Custom Elastic Solutions: Tailoring Tapes to Apparel Brand Needs

In today’s apparel industry, one-size-fits-all simply doesn’t cut it. Brands are under constant pressure to stand out—visually, functionally, and sustainably—and the trims they choose can play a bigger role than most people think. At ECI Elastic, we’ve learned that success isn’t just about manufacturing great elastic tapes. It’s about listening. Staying attuned to end customer preferences, evolving fashion trends, and functional performance requirements is what allows us to deliver real value—fast.

In fact, our ability to anticipate what designers and developers need is what sets us apart from the traditional OEM/ODM mindset. We go beyond basic production. We collaborate. We co-create. And we tailor our elastic solutions to align seamlessly with each client’s brand identity, product vision, and performance expectations.

From Concept to Custom: Why Tailored Elastic Matters

Customization isn’t a luxury anymore—it’s an expectation. Whether you're building a high-performance legging, a delicate lingerie set, or the next streetwear staple, your trims need to match your vision in both look and feel. With elastic, it’s about more than just stretch. You’re talking about recovery, durability, aesthetics, texture, sustainability—and how those qualities translate to the final consumer experience.

That’s why ECI approaches custom solutions as a partnership. We work closely with our clients from the early concept phase through sampling and into production, ensuring the final product delivers on all fronts.

Below is the baseline of the customization options we offer to our brand partners:

• Material Selection

Choose from conventional, recycled, or bio-based yarns—including moisture-wicking, soft-touch, or blends.

• Weave Type

Knit or woven elastics depending on the required balance between softness, strength, and structure.

• Color & Dyeing

Color matching, gradient effects, and high color fastness across washing, light, and perspiration.

• Printing & Branding

Whether you're adding logos, graphics, or expressive color, we offer an array of finishing methods including Digital Printing, Screen Printing, Heat Transfer, Sublimation, and Embossing. These techniques don’t just elevate the look—they bring branding to life with bold, lasting impact.

• Functional Finishes

Go beyond visuals with smart, performance-driven finishing options. Our Silicone Coating can add grip or stretch control, while Reflective Adhesives and Reflective Elastic Tapes enhance safety and visibility—ideal for activewear, outerwear, and streetwear. These finishes turn basic elastic into a value-added design element.

• Performance Specifications

Tailor your stretch and recovery percentages, define elongation limits, or dial in the perfect power level to match your garment’s needs.

• Surface Effects & Textures

Want a brushed surface? A bold jacquard logo? Raised embossed textures? No problem. We can dial in the hand-feel and finish that makes your product stand out.

Designed for Every Apparel Segment

We understand that every apparel category comes with its own set of demands—and we’ve spent decades perfecting our elastic solutions to meet them. In sportswear, performance is key, which is why our elastics are engineered for power, breathability, and moisture-wicking functionality to support high-intensity movement. For lingerie, we focus on a delicate balance of softness and gentle stretch, delivering a luxurious hand-feel without sacrificing support or style. And in the world of athleisure and casualwear, where comfort meets branding, our tapes offer both flexibility and striking visual impact, whether through bold prints, jacquards, or color accents.

Workwear requires a different kind of performance—one rooted in long-lasting durability and reliable structure. Our elastics for these applications are built to hold up under pressure, providing firm support through countless wears and washes. Meanwhile, in footwear and accessories, elastic elements must be precise, functional, and often compact. We design tapes that retain form, enhance grip, and add detail—without adding bulk—making them ideal for everything from shoelaces and straps to wearable tech and beyond.

Real Applications, Real Custom Solutions

Our customization expertise extends across the entire spectrum of apparel markets. Here are a few examples of how we've tailored elastic solutions to meet specific brand requirements while maintaining their unique identity and performance needs:

1. Woven Elastic with Sublimation Printing for Back Neck Tape (31735-10R+P543)

For a global leader in traditional sportswear, we developed a camouflage-patterned elastic using sublimation printing. This woven elastic tape serves as both a functional back neck tape and a decorative element across their sportswear collections. The camouflage pattern—which has evolved from military origins into a fundamental part of outdoor, tactical, and fashion applications—showcases our ability to execute distinctive patterns that align with a brand's aesthetic while maintaining performance standards. The brand's traditional sports heritage and mass-market appeal required a solution that balanced visual impact with consistent performance.

2. Woven Elastic with Reflective Yarn and Silicone Coating for Fold-Over Elastic (30747-20-RT+SI01)

Working with a premium performance brand known for blending European craftsmanship with sport culture, we created a specialized fold-over elastic that combines functionality with style. The base woven elastic integrates reflective yarn to enhance visibility—perfect for their running collections. We elevated the traditional solid-colored edging by adding a silicone coating for slip resistance, demonstrating how hybrid materials and processes can significantly enhance functionality. This solution helped the brand maintain its reputation for innovative performance wear with a distinctly European design sensibility.

3. Woven Elastic with Embossing for Waistband (30569-38R+E817)
For a performance-driven minimalist brand specializing in extreme sports equipment and apparel, we developed an embossed pattern waistband that adds sophisticated texture to an otherwise solid surface. This specialized finishing process transformed a standard elastic component into a distinctive design element for their high-performance waistbands used in ski, snowboard, and outdoor sportswear. The embossing technique provided the perfect balance of enhanced aesthetics while maintaining the technical performance required for extreme sports applications, aligning perfectly with the brand's clean, functional design ethos.

These examples demonstrate our versatility in creating solutions that span from mass-market sportswear to premium performance gear and specialized extreme sports equipment. Each solution is carefully engineered to reflect the brand's unique position in the market while delivering the specific technical requirements their products demand.

Custom Without Compromise
When working on custom solutions, we don’t start from scratch or slow things down. Our team is set up to deliver tailored elastic tapes that meet specific brand needs, whether that’s a particular performance spec, aesthetic look, or sustainability target. Thanks to our vertically integrated operations and years of experience, we’re able to offer the same consistency, durability, and efficiency in custom projects as we do in our standard products.

Fast turnaround times, material staging, and scalable production help keep timelines short, even for more complex requests. And for brands looking to reduce their environmental impact, we offer a growing range of sustainable options—from recycled and bio-based materials to water-saving dye and print methods. We also support traceability and documentation needs to help you stay on top of compliance. In short, customization is where we do our best work—without compromising on the essentials.

 

Let’s Make Something That Fits—Perfectly
Whether you're launching a new collection or elevating a core product, your elastic trims should be built around your needs—not the other way around. At ECI, we don’t just supply elastic tapes. We tailor them to help brands move faster, stand out more, and deliver better performance.

Ready to create something custom? Let’s talk about how we can make elastic that fits your vision from the very first stitch.