Peached fabric can also be achieved using chemical abrasion. Using this method the fibres are broken down using chemical compounds as opposed to being sanded using bristles.
Our Iconic Training Shorts are designed using this fabric.
This post was first published 07/15.
]]>We think that the ideal shell fabric:
Click here to watch a short video about Shell Fabric
Browse our products made from shell fabric
This post was first published 07/15.Some people will refer to wicking fabrics as being breathable – that is, they let air in and sweat out. Breathable showerproof and waterproof fabrics have tiny pores in the fabric, larger than water vapour molecules (so these can get out) but much smaller than drops of rain (so these can’t get in).
You’ll see a lot written on garment labels about wicking properties, but read what they are telling you and it often amounts to no more than ‘this fabric moves moisture away from your body’.
The two properties normally used to predict wicking performance in a fabric are capillary pressure and permeability.
Capillary pressure is the main force responsible for the movement of moisture along or through a fabric, where the force of the surface tension between the liquid and the walls of a narrow gap or pore overcome the forces between the molecules of the liquid, moving it into empty gaps until the forces even out. Permeability is the measure of a fabric’s ability to transport moisture through itself, and is determined by a combination of sizes of spaces within it and the connections between the spaces.
Other properties that certainly do effect the wicking properties of a fabric include yarn twist (how threads in the fabric turn around each other), contact angle (between the fibre and the liquid), knit or weave (the larger scale construction of the fabric), yarn roughness and a whole lot more.
Click here to watch a short video about Wicking Fabrics
Browse our products made from wicking fabrics.
Image courtesy of Vekkos.com
This post was first published 07/15.
]]>The base polyester is coated with Nuva, a substance with similar properties to Teflon®, which makes the fabric showerproof. You could pour a glass of water over our Taslan and it would form beads and run off. It is also stain-resistant – the water-repellent Nuva coating also repels oil and other stain-causing substances. Nuva also has a component which releases stains into the water during washing.
Click here to watch a short video about Taslan
Browse our products made with Taslan.
First published: 07/15
]]>Logos, names and numbers can be printed onto the product at the same time, which means there is no additional cost for these customisations.
ORDERING SUBLIMATED PRODUCTS
Need more information on the ordering process with regard to sublimated items? Click here.
Browse our products that are sublimated.
First published: 07/15
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Ffion started playing rugby at the age of 6 when she started playing for her local boys team, playing for them until she was 12. Sadly, due to the age grade rules at the time, Ffion had to stop playing as there was a lack of girl’s rugby in the area.
Being a keen sports women Ffion moved onto football and hockey for the next few years. At the age of 16, she joined Coleg Sir Gar in Llanelli and took up rugby once again. Ffion went on to captain the side whilst also gaining her regional and international colours at u18 level during her college studies.
She has continued her education by attending Cardiff Metropolitan University where she is currently studying Sport and Exercise Science. During this time, Ffion has been involved with the Wales Women’s Senior side in both the 7s and the 15s game. She was selected for Wales in her first six nations squad this past season and has played in tournaments around the world for the Wales 7s team including Dubai, Russia, Australia.
Ffion is also a key part of the Olorun Ponty Butchers 7’s women’s team that has played tournaments across the UK this summer with great success including Kinsale, Bournemouth and Frome.
“Ffion brings an exceptional level of enthusiasm and passion to everything she does and will be a great addition to the team here at Olorun Sports. She will be working with us on our integration into grassroots and women’s rugby while guiding us on the development of our ladies’ active and teamwear ranges. Everyone at Olorun Sports wishes Ffion the best of luck for the upcoming season and we look forward to working with her in the future”]]>Olorun Sports General Manager, Marc de Marigny.
We are delighted to publish the first winners of our 'Design a Sports Shirt' competition, where we asked pupils from Llansteffan School and Llangain School to design a rugby shirt of their choice.
The styles and colours were very innovative and vibrant and we very much enjoyed discussing with the schools the design process and considerations we have to go through in order to manufacture a shirt. Many thanks to all staff and pupils of both schools for a very warm welcome.
Should you be a Cornerstone Scheme school and would like to get involved, please contact us on 01267 233737 or info@olorun-sports.com
The usual personalisation options are available on most garments allowing for names, numbers, logos and initials to be added in various colours and fonts.
Our bespoke teamwear service is available allowing your Rugby, Football or Cycling team to build their own kit from the ground up. We have provided you with a raft of different designs to choose from which you can colour up giving you a preview of the final design. Once you are happy with the designs and colours all you need to do is get in touch with us. We can then provide you with a fast, competitive quote and production schedule. For a full rundown of what to do if your looking for bespoke kit read our 'How To Customise Your Kit' page.
Take a tour round the site and let us know what you think.
]]>"Did you order it?" "No I thought you did"!!!!!! "And so the fun begins!!!!
One comment we always here is "We went for the cheapest and we are still waiting!!"
One rule of thumb is that if it's that cheap, it's for a reason!!!
In the minefield that is "Kitdesigner" we have compiled a checklist for you to enable you to prepare in readiness of brands, colours, designs, collars, etc etc.
1. Gather all your information - get your ducks lined up by pulling together all you kit requirements
Budget - how much do you have to spend?
Delivery - when do you require it for? (Be realistic. It doesnt help to get things off to a good start if you say you want it yesterday!!!)
Colours - what are your club colours? Most companies operate like Henry Ford "You can have any colour you want, as long as its black"!!
Products - what products do your squad require?
Quantities - how many pieces of each style do you want?
Sizes - what sizes do you need for each product. (A sizing session can reap dividends, and someone who is great with excel !!!)
Logos - get all your logos gathered together from your club badge, to sponsors logos.
Initials / numbers - some brands offer initials / numbers at no extra cost. You can therefore look like you have stepped straight of the pro training ground with players having there initials or squad numbers adorned onto the garments. It also prevents squabbling and arm wrestling when garments get dumped in a heap!!! Ask the company you are approaching if they can email you a squad size template.
Coming back to Henry Ford. You no longer have to settle for stock colours of black and white or navy and white. At Olorun Sports we have 16 colours to choose from, ranging from black and navy... through to hot pink, via yellows, ambers, greens and purples. So you can now have the design and colours YOU want.
2. Get all your information down in one place - most kit suppliers should be able to send you a size order template. This highlights the styles, and sizes available, and allows you to customise it to your squad, so that you order the correct size for the correct squad member. If they don't, then send them your list of requirements and ask them to create one for you. If they don't or wont, then they probably arent worth their salt!!
3. Request a visual - This covers both you and the kit supplier and saves sooooo much hassle during the production process and through to your delivery. They will ask you to confirm the primary, secondary and any tertiary colours, logos and their placements. This ensures that you are agreeing to what you want. Not them making it as simple as possible for them.
4. Pro forma invoice - All bespoke orders are usually dependant on payment up front. Your kit supplier will send you a summary of your order, by style, size and quantity, with a total amount payable. This is a final check for you to verify the styles, quantities and sizes you need. Also at this stage they should confirm the approximate delivery time for your order. This is what's known as the "CRITICAL DATE" or "DUE DATE", and is the date your supplier will look to deliver to you by. If you have a specific date you require delivery, for instance a tour or a tournament, check this is within the timescale.
5. Production stage - This is when it goes quiet!!!! This is the manufacturing time at the factory. Your supplier should keep you updated with a weekly /10 day update, just to let you know that there are no problems so far, and that your order is currently due on time. Subsequently if there are any issues, they should be proactive and make you aware as soon as possible.
6. Delivery - This is the all important time. Most suppliers should email you to confirm despatch and enclose a tracking number.
And that's all there is to it!!!!! Bespoke kit ordering can be a minefield, but if you do your homework and get prepared, find the right kit partner who is happy to help, offer advise and listen to your requirements, rather than sell you what they want you to have, it can often be a rewarding experience. And remember..... if it sounds too cheap..... it is usually for a reason!!!!!!
For further help and advice, feel free to contact us on sales@olorun-sports.com or call +44 (0) 1267 233 737.
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Our new Vapour jersey encapsulates all that is Welsh. Pride, passion, and endeavour. Crossing the frontiers from the North Wales mountains to the south wales valleys, with a backdrop of the fortress that is the Principality Stadium, this jersey ignites and stirs every emotion.
Eye-catching and innovative designs combined with cutting edge performance fabrics; welcome to Olorun's rugby world.
Made by Olorun this professional quality sublimated rugby top has been designed for a bold and unique look to make you stand out in the crowd. Perfect for both on and off the rugby field.
]]>Referee Nigel Owens gives the ball boy a yellow card after being hit by a ball in Leinster's win against Scarlets.
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Good quality fleece has a plush, soft and silky handle and if you hold it up to the light you’ll see that light does not pass through it. Cheap fleece feels less plush, and it’s thinner.
Cheap fleece will also quickly ‘pill’ with washing (i.e. the fibres start to stick together and the surface becomes clumpy, ‘bobbly’ and not so soft feeling). To tell if a fleece will pill, look carefully at the surface of the fabric. Do the fibres lie along the surface, like felt, or do they stand up, away from the core of the fabric? Fibres in cheaper fleeces lie down and the fabric has a felt-like feel. With wear the fibres roll up together and pill.
]]>Browse our range of showerproof products:
]]>Colourways
Colour combinations available, e.g. if a shirt is available in red with white stripes, or black with blue stripes, that’s two colourways.
Denier
A measure of the thickness and weight of a fibre. Whatever 9000m of the fibre weighs, in grams, is its denier. So 9000m of one denier fibre weighs 1 gram.
Fleece
is a high-tech knitted fabric that provides insulation while staying light. Fleeces dry quickly and are breathable.
Handle
is a term used in the textile industry to describe the way a fabric feels. For example, a ’soft handle’ means the fabric feels very soft to the touch. The handle comes from a combination of the properties of the yarn and sometimes special finishing processes used after the fabric has been knitted or woven.
Overlocking
Zigzag stitching along the edges of fabric to prevent fraying and bind the edges of the fabric together. Because of the zigzag shape of the stitches, the overlocking will hold however much the seam stretches, but if unprotected the seam itself will break.
The panels and lining are made of a knitted fabric so they give good stretch and freedom of movement. The knit is very open so air can circulate freely, cooling and carrying away moisture. They are also made from a wicking polyester fabric which helps to carry away moisture and is very quick drying.
Browse some of our products made using meshing and mesh panels, even some of our socks!
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Most of our range is made from forms of polyester or a polyester/cotton blend (referred to as polycotton). This is because polyester is tough and durable, easy to care for (e.g. it doesn’t crease) and has good natural wicking properties. Our polycotton blend is 65% polyester and 35% cotton.
Polyester has been around a while, but modern production methods let us create hi-tech fabrics out of it. Polyester fibres are very strong and resistant to abrasion (i.e. the fibres don’t break easily) and to stretching. We can happily tell you more than you ever wanted to know about polyester.
One of the great properties of polyester for sportswear is that it has fantastic wicking properties. This is mainly because it hardly absorbs any water. Instead water is carried along the fibre, away from the body and evaporates from the surface of the clothes. Polyester will only absorb 0.4% of its weight of water, compared to 4% for nylon and 7% for cotton (under normal atmospheric conditions). Polyester, of course, is also very quick-drying, but even when wet its strength is hardly affected.
Polyester is also a great easy care fabric. It is very resistant to creasing. This is because it has a high thermal stability – it has a very high melting temperature of 200ºC. The fabric is set in shape with high heat during manufacture and keeps its shape well once set, so it sheds accidental creases easily but retains deliberate pleats or moulding.
Polyester is also naturally stain resistant. This can be improved even further by adding a water-resistant, stain releasing finish to the polyester fibres, like the Nuva coating used in our showerproof fabric.
Polyester also lends itself to being tightly woven to form windproof and microfibre fabrics, knitted for warm fleece or ventilation areas such as our cool-mesh panels.
]]>Microfibre fabrics are incredibly soft and hold their shape well. They are very popular for sportswear as they have excellent wicking properties. This is because the incredibly thin fibres have a very high surface area for their weight and so are very efficient at drawing moisture along their length by capillarity.
Many microfibre garments are knitted, but they can also be woven, especially in outerwear. Because they are so fine, the fibres can be woven extremely tightly to form a dense, windproof weave, which is also very light. Microfibre can also be used to make extremely warm fleeces with a very soft ‘handle’.
Our Microfibre products are:
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Polyester is the name for a group of substances. They are all polymers of chemicals called esters. A polymer is a very long molecule, made by sticking together many copies of a smaller molecule, like a necklace made of popper beads or the many carriages that make up a train. Because their molecules are very long, certain polymers (like polyester) make good strong fibres.
Naturally occurring polyesters do exist, but the name is usually used for synthetic polyesters made in a chemical process from substances extracted from oil.
Naturally occurring polyesters were first discovered in about 1830 but the first synthetic polyester was invented just before the first World War by W.H. Carruthers, a research scientist working for Du Pont in the USA. He didn’t follow up his work on this new chemical, however, as he invented Nylon at about the same time and developed that instead.
Some years later a group of British scientists, working for the Calico Printer’s Association in Manchester, did start working with the new substance. In 1941 this group created the first polyester fibre, a form of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, still the most common type of polyester) which they named Terylene.
The polyester molecules themselves are made by the condensation polymerisation of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol in a vacuum at very high temperature. The exact details of the process vary between forms of polyester and between manufacturers and tend to be closely guarded trade secrets.
The newly-formed polymer is then forced out of the machine in the form of a ribbon and cools. Once it has cooled the polymer is solid. The solid ribbon is then cut into chips.
Polyester is naturally hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs water from its surroundings. If the polyester is heated to high temperatures with the water present then the polymer will start to break down (basically, the condensation polymerisation will happen in reverse), so the chips need to be thoroughly dried before they can be processed any further.
The chips therefore are put through a complex machine which loops air through them and then through a drying agent and then back again. Hot air is passed through the chips, absorbing some of the moisture. The air is then cooled and passed through the drying agent. The cool dry air which results is then heated again and passed through the polyester chips once more. This process is repeated until the level of water in the chips is less than 40 parts per million. Drying takes four hours or more – it has to be done very gradually and slowly because to do it faster would mean using hotter air, and if the air goes above 160ºC then it will start causing the breakdown reaction that all this is designed to avoid!
The dry chips are then put into the next machine to be melted and spun. Polyester is a ‘melt spun’ fibre, meaning that it is spun by being heated until it melts and then forced out of spinnerets in the form of thin fibres which set as they cool. The silkworm, too, makes its thread by forcing a quick-setting liquid through a fine spinneret. The cross-section of the spinnerets can be varied to give polyesters of different properties. Other ways of spinning man-made fibres include wet spinning and dry spinning.
The fine fibres are heated again and stretched to five times their length, or more, in a process called drawing. This makes them even finer. These long drawn fibres (called filaments) are then made into yarn. This can be by twisting together whole filaments (this is called filament yarn), or by cutting the filaments into shorter lengths, called staples, and spinning these into yarn in the same way that wool or cotton yarn is made (this is called spun yarn).
Filament yarns tend to have a high lustre, and be a thicker, harder yarn. Fabrics like satin and taffeta are typical filament yarn fabrics. Spun yarns tend to have a duller, matt finish, be finer yarns and have a softer feel, this is because of the many tiny filament ends poking out. If you could look at a spun yarn down a microscope it would look as if it had many fine hairs all along its length. Our fabrics are mostly spun yarn fabrics.
Once the polyester has been made into yarn it may be blended with other fibres to make fabrics which combine the qualities of both. Popular blends include polyester/wool, polyester/rayon and polyester/cotton (often abbreviated to polycotton).
Polycotton is probably the most popular blend. The polyester fibres make the cotton more resilient, so it keeps its shape and doesn’t stretch or wrinkle, or stain so easily. The cotton makes the fabric more absorbent and may make it feel more comfortable. Many people still think that polyester doesn’t have a nice feel, mainly due to the bad press it got in the seventies, but modern polyester fabrics are miles away from those seventies double-knits and can feel even better than natural fabrics.
Also, because they are less absorbent, modern polyester fabrics don’t hang onto your sweat and leave you standing in damp kit in the British weather the minute you stop playing and start to cool down! This is why most of our kit is made of modern high-performance polyesters, although we include hardwearing polycotton in our range for those who prefer that.
Yarns are then sent to textile mills where they are either knitted or woven into fabrics. Knitted fabrics have a lot more stretch, while woven fabrics are more rigid and, depending on the weave, may be far less porous (i.e. they have less gaps). This is why we use knitted fabrics for our playing kits, socks, t-shirts, etc, but woven microfibre fabrics for our outerwear.
Knitting is one way to turn yarn into fabric. The earliest known examples date from the 14th Century, but some claim that it dates from several centuries BC.
Knitting is more complex than weaving. Each row of yarn is looped through the row above and the row below, with no straight line of yarn anywhere. This means that knitted fabrics are stretchy in all directions. This makes them very different to woven fabrics, which are generally only stretchy in one direction (although modern elastic yarns mean this isn’t always the case).
Weaving is another way of making fabric from yarn. Weaving has been known since Neolithic times, possibly even since the Palaeolithic. Simply put, two sets of fibres, at right angles to each other, are interwoven together. The vertical fibres are called the warp and are stretched out and held parallel by the loom. The weft fibres are added between them, one row at a time.
Woven fabrics are only stretchy in the bias direction (i.e. at 45 degrees to the warp and weft), unless they are made of yarn with a lot of elasticity. They generally have far smaller holes than knitted fabrics and so are used for windproof and waterproof fabrics, as well as fabrics where stretch is not desirable.
If after all this you still want to know more about polyester (really?), try the polyester entry in Wikipedia.
Most of our rugby, football and cycling range is made from forms of polyester or a polyester/cotton blend including shorts, socks, tops and training kit.
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