materials | Aphrodite

materials

April 20, 2022

What is Ripstop?

Whether your battling the elements of the urban jungle, or dealing with treacherous terrain in the countryside, functional and durable pieces should always be your go to. Enter Ripstop. A tear resistant fabric that often makes an appearance in quality outdoor gear.

Ripstop fabrics are made up of woven materials, such as nylon or polyester, and use a reinforcement technique that makes them resistant to tearing and ripping. Contrary to popular belief, ripstop doesn’t totally prevent rips from occurring, and although it does prevent them, the main characteristic behind ripstop is that it stops rips from spreading. The reinforcement technique creates small squares within the fabric, it’s those squares that act as a barrier in order to stop the rip from spreading further.

Ripstop fabrics constructed of nylon are ideal if you want to take your gear outdoors, they usually provide a waterproof, windproof option and although garments crafted using this material often come with a higher price tag, they offer the best of the best when it comes to protection.

Polyester ripstop is another great option, usually classified as water repellent, this material also offers windproof properties. Extremely lightweight and just as durable; Polyester ripstop garments are more affordable and have a great price to performance ratio.

Ripstop fabrics are used in a wide range of garments here at Aphrodite. From Danner, the “Free Spirit Boots” offer a Gore-Tex ripstop toebox and upper, keeping your feet dry on those weekend walks. While the all new Paul Smith Overshirts play host to a colourful nylon ripstop fabric, keeping you protected from the elements on the terraces. Whatever ripstop piece you opt for, you can be assured that its functionality, durability and craftsmanship will top of the range.

Brands such as Carhartt, Stone Island, Patagonia, Subu, and many others, offer ripstop garments of which we are proud stockists. Tackle the the elements and grab yourself a ripstop piece, online and in store, at Aphrodite.

Shop a range of Ripstop garments here!

March 23, 2013

Stone Island Materials – Glass Jacket

This is the final instalment of the Stone Island Brand In Focus session whereby we have been showcasing some of the exclusive fabrics and dyeing techniques that Stone Island use in some of their premium pieces of menswear. This time we bring to you the Stone Island glass jacket. We hope that if you have been following the feature from part 1 that you have learnt a little as to why Stone Island jackets cost the amount of money that they do and that you might now have a new appreciation for the brand. If perhaps you missed the earlier blog posts and would like to read them, you can visit them via the following links:

Part 1: Introduction and Stone Island Tela Stella jacket
Part 2: Stone Island Membrana jacket
Part 3: Stone Island Micro Rip Stop jacket

THE GLASS JACKET – £550

This two tone jacket gets its name from the opalescent appearance which is typical of worn glass. The use of glass in the fabric together with tightly woven cotton Batavia amplifies the colour outputs of the garment dying techniques, granting to the piece a series of different colour tones. Crafted from two innovative Stone Island fabrics, this is a top quality designer product and proves the brand is the best when it comes to materials and ground-breaking fabrics.

The first material, which makes up the majority of the main body is the brands very own garment dyed cotton, followed by a Ripstop Nylon Tela, achieved through the lamination of an opaque polyurethane film to its outer face and to the specific dye formulas used for the garment dying treatments.

That just about brings to an end our Stone Island feature. Hopefully it has been as interesting and enlightening a read as it has been for us to research and write about. There is so much more that we could talk about from the world of Stone Island but this was just a small feature on some of the current jackets that are in stock and what makes them so unique. If ever you have any questions regarding Stone Island or any of the clothing that you have seen, please don’t hesitate to contact us. A member of our friendly shop floor or web team will be happy to assist you in your enquiry.

March 22, 2013

Stone Island Materials – Ripstop Jacket

Hopefully, you will have been reading our series of posts on Stone Island over the past few days. In part 2 we featured the membrana jacket and in keeping with the lightweight theme, this time we present to you the impressive Stone Island Ripstop jacket. This jacket received a lot of love over on Instagram.

THE MICRO RIP STOP 7 JACKET – £350

This is a lightweight jacket crafted from an ultra-light 7 denier nylon micro ripstop fabric weighing only 22 grams per square meter. Ripstop Material is a woven nylon threaded material that resists tearing and ripping, commonly used for outdoor equipment such as tents and the outer shell of sleeping bags. This fabric can take a tough beating, so this is a jacket that will last. The fabric has also been calendared to obtain a glazed and compact look, finished off with an anti-drop agent. Along with the outer material, inside boasts a Tyvek sheet, bonded to a run proof nylon mesh which acts as a wind and water-resistant shield

Away from the technical materials side, the notable design elements featuring on this jacket are single vertical zip fasten pocket mixed with 2 front press button fastening patch pockets, ribbed cuffs, and hem for extra fit and comfort and white tipping to the collar. As with all Stone Island clothing, branding can be found in the shape of a removable compass logo patch.

We hope that you have enjoyed this penultimate article in the Stone Island materials series and coming up next for you is the Stone Island Glass Jacket in part 4 coming in a few days. Let us know what you think by adding a comment to the article or giving us a ‘like’

March 20, 2013

Stone Island Materials – The Membrana TC Jacket

Following on from Part 1 of the Stone Island Brand In Focus, showcasing the Tela Stella jacket, we now move onto the Membrana TC Jacket from the Spring/Summer 2013 collection. We had some really good feedback about the feature and we hope you like part 2.

THE MEMBRANA TC JACKET – £395

The Membrana TC Jacket showcases the Stone Islands expertise in garment dying, boasting an outstanding unparalleled colour to the outer face while persevering the performance features of the inner membrane. The light performance fabric that the jacket is crafted from is made from an opaque nylon outer face laminated to a breathable, water resistant membrane

As with all Stone Island’s pieces, this is a top quality jacket that features all the iconic SI branding including the removable compass logo patch on the arm, peaked hood, 4 front slanted pockets finished with a full front zip fasten.

The next instalment of the Stone Island Brand In Focus will be with you in the next few days. This time we will be featuring the stunning lightweight Stone Island Micro Rip Stop Jacket which had people salivating at the mouth when we featured it on the Aphrodite Instagram account last week.

March 18, 2013

Stone Island Materials – The Tela Stella Jacket

Stone Island Clothing has been at the forefront of the men’s designer sport and technical scene for a number of years and shows no sign of dwindling any time soon. The brand is known for many reasons, their unique surface treatments, dying techniques, association with football fans and for some, their high price tag. Whatever the reason, Stone Island is a renowned much loved brand by many and we have created this newsletter to help explain why Stone Island jackets are the price they are, including information about the different dying process used, materials and the technical aspects of the jackets.

The brand began using hard wearing materials such as sailing fabric, but they wanted to stand out from the crowd. They continued with heavy material research, resulting in Stone Island being at the head of the material treatments and dyes, which has been carried onto today’s designs. The Iconic badge that made the brand famous was inspired by military stripes and insignia. The infamous compass on the badge symbolised “the love for the sea and an aim for constant research”.

THE TELA STELLA JACKET – £425

The Tela Stella fabric was the first fabric founded by the company soon after its launch. This Tela Stella jacket was inspired by army trucks tarpaulin clothes, the technical and functional characteristics and how these can be transferred to a jacket. The material is a consistent cotton cloth which has been soaked on both sides with contrasting pigment special resins then undergone a long lasting enzyme wash to break down the density of the material which helps the jacket achieve that faded look. The result is a wind resistant material which has an air of old oilskins corroded by the sea mixed with a strong military feel.

Thirty years after its original release, the Tela Stella jacket is back, mixed with modern technologies, and is proudly part of the 30 years anniversary collection. The jacket bears witness to the success of all-Italian skills that have been involved in the company research and experimentation.

The features of this jacket are just as iconic as the materials and fabrics used to create it, 2 slanted zip fasten pockets, full zip fasten with wind flaps for extra protection, a peaked hood, which has become a staple for many Stone Island and CP Company’s jackets, mixed with the symbolic removable compass logo on the sleeve and the interior material explanation and care guide

Stone Island price range reflects the dying and technical treatments that have went into the design and manufacture of the garment, along with the processes and developments of the fibres for the quality finish known from the brand. The dying process means that no two jackets will be the same, giving each customer that unique and exclusive feel.

Over the years the brand has accumulated knowledge and experience through research and testing to give them the confidence to produce top quality products.

In our next feature on Stone Island, we are going to feature the Stone Island Membrana TC Jacket.