Construction
Scrunch Yoga Leggings
A gathered centre-back seam for shape. Fabric recovery matters more here than anywhere else.
How it is built
A gathered centre-back seam, and the fabric that has to hold it
A scrunch is made by gathering the centre-back seam: the seam line is shorter than the fabric it joins, so the cloth ruches along it and lifts the seat. The depth of the gather is the spec that controls how pronounced the effect is, and it changes the back rise, because gathering cloth pulls the seat up.
This is the cut where fabric recovery matters most. A gathered seam under tension is being asked to hold a shape, and a fabric with weak recovery will let the gather relax within a few wears — the effect disappears and the seam starts to look like a mistake rather than a design.
Gather depth
How much shorter the seam is than the fabric. Visible in the finished garment and fixed at the pattern stage.
Where the seam ends
Top of the rise, or stopping short of the waistband. It changes how the effect reads from behind.
Back rise
Gathering lifts the seat, so the back rise is set with the gather in mind rather than independently.
Fabric recovery
The figure that decides whether the shape survives wear. Weak recovery means the scrunch relaxes.
What to specify
What a scrunch order has to settle
Fabric and colour run through every style we make, so they are covered on the fabric page. These four are the ones this cut adds.
How pronounced the gather is
From a subtle lift to a strong effect. Agreed against a reference photograph, because the vocabulary for it is inconsistent.
The back rise
Has to be reset once the gather depth is fixed, or the seat pulls low.
Fabric recovery
Specified explicitly for this cut, and worth insisting on rather than accepting the standard cloth.
Whether the front is also shaped
Some ranges shape only the back; others add a front seam so the two sides read consistently.
What to send
Scrunch brief, in three items
Send these and the reply carries a price. Leave one open and it usually comes back as a question, because the answer decides which fabric and which construction gets quoted. Two routes reach a scrunch order: pick a style from the range and change the fabric, colour, print or trims, which is OEM and ODM; or come with your own label, colours and packaging, which is private label.
Leggings on file
A sample of the range
The constructions above are made to order rather than held in stock. These are legging styles currently on file, to show the fabrics and colour directions in use.
Questions buyers ask about this cut
Scrunch leggings, answered
Does the scrunch seam stay comfortable when sitting?
It is a seam running up the centre back, so it is felt when sitting on a hard surface. Most buyers accept that trade for the shape; if it is a concern, the gather can be made shallower and the seam moved slightly.
Why does the effect fade after a few wears?
Fabric recovery. The seam is gathered under tension, so a cloth that does not return to its original length will let the gather open out. Specifying recovery rather than only stretch is what prevents it.
Does it change the sizing?
The gather pulls the seat up, so the back rise is set differently from a flat-seam legging. Any existing size chart's rise figures should be expected to move for this cut.
Fabrics
What the fabric is specified in
Four parameters decide whether a legging feels right and stays opaque. They are agreed before sampling so the first sample is judged against a number rather than an impression.
Other constructions