Smarty Pants The Science & Technology of

UnderwearDr Audrey Matthews

De Montfort University

What are Pants?

Pants

English

Underpants or

knickers

American

Trousers or slacks

What do we mean by Smart?

SmartEnglishClever; keen onbargaining; stylish;unscrupulous; brisk well-groomed; painfullysevere ScienceSomething that appear to think, or have memoryThey return to their originalstate

Birth to Death

From Babies to Children

Teenagers and Sports

Adults

Older People

Why do we Wear Underwear?

• Modesty

• Glamour

• Support

• Comfort

• Performance (special use)

• Hygiene

• Protection

A Brief History of Underwear

Modesty Glamour Support Comfort Sports Hygiene Protection

21st Century

Today

50 years ago

Post war

100 years ago

Victorian

Over 200 years ago

Pre-Victorian

Materials• Building blocks

• Fibres

e.g. cotton, silk

• Filamentse.g. nylon, polyester

• StructuresKnits, weaves & non-woven

Traditional Materials

Regenerated CelluloseTencel

Bamboo

Nettles

Poly Lactic AcidIngeo

Nylon Tactel

Recycled Bottles

Polymers

Monomers are links in a polymer chain

Different polymers have differentgroups attached and chemists use balls to show this

Elastane• Naturally relaxed, soft chains in tangled disorder

Soft Segments Hard Segments• Under tension, chains straighten out

• Relaxed, chains draw back to natural tangle

Fabric Structures

• Knitted

• Woven

• Non-woven

Sportswear –Demands of the body

Sportswear - Demands of the Activity

Sportswear – Our Needs

• Comfort• Freedom of movement• Breathable• Quick drying• Lightweight• Move moisture away from

skin• Improved fit• Improved performance

Swimwear

• Less fabric, more speed• Shave all body hair

Aquablade

• More fabric, more speed

• Fabric more slippery than skin

Fastskin

• Copies dermal dentricles found in shark’s skin

• Water forms vortices around dentricles

• Water slips more closely to body

• Minimises drag and increases efficiency

Fastskin Structure

• Seams isolate muscle groups

• The inner arms of the FastSkin (full body) incorporate a gripper fabric that mimics skin, increasing friction and giving the swimmer a greater grip and feel in the water.

PowerSkin

• FRICTION zero friction

• WEIGHT 30% lighter than a regular swimwear material

• MOISTURE ABSORPTION 15% less moisture absorption

• THE FABRIC A revolutionary woven material with polyamide coating

Wet and Dry Suits

Neoprene

• Closed cell neoprene• Cells filled with nitrogen• Minimal water absorption• Good thermal insulation• SCS super composite skin

has low friction coating• Titanium coating aids heat

retention

O’Neill Animal

• Ease of movement around joints• Special moulding technique• No loss of thermal insulation

Heated Textiles

Heated Vest - WarmX

Cooling textiles

Advanced Materials

• Nomex

Advanced Materials

• Encapsulation

• Phase change materials

Adidas Ap-precision Tennis

• Compresses serving arm• Reduces muscle vibration and

energy losses• Factor of three increase in

accuracy of forehand shots• 10% increase in serve

accuracy• Ball speed increased

Electronics

• Smart shirt technology

• Electronic monitoring

• Entertainment!

http://www.dmu.ac.uk/

Optical Fibres

Copying Nature

• Inspired by Nature

• Leaves

• Burrs

Copying Nature

• Pine Cones

• Lotus Leaves

Nature’s Model !

AcknowledgementsThanks to staff from De MontfortUniversity:

Dr Dave Morris

Dr Barry Cope

Also to:

Speedo

Charnos

Prion Books

British Association

Royal Institution