Finally, I gave up on it because I
was getting frustrated after checking for the next reply for a week.
After all of the frustration I've had in finding a "NICE" person in
New Jersey on the newsgroup, it hit me...
Why not give these people a chance to talk to each other in real time,
without having to wait for posts, or e-mail?
So, I went and I created the #Alt.Lycra IRC channel located on the
chain of DALnet servers. So far it's been slow, but I hope after a
couple more weeks, more people will have the chance to talk to others
in the room. From my experiences, it's been wonderful to talk to
SuperJayhawk, and LycraSlave..."
Below is a listing of the DALnet servers. All servers use port 7000
unless otherwise specified.
Description Server
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DALnet : US, CA, Davis davis.DAL.net
DALnet : US, CA, El Segundo cyberverse.DAL.net
DALnet : US, CA, San Diego voyager.DAL.net
DALnet : US, CA, San Jose mindijari.DAL.net
DALnet : US, CA, Santa Clara spider.DAL.net
DALnet : US, HI, Honolulu ohana.DAL.net
DALnet : US, IL, Chicago cin.DAL.net
DALnet : US, KY, Lexington Mystic.DAL.net
DALnet : US, MA, Minneapolis skypoint.DAL.net
DALnet : US, MA, Summerville kechara.ma.us.DAL.net
DALnet : US, MI, Ann Arbor nether.DAL.net
DALnet : US, MO, St.Louis stlouis.DAL.net
DALnet : US, NA, Norfolk toast.DAL.net
DALnet : US, NC, Charlotte uncc.DAL.net
DALnet : US, NY, East Syracuse dreamscape.DAL.net
DALnet : US, NY, NY City taxi.DAL.net
DALnet : US, OH, Toldeo glass.DAL.net
DALnet : US, TX, Amarillo farside.DAL.net
DALnet : US, TX, Houston phoenix.DAL.net
DALnet : US, UT, SL City dragon.DAL.net
The web site for mIRC is http://www.mirc.co.uk.
4. Normal Lycra Wear
4.1. How can I overcome my fear of wearing spandex in public?
- cprasley@nbnet.nb.ca (Chris Rasley)
There are three separate tactics for dealing with this fear.
First, start by wearing spandex bike shorts under another pair of
loose shorts, with just an inch or two peeking out below the hem. Not
only is this unquestionably acceptable, but is periodically trendy.
Several companies even manufacture one-piece shorts that have this
two-layer construction (ie: Nike's "Agassi" model tennis shorts--
denim shorts with a lycra liner that extends several inches below the
denim). Then simply go with less and less cover, showing more and
more lycra. At some point, you can exchange the covering shorts with
a long T-shirt and continue to reduce coverage as you see fit.
Second, start wearing fully-exposed lycra in a setting where it's
expected. Nobody questions wearing lycra bike shorts when you're
riding a bicycle. Nobody points and giggles if you're jogging or
swimming and choose to wear the appropriate spandex gear. Once you
get used to wearing lycra under those conditions, it's a small step to
extend the boundaries--why wear jeans to/from the tennis court, if
you're only going to have to take them off to play? If you're out on
the bike and decide to stop at the store, how can anybody expect you
to change before going in? The thought-process involved changes over
time, from "it's OK to wear spandex because I'm playing tennis" to
"it's OK to wear spandex because I'm on my way to the tennis court" to
"it's OK to wear spandex because I'll probably stop by the tennis
court later" to "it's OK to wear spandex because, um, sometimes I play
tennis."
Third, (and I can only speak for us guys, here) one of the biggest
barriers to wearing just spandex is public is the fear of getting an
erection. You can't hide it. You can't even pretend not to notice.
Since spandex is a fetish for many of us, simply putting it on causes
this fear to justify itself. The only solution is to "get over it".
Either wear spandex around the house until you can put it on without
getting an erection (this may take a *long* time, and will certainly
spoil the fetish to some degree), learn to live with the erection (it
is actually illegal in many places in North America to display/suggest
an erection in public even if fully clothed), or simply avoid wearing
the lycra where an erection is likely (such as a steamy movie or when
hanging out in a "target rich environment" such as a pick-up bar).
4.2a. What is a dance belt and where can I get a nylon lycra dance belt?
- by an191944@anon.penet.fi
A dance belt is a very snug undergarment worn by male ballet dancers
under their tights. It's the dancer's equivalent of a jock strap. It
has a heavy, strong, and generally rather wide elastic at the top
(anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 inches), very tight, almost like a man's
girdle. The back is a narrow strip like a thong, so your tights show
off your ass-cheeks to best advantage.
The pouch in front is triangular, tight, and almost flat. You wear it
with your penis pointing up, not down, and the belt's function is to
keep all your hardware lifted up and forward. Ideally, if you stand
with your leg far apart, nothing will be hanging down in between
them. The pouch is tight enough to keep you pointing up, even when
you land from big jumps. On the other hand, because everything is up
front, there's a conspicuous bulge in front. Some people believe
dancers pad their belts to exaggerate their endowment, but this is
unnecessary; the belt does it all. You occasionally see belts in
which the pouch has a quilted lining; this is for comfort, not for
exaggeration.
Dance belts are normally black or flesh-colored. The flesh-colored
ones are for use under light-colored tights, where a black one might
show through. Because they are so tight, there are no visible lines
from the belt: they are nearly invisible under a pair of tights. They
are made of cotton, cotton/lycra, or nylon/lycra. The nylon/lycra
ones are smoothest and, in the opinion of many, the most comfortable.
(The only nylon/lycra dance belts I know of are made by M. Stevens.)
Dance belts normally come only in small, medium, and large. If your
normal size is medium, a medium dance belt may be too tight for
comfort and you may want to try the next larger size.
Dance belts take some getting used to, because they are so tight.
Some men love them, some can't stand them. You will find out only by
trying. You can find them in any dancewear shop. If you're not a
dancer and not familiar with dancewear shops, you may be put off by
all the frilly girls' things that constitute the bulk of their
merchandise. Don't worry; somewhere off in the back there will be a
small space grudgingly allotted to men's dancewear, and there you
will find the belts. If there is no dealer in your area, consult the
dancewear FAQ posted in alt.arts.ballet or in alt.answers for names
and addresses of mail-order houses.
4.2b. Where can I get a nylon lycra dance belt? - by Tom in Tights
(This information shamelessly stolen from the dancewear FAQ over in
alt.arts.ballet.)
There are really nice ones in nylon spandex (well, nylon lycra) by M.
Stevens. Try dancewear suppliers in your area. If they don't have
them, you can get them by mail order from;
Patterson's
(800) 554-2340
Boston:
181 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
(617) 536-2281
Burlington:
185 Cambridge Street
Burlington, Massachusetts 01803
(617) 273-3089
Chelmsford:
23 Drum Hill Road
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
(508) 459-7300
4.3. Review of Different Brand of Tights
- Superjay@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Super Jayhawk, Avian Defender of KU)
- tightlycra@aol.com (TightLycra)
This is essentially the post from Superjay entitled "Notes on Tights
I". Extra comments from TightLycra are indented with a ">".
Some notes on Lycra/Spandex tights I have been wearing throughout the
years, since there has some been some conversation/questions about
brand names and their feel and texture:
> SuperJay's notes on tights are a good starting point to a more
> complete discussion. I've been wearing Lycra tights since Hind
> first made them available (in fact I recently finally retired my
> very first pair).
Hind Lycra : I really got into Hind Lycra tights, especially since
they had so many colors when no one else did, about 1988 or so.
The problem with Hind is that a) they aren't machine washable and have
to be handwashed all the time, and b) over the years they tend to wear
out and 'flake' out into small dots from the fabric. I don't know if
they are of early manufacture and they've fixed these problems since,
but every pair of Hind Lycra tights that I own has worn-out spots.
> Hind tights are very subject to "Lycra Degradation" which basically
> means that if you allow them sit with sweat or other oils on them,
> they will spontaneously self-destruct. Little spots fall out and
> they look terrible. Religious hand-washing right after sweating in
> them is the only way to prevent this problem. My Hinds seem to last
> quite well, so it is possible to maintain them. I hand-wash ALL my
> tights to insure maximum longevity, and highly recommend this
> practice.
>
> Originally they came in regular and long lengths. since I have
> short legs, I found the regular to be much better fitting.
> Unfortunately, they decided that since Lycra is stretchy, they would
> discontinue the regulars and make everybody wear longs. I bought a
> couple pairs, but they just don't cut the mustard since you get
> bunchy areas when you buy something in Lycra that is too big. The
> only Hinds I currently wear are a heavier weight Lycra with a zipper
> on the ankle. They are great as an alternative to long underwear
> for skiing, and can be worn alone on a warm spring day.
SoftTouch : SoftTouch makes a brand of Lycra tights called "Lite-tite"
that is very good, although very tight (like that's a bad thing?).
They are not made of flatseam construction like the Hind tights, but
they are very snug and you have to stretch them to get them on.
I was impressed with their sheer texture while having enough material
that they weren't see--through. Last time I saw them they were at
Lady Foot Locker and MC Sporting Goods.
Scott Tinley : These are OK, but the fit is too loose and the
waistband drawstring breaks after about a year.
> Agree. If you want tights that are loose, fine, but that seems like
> a contradiction in terms to me.
Nike : These are OK, but overpriced, as they usually run about $45-$55
or so. Besides the fact that on one leg they say "NIKE" in big white
letters. Have you ever tried to run around in a Superhero costume
that said "NIKE" on one leg?
> You are slandering my favorite brand! I've never had to pay that
> much (it seems that $24 - $29 is normal). The Lycra is a nice
> lightweight and I particularly like the feature of no outside side
> seam which makes them very smooth looking. I have several pairs in
> black and they only have a small discreet NIKE near the waist on the
> left side. This is a decal, so it could be scraped off if you found
> it offensive. Like the Hinds, they are a little long, but their
> overall quality makes them quite nice.
Danskin : Danskin makes tights that are pretty durable, especially
since they make them for the dance and not the jogging industry. They
tend to not have a drawstring and tend to be womens' sizes (so what
else is new) but the colors are nicely varied and the fit is very,
very tight and satisfying. Do not be surprised, however, after
wearing Danskins for awhile that they leave "tights-lines" on your
legs.
> I wore Danskin and Capezio nylon tights when I took ballet classes,
> but have never seen their Lycra offerings. Their nylon tights are
> great for dancing, but since they are designed to be rolled over an
> elastic belt to keep them up or worn with suspenders, they aren't
> practical as sportswear. They are also tight enough to show your
> religion (to misquote Robin Williams) so must be worn with a dance
> belt, which isn't everyone's favorite undergarment. Speaking of
> which, what do you like to wear under tights? I've tried many
> things but find that a Champion Cool-Max jock is the all time best
> for sports or hanging out. My dance belts also get frequent use
> under Lycra shorts (which seem to have a tighter crotch than tights)
> or when I really want to park my package up out of the way for
> stretching or dance.
Sport Europa : There has been some talk about Sport Europa here on
this newsgroup, and I have to say that their products are some of the
best I've found around. Their tights are very durable and very shiny
lycra, in quite a few different colors. The $20 version has a
drawstring, while the cheaper ones do not, but they are both very
comfortable. I've had 3-4 different pairs of Sport Europa lycra
tights and they have held up very well to the test of time. Also,
their lycra gloves can't be beat and are better (and less restrictive)
than the lycra gloves I've bought from other places.
Please keep in mind that these observations have been over the last 8
years of wearing spandex, and that the new versions may be different
or much better than my conclusions. But if you enjoy dressing up as a
Superhero in lycra as I do, color, durability and tight fit are of the
utmost importance.
> These opinions are those of other author, who has worn Lycra
> extensively for 10 years for all sorts of activities. Your opinion
> may vary and I look forward to hearing about your experiences.
4.4. Review of Different Brands of Leotards
- Superjay@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Super Jayhawk, Bird in Spandex)
Of course, ever since I was very young, it was fairly obvious that in
order to have a full-blown superhero costume, you had to have both
tights and leotards. Especially before catsuits came along (about the
late 80s, I'd say). So in order to make your outfit complete for a
night's fun, you'd have to go find/buy a matching leotard for your
tights that made the costume look halfway shiny & convincing.
It was hard enough finding leotards that matched the color of the
tights that you had bought, but being a young male going into a
dancewear store asking to buy a leotard can be a pretty embarrassing
thing! Usually the lady at the desk looks at you funny like you're
some kind of nut that should be locked up immediately. I have,
though, found a few sympathetic clerks that are glad to help;
Especially if you tell them that you're into dance; For some reason
it's OK for a man to buy a thong-back pink leotard for dance, but not
if he's getting it just to wear around the house. Odd.
Anyway, one of the hardest things about finding the correct leotard to
match your tights is that most of the leotards out there are designed
and sewn for women. If you have shoulders that are the dimensions of
most men, it's very hard to fit into most of the leotards since they
are intended for women. And men's leotards are the most BORING thing
you can find. Women get all the interesting colors, and men get
black, white and gray. Not to mention that most of the men's leotards
are cotton (UGH!)/nylon instead of the wonderful spandex/nylon brand
that separates the truly shiny heroes from the drab ones.
With that, here's what I've found out as far as brands and designers:
Capezio : Probably one of the better leotards out there, one of the
first leotards I was able to find in something that wasn't black or
white. They tend to use the thicker lycra these days for their
leotards, and have added some durability to the design. I still have
my blue long-sleeve Capezio that I bought in 1988, and it's still
holding up.
Star Styled : For those of you that don't know, Star Styled Dance and
Bodywear makes dancewear in all kinds of hard-to-find colors... they
are the place to go to if you're looking for a rare color (a green
lycra leotard, for example). Their leotards come in two classes;
their "flexi-weight" version, which is the thicker lycra, and the
standard lycra version, which is the thinner. The thicker ones are
much more durable and snug, but the thinner ones are tighter and tend
to ride up into a thong in the back. (My last girlfriend loved to
torture me by doing that..)
Major Motion - I hadn't heard of this brand until recently when I went
to a costume shop to get another lycra leotard, but they are very
durable and the fit is perfect. I'm wearing my royal blue major
motion leotard now as I'm typing this, and the sheer fit and the
shininess of the spandex makes my chest glow in the dark computer room
by the glow of the monitor. I just need to find out if I can get them
in any more colors.
Dansksin - I do have a few leotards by Danskin, but they only made
them in 100% nylon, so the shininess is zilcho. Next!
Gilda Marx - I have three leotards by Gilda Marx, and the design is
pretty good, although the front is a bit low cut. Boat-neck leotards
tend to be shoulder to shoulder rather than up to the neckline, and
the cut is low enough that it does feel at times that it's slipping
off your shoulder.
That's pretty much all the lycra leotards that I've had experience
with; The problem with finding leotards in general is that they're
more expensive than tights and you can't find them easily in most
"sporting goods" catalogs, like EastBay or Sport Europa for example.
But combined with tights, they do have a different feel in an outfit
than a one-piece catsuit does.
4.5. Review of Different Brands of Unitards - WESK16A@prodigy.com (Bart
Cox)
DANSKIN: These were the first unitards I owned. The spandex is on
the thin but shiny side. For me, the cut on them is all wrong.
Danskin unitards never seem to be tight enough around the crotch.
They almost always have spots where they don't hold to the skin and
tent-out. The legs are cut too short as well, so that with the
stirrup in place, they pull down on the crotch like mad. I rarely, if
ever use my Danskin unitards.
FLEXITARD by GILDA MARX: These are some of my favorite unitards. When
I shop at thrift stores, my eyes are always peeled for anything by
Flexitard. The spandex is very heavy and holds nicely to the body.
There is considerable shine to these as well. They don't have a lot
of styles, however. I think 3/4 sleeve, tank, and camisole just about
cover the choices. I only have a couple of the 3/4 sleeve and am
dying to get a camisole top.
BAL-TOG: I understand that they have changed their pattern and have a
better fit. The one Bal-Tog unitard I have is a camisole stirrup
that, like a Danskin unitard is just a little too baggy for my taste.
I want a unitard to feel and look like body-paint! That said,
however, I do like the cross-back camisole style of the one I have.
The back plunges way down, pointing to the butt, and shows it off. If
it could only cling around the crotch better...
PREMIERE: I don't know if they're still in business, but I have a
camisole top footless number of theirs that is GREAT. The legs are so
long that I can wear it as a full-foot model. The spandex is thin and
kind of dull, but the fit is perfect. It molds into every crack and
crevice without tenting. I dyed my unitard a dark gray and roll down
the top to use as tights for ballet ad it's great.
M. STEVENS: This would have to be my favorite all-around unitard.
They are not terribly shiny but the fit and feel is second to none.
They have a thinner weight of material, but it's like pouring liquid
spandex on your body. They hold to each contour and groove of the
body. Best of all, they have feet! I've had one unitard for ten years
and it's held up to costumes, fetish sessions, and countless ballet
classes. It keeps coming back for more.
Well, these are the makes that I currently own. I'd be eager to hear
about any that I have not mentioned. I'm always on the look-out for a
good unitard.
4.6. Taking Care of Your Lycra - Superjay@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Super
Jayhawk)
Now, the problem with tights is eventually you have to get them washed
and clean them up The old nylon/spandex ones I got years ago from
Danskin were "handwash only", which meant you took a bottle of Woolite
and poured a cap into running warm water in the sink, and soak
for four minutes. If you had an entire R O Y G B I V spectrum of
tights and leotards like I do, it's a pain to wash all your lycra, and
it tends to take all day.
If you were crazy enough to machine-wash them, then what happened is
that the washer and dryer would slowly pull apart the crotch seams
(even with a reinforced cotton crotch, even with a garment bag), and
eventually you'd have a costume that had new ventilation features.
This, folks, was not good.
These days, however, times have changed. The new washer/dryers out
there can handle delicates much better than they used to, and my
Maytag 5-speed works like a charm on all my costume wear. I just
start it up, and hang it up when it's done.
Speaking of hanging your lycra, which we all have to do since we can't
put it in the dryer (heaven forbid!), one thing to do if you want to
wear the garment that day, you can cut the drying time in half by
rolling it up in a folded towel and gently squeezing the towel roll.
This gets about half of the water out and makes it dry much faster.
I quit using Woolite in my tights about 3 years ago; Instead I use
DeliCare, which is a new kind of washing detergent for delicates;
It's also got a built-in softener, and doesn't give that odd smell
that Woolite always used to. DeliCare is sold in a pink bottle that
looks like a teardrop-shaped shampoo bottle, and I've used it ever
since.
And one last thing.. make sure to have spare lycra sets of your
costume in case supervillains come knocking at your door! There's
nothing more embarrassing than having to tell your arch-nemesis, who
has sworn to destroy you, that "I'm sorry, you're going to have wait a
few hours, my leotards and tights are in the wash."
4.7. How does supplex lycra compare with nylon lycra?
- miles@access4.digex.net (Ms. Morrisine)
Supplex is a nylon (!!) but looks similar to cotton/lycra blends. It
does have a little bit of silky sheen to it though. It is softer to
the touch than cotton. It still is closer to cotton/lycra than
nylon/lycra. It is flat to nylon's shine, and a little rough to
nylon's smoothness. I would say that the stretch is as good or almost
as good as nylon. It does last longer than cotton. The color stays
and it won't shrink as much as cotton (as if cotton shrunk that much
anyway.)
5. Play Gear
5.1. How can I make a cheap lycra hood?
- by an266193@anon.penet.fi
The Cheap Do-It-Yourself Hood:
Let's face it- it's too damn hard to find a lycra hood that is really
snug and tight without spending major $$$ and getting something you
may get tired of. Hoods aren't flexible- they only can do one thing
(cover your head) one way ( the way it's made). My continuing
experiments with commonly found lycra items has led me to the As-
Tight-As-You-Want-And-How lycra hood.
I use a pair of good quality opaque black lycra tights. It helps to
get the biggest size available and to pre-stretch it the long way
before using it as a hood.
Pull one leg over your head so that your head now sits inside one of
the thigh portions of one of the legs. The waist/panty portion of the
tights I like to tuck into my long-sleeved turtleneck leotard.
You now have a significant length of the two legs to wrap your head in
as you like. First use the leg that your head isn't in, being sure to
stretch it lengthwise and crosswise to get the most out of it as you
wrap your head up. I tuck the free end ( the foot) in the back. Do the
same with the other leg.
If you're the lycra dominant, you can wrap your head in such a way
that only your eyes are visible, albeit through the single layer we
began with. You'll be able to see and maybe your partner will catch a
hint of your eyes behind the lycra.
If you're the lycra slave, wrap your head completely and snugly.
There's only so many layers of lycra you can see through. If you're
wrapped tight enough, you'll find it difficult to even talk- a built
in gag!
5.2. How can I make a cheap lycra sleepsack?
- by an266193@anon.penet.fi
The Cheap Do-It-Yourself Sleepsack:
1. Obtain a crew-necked, zip-back, long sleeved unitard that has a lot
of stretch in it. It mustn't be footed (though it may work).
2. Turn both legs inside out. At the end of one of the legs, knot it
closed. Turn this leg right side out, leaving the other leg inside the
outfit.
3. Carefully slip both your legs into this one leg until your feet
reach the knot (which is now on the inside).
4. Pull the unitard up around yourself. Turn both arms inside out and
have your partner zip you up. If you're alone, put your arms through
without turning the arms of the unitard inside out and zip up- then
pull your arms inside, turning the sleeves inside out as you go along.
5. Now the only drawback is that your head is still sticking out. You
could sew the neck opening shut, but I still want to use the unitard
normally once in a while. Personally, I like to take one of the
sleeves and, leaving it right side out, pull it down over my head
snug.
The commercially available sleepsacks have internal sleeves to
immobilize your arms- After some thought and experimentation, I
modified my original idea to include internal sleeves and enhance the
bondage aspect, but it requires a long-sleeved scoopneck leotard
(which are pretty inexpensive)-
1. Before getting into the "sleepsack", take the aforementioned
leotard and turn the arms inside out. (Mind you, you won't be able to
use this leotard for anything else after my suggested modifications)
2. Sew the ends of the sleeves shut and then sew them into the inside
aspect of the leotard parallel with the sides.
3. Pull on the leotard like you would normally and slip your arms into
the sleeves. Now get into the garment described above.
Admittedly this isn't optimal- try it out and offer improvements. In
order to make it more difficult to get out the sack, use the inside
out arms of the unitard-
1. Take the right arm and go around your front and to the back to your
left. Do the same with the left inside out arm, going around the front
to your back on the right.
2. Have your partner tightly tie the two arms together behind your
back.
In doing so it becomes more difficult to manipulate the sack from the
inside to get out.
And if it's nice thick lycra you like, try multilayering, using a
long-sleeved scoop-neck unitard in place of the leotard above. Don't
forget to turn one leg inside out and tie the other one shut. Then get
into the sack as before.
6. Entertainment
6.1. "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"
- piero@hondo.cyberverse.com (Dairenn Lombard)
Episode list of occurrences of Amy Jo Johnson and Thuy Trang (formerly
of Saban's "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," of the Fox Kids
Network--US):
Season #1 (August 28th, 1993-May 24, 1994):
Day of the dumpster: In the opening sequence (and in all subsequent
first season episode theme song intros), Kimberly (Amy Jo Johnson) is
seen backflipping in a spaghetti-strap leotard with bike pants over
them.
High Five: Trini (Thuy Trang) participates in a putty fight wearing
grey stretch pants. (Editor's Note: This looks extremely sexy on her.)
A Pressing Engagement: Kimberly spends the first two acts in a
bike-a-tard. (Editor's Note: This is worth taping.)
A Different Drum: Kimberly is teaching a class wearing more delightful
spandex (Editor's Note: Due to Fox's negligence to re-broadcast pre-
2nd season episodes, I have forgotten what specifically what she
wore.)
Power Ranger Punks: Trini is playing volley-ball in bike-pants during
Act One. Act Four concludes the episode by both Kimberly and Trini
wearing thong back briefs, Kimberly is found wearing a denim tie-end
jacket and knee-length stretch pants; Trini is wearing bike-pants and
a leotard with a shirt tied around her waste. (Editor's Note: This is
ALSO worth taping.)
Rita's Seed of Evil: Trini spends the day in a half-length shirt (for
those with a four-head VCR with Freeze Frame, you might be able to
catch one of Trini's Bra's cups for a split second); also wearing
yellow stretch pants.
Trick or Treat: Kimberly treats us by wearing a hooded body suit and
bike pants during Act One.
Season #2 (July 21, 1994-September 9th, 1995):
The Wanna-Be Ranger: Trini spends the day in black stretch pants.
Putty on the Brain: During a putty fight, Kimberly is found in thin
(panty-line showing) stretch pants.
Bloom of Doom: Briefly, Trini is found recruiting Volley Ball players
wearing black biking shorts.
Forever Friends: Kimberly goes through Act One in half-length bike
shirts and a T-Back Sports Bra and Act Four consists of Kimberly in
the second best poses I've ever seen in a unitard. (Editor's Note:
Definitely worth recording.)
A Different Shade of Pink: In Kimberly's last episode, she spends most
of the first of this three-part episode in a variety of spandex-made
clothes. In Act Four of Part III, Kimberly shows her millions of fans
what they'll be missing during one of Kimberly's hottest gym routines
in a leotard (by itself). (Editor's Note: Crotch shot--worth taping.)
There may be other brief instances of A.J. or Thuy Trang wearing
spandex, however, I am only noting things that may be of interest to
readers of a.l. should Fox ever decide to re-broadcast any of the
above mentioned episodes.
6.2. Are there any TV shows or movies that have people wearing lycra?
(Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, and Diskdet2 for
starting it.)
From: Diskdet2 (diskdet2@aol.com)
Grease, Hardbodies, Lunchwagon, Spring Break, Xanadu, Galaxina, Roller
Boogie, Skate Town USA, almost any of the old Sold Gold shows. I
will update the list and repost as new names get added to the list.
This way if someone missed seeing one of the great Lycra shots, they
will get to see them.
I was thinking about some of the movies I had seen that had great
looking women in them wearing Lycra. Lycra fans go out and rent the
movie "Spring Break". It should be in your local video store. The is a
band, which happens to be the rock band Vixen. They are wearing Lycra
when they are singing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
From: rmisra@cs.umb.edu (Ray H. Misra)
Stuart Gordon's _Dolls_, a fairly decent horror movie, features a
British blonde punk in black spandex--the best kind! :)
The pulchritudinous ("cute" just doesn't do her justice) Lori Singer
appears briefly in black tights, too, near the beginning of _Warlock_,
tending to Julian Sands' wounds before realizing how evil he is.
Sadly, it's just one (poorly lit) scene. :-(
Spike Lee's "School Daze" features a _terrific_ musical number with
all the "wannabes" and "jigaboos" (DISCLAIMER: Not an offensive term
in context; see the movie and you'll understand. Trust me.)--ALL
SINGING! ALL DANCING! ALL SPANDEX!
There's some Corey Haim movie out there with a very cute girl riding
her bike in red lycra. Maybe it was _Dream A Little Dream Of Me_, but
I don't remember because I didn't see it (HONEST!! :-), but it was in
the trailer. David Essex's "Rock On" was the background music, so that
was probably on the soundtrack, if that little clue helps.
VERY brief scene in _The Big Crimewave_--shitty movie, absolutely not
worth renting just for this scene, but included in the interest of
completeness. (FILM THREAT's glowing endorsement of this movie
factored into the cancellation of my subscription.)
_Model By Day_.
_Buck Rogers In The 25th Century_: The Gil Gerard version. Still a
guilty pleasure for many reasons, including the ravishing Erin Gray as
Wilma Deering in her resplendent costume. :):):):):) Many guest
stars, including Jaime Lee Curtis, also showed up long enough to
prance around in our favorite fabric.
In the interest of equal-opportunity ogling-positiveness, here are
some for the het girls/gay guys:
The "Superman" movies, obviously.
"The Trial of the Incredible Hulk" features Rex Smith in a full-
body black lycra costume as the blind vigilante Daredevil.
And, of course, the videos of the old "Spider-Man" TV
series/movies--a little something for all you Nicholas Hammond
groupies, who've been crushed out on him since _The Sound Of
Music_! :-)
Superheroes, it seems, are the way to go. There are tons of
animated superhero stuff on video, so look into that--it isn't all
male, either. Or, barring that, just pick up a comic book.
(WARNING: "The Flash", though a fine series in its own right and
available--some episodes, anyway--on videotape, is not that
spandex-heavy; John Wesley Shipp's costume is rubber, not lycra.
They did it that way because a thick, muscle-contoured rubber suit
would give him a greater, more intimidating presence, and, one
would guess, make him less shiny. :-)
From: plthomps@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (Mad Pete)
Well.. don't know what kind of movies those are (other than Grease),
but Octopussy comes to mind. Mind you, it was somewhat dark and
didn't last all that long, but it involved a circus band of spandex-
clad females all rioting against the bad guys in this classic James
Bond movie :)
From: andyc2@ix.netcom.com (Andrew Castelluccio)
You might want to check out "Under Siege". The Baywatch actress (Erica
Eleniak) steps off a helicopter wearing a black spandex bodysuit and
from what i can see, 5 inch pumps. It was reminiscent of Olivia
Newton John in Grease, which i think is the best lycra outfit ever
filmed.
From: doogie@doogieland.com (Doogmeister)
Last night I watched "Serial Mom" with some friends. In one scene, Mom
chases one of her kids friends into a Heavy Metal club, where the all
female, lycra clad band "Camel Lips" is playing. When you get a
close look at them in their lycra tights, you realize where they got
the name "Camel Lips" from. :-)
From: "CODMAN" (chriso@btcase.bt.co.uk)
One movie worth looking for is Aerobicide. This is a sexploitation
movie about a serial sex killer in an aerobics club. Lots of good
shiny lycra, with the cast doing interesting pelvic thrusts.
From: Superjay@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Super Jayhawk, Bird in Spandex)
Does anyone remember the video to Laura Branigan's "Self Control" that
came out about 1983-84? It had some incredible scenes since everyone
was wearing full lycra bodysuits on the set in some bizarre effect,
but I didn't have a VCR back then. Also Patty Smythe's "The Warrior"
had lots of spandex in the video (1985-86, I think). And, of course,
the guy in the full lycra bodysuit from Suzanne Vega's "Blood Makes
Noise" was fun too...
From: rsg0910@iglou.com (Robert Goodwin)
The movie "Heavyweights" has the new owner of the camp, played by Ben
Stiller as Tony Perkis, wears a diveskin in the last part of the
movie. Plenty of excellent scenes, both front and back, and there's a
couple other scenes, one of him jogging and other gymnastics.
House : When the owner of the house checks the mail, his female
neighbor jogs by in a brightly-colored unitard.
An old, but humorous, show called 227 has a character played by Jackee
who is man-crazy and sometimes wears spandex. Seems she always knows
how to look good no matter what.
Cool Runnings : Bobsledding suits!
7. Suppliers of Lycra and Lycra-related items
Note: The Shiny Spandex Listing has been made a separate file. Greg
Mortenson, loki@world.std.com, is the maintainer, and the listing can
be found at http://world.std.com/~loki/misc/lycra.html.
The alt.arts.ballet newsgroup has a FAQ on dancewear supplies. Some of
what's in here, can also be found in that listing. This listing is
quite large, a little too large to be included in here. The best place
to look is in the rtfm.mit.edu FTP site, which also has a number of
other FAQ files.
7.1. What mail-order companies carry lycra items?
Road Runner Sports
1-800-551-5558 in California
good source for lycra / spandex items:
Mellow Mail
wide variety of lycra dresses and skirts
Hind (request a free catalog)
1-800-235-4150
Physical Culture
p.o. box 30486
Oakland, CA 94604
1-800-944-3144 or outside the US
510-287-5000
(request a free catalog...Great clothes for women and men... some
really daring fashions in lycra, mesh, and cotton (I know yuk! --but
the styles are Hot)
Doc's Sports
P.O. Box 490338
DEPT DC
College Park, Georgia 30349-0338 USA
FAX: 404-473-0059
Toll free 1-800-241-4975 or 404-996-3627
I have an address/ phone number for DOC'S SPORTS (a mail-order store )
that specializes in lycra work-out wear. The style selection is
limited, but the items are of high quality material and construction.
They have Men's tights, and shorts, and tank tops along with a wide
selection of briefs, and posing suits (thongs and body-building gear)
in a variety of colors. Request a catalog (free) by mail or phone:
International Male/Undergear
swimwear, undergear, etc.
email address: style@intmale.com
Phone #: 1-800-853-8555, 1-800-293-9333
Body Aware
PO Box 1247
Sonoma, CA 95476
or
Erskine House
Trowbridge, BA14 8RY, UK.
Body Aware's latest men's range of interesting underwear (called Skin
Deep) contains lots of sexy Lycra underwear, including a really tight
dance belt.
Free catalog, e-mail to: Services@bdyaware.demon.co.uk
Dance Distributors
P. O. Box 11440, Harrisburg, Penna 17108
(800) 33-DANCE
Dance belts by Capezio
New York Dancewear Company
188-06 Union Turnpike
Flushing, New York 11366
(800) 775-DANCE
Dance belts by Capezio
Patterson's Dance & Ballroom Shop
182 Cambridge Street
Burlington, Mass.
(617) 273-3039
or
181 Massachusetts Ave.
Boston, Mass.
(617) 536-2281
or
23 Drum Hill Road, Drum Hill Plaza
Chelmsford, Mass.
(508) 459-7300
Dance belts by Bloch, Capezio, and (recommended) M. Stevens
Rage!/Gigglewear
136 Wildwood Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45216
(513) 821-3913
They have a nylon dance belt in their catalog. I don't know anything
about it, but the model in the photo isn't wearing it properly: he's
dressing "down" instead of "up."
The catalogs cost $2, which is deducted from your first order.
Excel Sports
Boulder, Colorado
1-800-627-6664.
They do also have a good range of other cycling clothing: jerseys,
shorts, bib shorts, tights, etc., and they also have clear PVC rain
jackets with side vents, $20. Pearl Izumi's rubberized lycra cycling
suits are available mail order in the latest Excel Sports cycling
catalog.
Record Sports
Downs Lane
West Looe Hill
Looe
Cornwall.
PL13 2HX
Phone: 01503 262675.
Send an SAE for a catalogue (only line drawings)
They custom make Lycra bike shorts, leggings, bib shorts and full skin
suit (legs and arms, no feet or gloves). The skin suit isn't cheap at
49-50GBP but it is fully custom made. Their main business is athletic
shorts, which they do in 'normal', 'extra brief' and 'micro' design
(with no liners). I haven't ordered anything yet but if I do I'll let
you know.
Renard Inc
po box 700206
Tulsa Oklahoma 74170
1-800-225-1670
Lycra cycle pants with polypropylene pad supports can be found at:
Renard - Understatements for the well endowed.
(Their catalog alone is worth the price of a stamp!)
Eastbay
427 Third Street
Wausau, WI 54403
800-826-2205
Eastbay has the usual lycra running tights, etc, but also has
nylon/lycra wrestling singlets in 9 solids ($22) and 18 2-color
combinations ($30). These are only shown in the winter catalogs.
For Lycra T-shirts:
- romey777@aol.com (Romey777), otter@nyc.pipeline.com (Dan
Wilkinson), and cibersmurf@aol.com (CiberSmurf)
"Re:Vision" in the back of "Rainbows & Triangles" greeting card shop
on 8th Ave. near 20th St. There are many stores in the West Village of
NYC that have them, especially on Christopher St, between 7th Ave. and
Hudson St. Try The Loft, Street Wise, and Body Body. Also check the
Undergear catalog (1-800-853-8555).
Ordering through Ms. Morraine (e-mail miles@access1.digex.net) :
What do you want? I can get others items, well just about everything
(dance belts
