One of my most frequently asked questions is definitely “where can I buy fabric for yoga/running/exercise/etc?”, so I thought it’s high time I make an attempt at something like a global list.
In general, though, the word you should be searching for is “Supplex”. This is a brand name, though, like Lycra (whose generic term is “spandex”), but the generic alternative is something like “wicking spandex”, and generally isn’t used as often as “Supplex” in fabric stores, I’ve found.
If you can buy supplex at a decent price, buy it. It’s soft, has great recovery, wicks away moisture while you’re sweating, and stands up to washing without a ton of pilling. It can be hard to find though, and sometimes only comes in a limited amount of colours, but I wouldn’t hesitate to run a marathon in supplex – it’s great stuff.
If you’re running shorter distances, or in cooler weather, you can get away with exercising in any number of lycra/spandex jerseys, though. These won’t wick sweat away, but they come in a gazillion colours and prints, plus have a multitude of foil and sequin effects, and can be way cheaper, too. Ditto goes for swimsuit fabrics – you can certainly use them for shorter exercise sessions even though they’re not wicking. Personally, I wouldn’t mind running a half marathon on a cool day in lycra leggings, but your mileage may vary (pun intended!).
UK
Tissu aka “In Fashion Fabrics” – Supplex in a limited range of colours, but by far the cheapest in the UK
Rainbow Jersey – Great array of supplex colours, but phone orders only and they’ll only ship within the UK (price is about £12/m with no minimum)
UK Fabrics – Scruffy Badger has used their “Mock Eyelet” for running gear and recommends it!
Funki Fabrics – Not wicking, but an unbelievable amount of digitally printed lycras that are suitable for swimming and activewear. They also stock supplex in black and white only (good quality, but twice the price of Tissu)
Bra Maker Supply (formerly “Sewing Chest”) – stock a wide variety of power net/mesh which I use to line and give support to sports bras.
Know any more UK shops? Tell me in the comments!
Europe
Shelby (Finland) are an outdoor company, but stock several wicking base layer materials that are suitable for exercise
Know any more European shops? Tell me in the comments!
Canada
Suzi Spandex stock the KING of all supplexes, which they mill themselves, called “Suziplex”. I cannot stress enough how awesome this stuff is! You need to order over the phone (or buy in personal from their Montreal warehouse), but no matter how much you buy you will wish you bought more. They also stock a staggering array of regular lycra/spandex prints for the dance and skating communities.
Know any more Canadian shops? Tell me in the comments!
Space-dyed supplex from Runners Fabrics
Australia
Runners Fabrics – is a new shop founded by fellow running sewist Mel Brennan which stocks the amazing Eclipse Textiles supplex. The “space-dyed” in particular is super soft and even better in real life than the photos – I’m so jealous of the Aussies now, too!
Beach Bubble Swimwear, as recommended by Katherine
Know any more Antipodean shops? Tell me in the comments!
United States
I only knew one or two places to buy exercise fabrics in America (since the shipping is extortionate to the UK, I can’t buy from there anymore), so I asked Kathy for help. oh em gee – she sent me back this embarrassingly long list of suppliers, which totally puts the rest of my list to shame! So consider this a bit of a guest-post from her I guess, and definitely go check out the exercise gear she’s sewn, too. Comments in italics are hers.
Spandex House – Supplex in a surprisingly wide array of solid colours
Peak Fabrics – Supplex in some great non-traditional “sporty” colours
Spandex World – They are much like Spandex House, are in NYC also, and have a brick and mortar store, too. They have supplex and a fantastic selection of spandex… duh!
Fashion Fabrics Club – Watch out because they put a lot of non-supplex regular knits into the “Activewear & Swimwear” category – look at the fabric content and go for the ones specifically marked “Activewear”. (they also go by Denver Fabrics (I don’t know why?! It’s the exact same company.)
Fabric Mart (They have a brick and mortar store in PA as well) I’ve gotten all of my supplex here, along with other activewear materials. They buy out fabrics from manufacturers so the selection varies from week to week, even day to day.
Fabric.com – Mega online shop for fabrics. Folks in the US usually are generally well-acquainted with this site
The Fabric Fairy – I got swimwear fabric here, but I also used it for running clothes because it’s nylon/spandex
Girl Charlee – These guys are the sweetheart of the US blogosphere these days. They sell ALL knits. I got swimwear stuff here, plus I of course use it for running clothes!
Fabric Depot – A great source for activewear and lingerie materials
Sew Sassy – A source for really basic colors of material activewear/swimwear. (They do lingerie stuff, too) including power mesh for lining and supporting sports bras!
Michael Levine – They have a brick and mortar store in Los Angeles. There’s a few headings here with several activewear related fabrics: athletic mesh and of course lames!
Spandex By Yard – I JUST found these guys, so I don’t know much. They look to be an ideal place to shop for activewear material… I saw a heading for moisture wicking fabrics!
Designer Alley Fabrics
Also just learned about them, they look to be another hot source! And they list supplex!
Chez Ami – Also new to me. They have tactel among some other knits.
Etsy and eBay – Sellers do sell supplex here along with other activewear fabrics. Just plug in ‘supplex’ to search. I’ve never ordered activewear from either site so I can’t recommend any particular seller.
And if you want some inspiration of your own, why not have a look back through some of the exercise gear I’ve sewn for suggestions on patterns, finishing techniques, and even ways to refashion old race shirts?
Oh, and I launched a running site yesterday! Have a read through RiverRunner.co.uk!
Tags: exercise,
knit,
shopping
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Comments:
Add to the U.S. list Seattle Fabrics. They have several different types of athletic and outdoor clothing fabrics including wicking fabrics and Gortex.
— Norma Aug 30, 07:48 PM #
I did NOT know about Peak in the US! Thanks for sharing. I just linked this info on my blog so folks can hop over to your blog for this super solid list.
— kathy Aug 30, 11:37 PM #
I haven’t purchased from them, but Sundrop Textiles is a Canadian source that has been around for a long time. Bricks and mortar store near Vancouver in B.C. and an online store as well. A variety of outerwear and activewear listed.
— rebeccas Aug 31, 12:33 AM #
Can I add the Philippines to the list? Bloomingdales in the Shanri-La mall is the only place I know of in Manila to get exercisewear fabric. The daughter of the owner is a tri-athlete so this is her special project.
— Karen Aug 31, 12:43 AM #
You must have been reading my mind!! I was just looking for supplex to make some workout gear with my new and genuine CoverPro binder kit. Thanks again for your help, can’t wait to get some new outfits ready for my first 10-miler in October.
— Ming Aug 31, 03:18 AM #
Thanks so much for the list. Peak Fabric is actually a Canadian company. It’s located just west of Calgary, Alberta. I have visited the shop, located in the owner’s basement. Great quality fabric. Worth the cost. Anytime I pull out fabric from my stash from Peak Fabrics, I am thankful I didn’t buy a cheap substitute!
— Shelley Aug 31, 03:58 AM #