Teijin Frontier Develops Seamless Knitwear Using Special Bulky Fancy Yarn Providing Both Thermal Comfort and High Functionality
Tokyo, Japan, November 21, 2023 --- Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fibers and products converting company, today announced the development of Microft🄬 AR, a seamless knitwear for outdoor sports, featuring warmth that gently envelops and innovative stress-free comfort combined with a high functionality. The innovative clothing is made of a bulky fancy yarn using Teijin Frontier’s newly-developed high-performance polyester filament.
Microft🄬 AR uses highly crimped (*1) DELTAPEAK🄬 processed yarn as the core to create a high density loop structure to provide favorable raising and bulky heat-insulating performance while preventing fibers from falling off. Also, Teijin Frontier’s proprietary polyester filament is used for pile to provide various functionalities. Low gauge seamless knitwear (*2) made of the fancy yarn enables Microft🄬 AR to offer unique sense of fit such as stress-free and soft, lightweight, and warmth that gently envelops with wear comfortability such as sweat-absorbency and quick-drying, high breathability Also, it can be compactly foldable in small-size. Furthermore, Microft🄬 AR is an environmentally compatible product as it is made of 100% recycled polyester and features limited appearance changes after repeated washing and wearing, long-term use, and a reduced amount of falling-off fibers that are degraded to microplastics.
(*1) Highly crimped fiber: Crimped fiber that offer high bulkiness, elasticity, and stretchability.
(*2) Low gauge: Knitting coarsely with thick yarn.
Technical features of Microft🄬 AR
Article characteristics of Microft🄬 AR
Recently, outdoor clothing and sportswear are required to have a premium look and feel, further wear comfortability (high water-absorbent/quick-drying and stress-free properties), and eco-friendliness are desired in addition to excellent heat retaining property. Light and thermal fleece materials are popular, nevertheless, it has some issues such as poor sweat-absorbent and quick-drying functions, bulkiness and appearance change after washing and wearing due to brushed fabrics. Teijin Frontier focused on the structure of chenille yarn (*3) to assure heat retention and functionality without brushing. However, conventional chenille yarns have been mainly used for fashionable clothing with the focus on textures such as soft feeling and airy appearance, lacking the functionality required for outdoor uses.
(*3) Chenille yarn: Fancy yarn consists of core threads, pile, etc. Knitwear created with chenille yarn is generally considered high-pile and good in touch.
Teijin Frontier will begin promoting Microft🄬 AR for the 2025 autumn and winter outdoor clothing and sportswear collections, thereafter, expanding globally for functional clothes such as casual wear and uniforms. It expects Microft🄬 AR sales to reach 100,000 pieces during fiscal 2026.
About the Teijin Group
Teijin (TSE: 3401) is a technology-driven global group with two core businesses: high-performance materials and healthcare solutions. Established in 1918 as Japan’s first rayon manufacturer, Teijin today comprises some 170 companies employing 20,000 people in 20 countries. Through “Human Chemistry, Human Solutions,” Teijin relentlessly strives to aims to be a company that supports the society of the future by protecting the global environment and addressing the needs of people and communities. Teijin posted consolidated sales of JPY 1,018.8 billion (USD 7.6 billion) and total assets of JPY 1,242.4 billion (USD 9.2 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.
Visit www.teijin.com.
Press Contact
Investor and Public Relations Department
Teijin Limited
+81 (0)3 3506 4055
pr@teijin.co.jp
Microft🄬 AR uses highly crimped (*1) DELTAPEAK🄬 processed yarn as the core to create a high density loop structure to provide favorable raising and bulky heat-insulating performance while preventing fibers from falling off. Also, Teijin Frontier’s proprietary polyester filament is used for pile to provide various functionalities. Low gauge seamless knitwear (*2) made of the fancy yarn enables Microft🄬 AR to offer unique sense of fit such as stress-free and soft, lightweight, and warmth that gently envelops with wear comfortability such as sweat-absorbency and quick-drying, high breathability Also, it can be compactly foldable in small-size. Furthermore, Microft🄬 AR is an environmentally compatible product as it is made of 100% recycled polyester and features limited appearance changes after repeated washing and wearing, long-term use, and a reduced amount of falling-off fibers that are degraded to microplastics.
(*1) Highly crimped fiber: Crimped fiber that offer high bulkiness, elasticity, and stretchability.
(*2) Low gauge: Knitting coarsely with thick yarn.
Technical features of Microft🄬 AR
Article characteristics of Microft🄬 AR
| Function | Feature | |
| Comfortability | Excellent heat-insulating performance | - Light, soft, and thermal comfort thanks to super bulky raised structure of special bulky fancy yarn |
| Comfortable to wear | - Stress-free wearing comfort due to no seams - Comfortable fit thanks to low gauge bulky knit structure and stretch |
|
| Functional comfortability | - Excellent sweat-absorbent/quick-drying performance thanks to non-brushed structure - Prevention of sweaty feeling through high breathability - Functional combination (e.g., antibacterial deodorant) by using various special original yarns for pile |
|
| Other | - Compactly foldable small-size | |
| Environmental response | Microplastic countermeasure | - Reduction of falling off of fibers during washing thanks to special high-density fancy yarn structure |
| Recycling | - Made of 100% recycled materials | |
| Wearability | - Capable of long-term use with little morphological change such as pilling (*4) even after wearing and washing (*4) Hairballs generated on the surface of clothes due to friction during wearing |
|
Recently, outdoor clothing and sportswear are required to have a premium look and feel, further wear comfortability (high water-absorbent/quick-drying and stress-free properties), and eco-friendliness are desired in addition to excellent heat retaining property. Light and thermal fleece materials are popular, nevertheless, it has some issues such as poor sweat-absorbent and quick-drying functions, bulkiness and appearance change after washing and wearing due to brushed fabrics. Teijin Frontier focused on the structure of chenille yarn (*3) to assure heat retention and functionality without brushing. However, conventional chenille yarns have been mainly used for fashionable clothing with the focus on textures such as soft feeling and airy appearance, lacking the functionality required for outdoor uses.
(*3) Chenille yarn: Fancy yarn consists of core threads, pile, etc. Knitwear created with chenille yarn is generally considered high-pile and good in touch.
Teijin Frontier will begin promoting Microft🄬 AR for the 2025 autumn and winter outdoor clothing and sportswear collections, thereafter, expanding globally for functional clothes such as casual wear and uniforms. It expects Microft🄬 AR sales to reach 100,000 pieces during fiscal 2026.
About the Teijin Group
Teijin (TSE: 3401) is a technology-driven global group with two core businesses: high-performance materials and healthcare solutions. Established in 1918 as Japan’s first rayon manufacturer, Teijin today comprises some 170 companies employing 20,000 people in 20 countries. Through “Human Chemistry, Human Solutions,” Teijin relentlessly strives to aims to be a company that supports the society of the future by protecting the global environment and addressing the needs of people and communities. Teijin posted consolidated sales of JPY 1,018.8 billion (USD 7.6 billion) and total assets of JPY 1,242.4 billion (USD 9.2 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.
Visit www.teijin.com.
Press Contact
Investor and Public Relations Department
Teijin Limited
+81 (0)3 3506 4055
pr@teijin.co.jp