Research and Development
History:
In order to understand the necessity for our constant ongoing R&D program, it is important to know the history of certain uniform items and to be aware of their advantages and perhaps more importantly their disadvantages. After all, if all products were actually perfect, there would never be a need for research and development.Sweatshirts:
Acrylic sweatshirts came into play in the schoolwear market in mid 1970’s. Ricara were in fact one of the leading innovators in the UK of printed and embroidered acrylic sweatshirts to schools, scouts and guides, under our former name; The Sussex T-shirt Company. The product is neochrome dyed at yarn source, which translates as providing maximum colourfastness that even today’s high bleach detergents struggle to fade. Laundered correctly the garment therefore provides uniformity of shade (quite rightly the schools favoured ingredient for school uniforms). Schools therefore found the switch from the stayed shades of the itchy and expensive knitwear of that time, to this more comfortable, durable, stylish and less costly option, a simplistic choice.
Consequently, since this time acrylic fleece sweatshirts have become the biggest selling pullover to schools throughout the UK.R&D:
Ricara Ltd has continually led the way in the quality standards set on this fabric. Linking closely with yarn producers, knitters, processors and textile testing units throughout, we have ensured that the products generic flaws are managed to their best performance level.
Generic Flaws:
All acrylics are susceptible to pilling (bobbling). Ricara’s ‘Optimark™’ program of testing ensures that pilling is kept to a minimum.Fibre fracture. In brief, acrylics are a bye-product of a plastic. Like plastics, acrylics do not behave well under excessive heat, particularly a hot iron. The ribbing that makes up the products cuffs, welt and neck is produced in 100% of the acrylic component. Although the care label warns against a hot iron, and the garment can in fact be flat dried without ironing, many parents feel drawn to ironing, as if part of a necessary laundering procedure. If the cuffs are ironed with a hot iron the heat will fracture the fibres and cause irreparable damage. With the abrasion the cuffs receive through rubbing against such items as tables and desks, the fracture will imminently become apparent.
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The cuff has to remain acrylic. You cannot place a cotton/polyester cuff on an acrylic garment because such fabric will fade, and of course the two-tone effect will look shabby.The answer to the fibre fracture problem is simple, but you will find few school-wear companies that offer what Ricara can. The answer is a hemmed sleeve. Tests conducted in schools showed that more than 80% of pupils and parents asked, preferred the garment to have a hemmed sleeve, stating that it enhanced style and eliminated a generic flaw within the product. Some also preferred the garment to have what we call, a ‘tennis tail’. This is a jetted hem replacement to the welt. However, this tends to drape poorly on the thinner pupil. Opinions from those asked, show more than 60% of parents and pupils preferred the welt for shape.
An alternative
to the acrylic sweatshirt has always been the Cotton/Polyester. This fabric is less susceptible to pilling and is simply not affected by fibre fracture.
Historically, few schools opted for Cotton/Polyester sweatshirts primarily because of price. They were always far more expensive. However, our Max Cotton Rich Sweatshirt range today actually compares favourably with the acrylics!
The Flaw:
Sorry, few things in textiles are simple. All Cotton/Polyesters with the best will in the world are susceptible to fade. A serious problem of the past, however, our ‘Max Cotton Rich’ range is ‘reactive dyed’. This reduces susceptibility to fade. If the garments are laundered utilising a ‘COLOUR’ detergent as opposed to a biological detergent (see SUDDS LAW under garment care) the garment will lose little colour, hence retaining a highly acceptable level of uniformity. This coupled with the products soft comfortable handle and drape along with its level of durability, is in recent years winning over many schools.
Another Alternative
in the schoolwear market in recent years has been the polar fleece. Many of our Midlands and Northern based schools converted to fleece at a rapid rate between 1999 and 2001, whilst the vast majority of our Southern, Western, Eastern, Welsh and Scottish schools at this time shuddered at the very thought.
The feedback from areas outside the North and the Midlands was that a fleece was far too casual for a school uniform, strange though how many schools in these areas have now switched. The reason is one of simple practicalities. Anti-pill Polyester Fleece is a modern, technically advanced fabric. It is an ‘Easy-care’ fabric. You can wash this garment of an evening and leave to dry over-night on a clotheshorse at normal room temperature and it is ready to wear again to school the next day, no ironing. There is no pilling (bobbling), absolute minimal fade, durability, comfort and yes, now style too!
We again listened to our customers. Many said, “we love the fabric and can see the practicalities, however not everyone is happy with a full zip fleece”. That said there are many schools, Primary and Secondary, who are delighted with their full zip fleeces, but there were many who wanted something different.
So again we innovate and manufacture our Perfecta range:
This fleece range provides the perfect clothing solution for schools wishing to maintain a traditional uniform, whilst taking advantage of the durability and easy-care laundering offered by a modern, technically advanced fabric. The range has a contemporary, ergonomic, uniform style, with the flexibility to allow schools to customise the design to suit their specific requirements.
In terms of flexibility you can see from the photo’s how half zips can easily blend with full zips and even v-necks and still retain uniformity. It is a flexible approach that satisfies parents who wish their children to look smart but also need to perceive value and are delighted with the easy-care attributes in today’s fast paced world. Pupils love both the style but especially the comfort. We have discovered that parents have to actually ask their children to change out of their uniform when they get home from school! Schools simply have uniformity, style backed by happy parents and pupils. As yet our R&D here has found no flaws, but we are not complacent. We thrive on your feedback and promise to always do our best to improve whilst retaining sincere value.Keep Away From Fire:
This is a care label warning that you will see more and more of these days. Naturally fabrics have not suddenly become more flammable although I am sure that most will have noticed that society has. The Americanised, ‘where there is a blame there is a claim’ society has forced most manufacturers and retailers to further protect themselves. It is perhaps worth heeding one warning though. In all our years of trading I believe we have sold more than 5 million garments and not heard of one single incident involving the dangers of fire with our acrylics. However, again we are not complacent. If you have read the above generic flaws regarding acrylic, you may recall that acrylic is a bye-product of a plastic.
Here’s the science bit:
Plastics derive from oil and the base oil for producing acrylics is called ‘poly-acry-lonitrile’. If you expose acrylic fleece to a naked flame for just two seconds the fabric will ignite. It will quickly and easily burn, and being oil based will burn for some time. This is a little concerning, hence the real need for such care labelling in acrylics. By contrast polyester fleece exposed to a naked flame will struggle to burn and through a single naked flame will more often self extinguish.The above has been written to help our schools gain a greater understanding of the garments we sell and to aid any new school to make an informed choice. We hope that this proves helpful. Any queries that you may have then please do not hesitate to contact us.
