Nylon-Lycra 101: Why It Feels Like Skin

What is nylon-Lycra?

Nylon-Lycra is the fabric family behind almost every great pair of leggings you've ever loved — including the ones from the big performance brands charging $150+ for them. It's a knit blend of nylon (for strength, smoothness, and structure) and Lycra® elastane (for stretch and recovery), engineered to move with your body instead of against it.   

It's the same general fabric category used in premium activewear leggings from brands like Lululemon and Alo — a nylon-dominant knit (typically in the 80/20 nylon-to-Lycra range) brushed for softness and knit for four-way stretch. NELO's BareTouch and Butter leggings are built in that same fabric category, tested to the same standard, without the brand markup layered on top.

Is all nylon-Lycra the same?

Short answer: no. Blend ratio, yarn quality, and knit construction all change how a fabric performs.

• Higher Lycra content (18–20%) = more stretch and recovery, ideal for leggings that need to move with you.
• Lower Lycra content (8–13%) = firmer, more structured feel, often used in sweatpants or looser silhouettes.
• Yarn quality and brushing determine whether the fabric feels buttery-soft or just "stretchy"

This is exactly why we don't cut corners on it. Every NELO production run goes through independent third-party testing for colorfastness, anti-pilling performance, and squat-test opacity — because a fabric that feels great in the store but goes see-through at the gym or pills after three washes isn't actually premium, no matter what it's called.

Why is this normally so expensive?

The honest answer is: most of the price tag on premium leggings isn't the fabric — it's the brand markup that comes from selling through agents, wholesalers, and retail stores that all take a cut before the product reaches you.

We sell direct, with no middlemen in between. That's how the same general fabric quality and testing standard ends up costing what it actually costs to make — not what a retail supply chain adds on top.

How do I care for nylon-Lycra leggings?

• Wash cold, inside out — protects the outer finish and any printed details
• Skip the fabric softener — it breaks down elastane fibers over time and shortens the fabric's stretch life
• Air dry when you can — heat from the dryer is the fastest way to weaken elastane and lose recovery
• Avoid bleach — even small amounts weaken the nylon fibers over time

Shop Nylon-Lycra

BareTouch Leggings · Butter Flare Leggings · SoftLift Shorts

FAQ

Is NELO's fabric the same as Lululemon's? It's in the same fabric category — a nylon-Lycra blend brushed and knit the same way premium activewear brands build their softest leggings. We don't use the same proprietary trademarked fabric names (those are specific to each brand), but the underlying fiber blend, feel, and testing standard are built to the same bar.

Why do nylon-Lycra leggings pill? Pilling usually comes from friction and lower-quality yarn. That's exactly what our anti-pilling testing checks for before a production run is approved.

How do I know if leggings will go see-through? Stretch the fabric across your knuckles in bright light — if you can see your skin clearly through it, it will likely go see-through when worn. Every NELO legging passes a squat-test opacity check before it ever goes into bulk production.