Spandex World

What Spandex World does

Spandex World Inc. is a privately held specialty textile distributor headquartered in Long Island City, New York, that retails and wholesales spandex and stretch fabrics primarily by the yard. The company operates a dual-channel distribution model comprising an e-commerce storefront at spandexworld.com serving domestic and international buyers alongside a physical retail and showroom location at 48-41 Van Dam Street. Its assortment spans 25+ fabric categories including nylon spandex, hologram spandex, metallic spandex, mystique mini dots, printed spandex, stretch mesh, stretch velvet, cotton lycra, rayon lycra, stretch vinyl, slinky, netting, sequins, cracked ice fabric, stretch lace, wicking fabric, stretch ITY, ponte di roma, stretch denim, stretch suede, faux leather, and spacer fabrics, sourced from polyurethane-based elastane and synthetic fiber blends.

The company's target customer base is fragmented across several end-use segments: swimwear manufacturers using milliskin fabrics, dance and costume makers requiring sequins and specialty spandex, activewear brands needing cotton lycra and wicking fabric, home decor creators, and lingerie designers. Pricing ranges from approximately $4.00 per yard for clearance athletic netting to $35.00 per yard for premium specialty items such as rhinestone fishnet and radiance glitter, with bulk discounts at 3+ yards and a separate wholesale pricing tier for larger volume orders.

Spandex World monetizes almost exclusively through one-time unit sales of fabric, with no disclosed subscription or licensing revenue model. Marketing is conducted primarily through its own website, email newsletter, and Facebook presence, supplemented by seasonal promotional campaigns. The company also offers a Knowledge Center with fabric education content and a sample-ordering service that allows buyers to evaluate tactile properties before bulk purchase. Founded around 1991, the company operates with a small team of 11-50 employees and has received no disclosed institutional funding.

Name

Spandex World

Legal name

Spandex World Inc.

Website

https://spandexworld.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spandex World Inc. is a privately held specialty textile retailer and wholesaler selling spandex and stretch fabrics by the yard through its spandexworld.com e-commerce site and a Long Island City, NY retail showroom, serving swimwear, dancewear, activewear, costume, and home decor makers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stretch Fabric Retail

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913), Knit Fabric Mills (313240), Curtain and Linen Mills (31412)

SIC

Women's, Misses', Children's & Infants' Undergarments (2340), Knit Outerwear Mills (2253), Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments (2320)

akta.pro primary industry

Shrink Sleeves & Stretch Sleeves (IMALAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fabric, Sewing & Needlecraft Retail (CRALAIAD), Coated & Laminated Base Fabric Mills (Pre-finish Substrates) (IMAOABAI)

Keywords

• Stretch fabric wholesale
• Spandex fabric retail
• Swimwear fabric supplier
• Dancewear fabric
• Activewear fabric

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Island City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fabric Sales: One-time unit sales of spandex and stretch fabrics priced per yard. Products are sold directly to consumers and businesses through e-commerce and retail channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Spandex World is a specialty distributor and retailer of spandex and stretch fabrics sold by the yard. It offers more than 25 fabric categories—including nylon spandex, hologram spandex, metallic spandex, mystique mini dots, stretch mesh, stretch velvet, cotton lycra, stretch vinyl, sequins, cracked ice, stretch lace, wicking fabric, ponte di Roma, stretch denim, faux leather, and spacer—targeted at swimwear, dancewear, costumes, activewear, home decor, and intimate apparel makers. Customers can purchase by the yard online, in its Queens, NY retail showroom, or through wholesale/bulk programs.

Product overview

Spandex World operates an e-commerce platform offering one of the largest collections of high-quality stretch fabrics. The product portfolio centers on spandex and elastane-based textiles available in over 25 distinct fabric categories including Nylon Spandex, Hologram Spandex, Metallic Spandex, Mystique Mini Dots, Printed Spandex, Stretch Mesh/Illusion, Stretch Velvet, Cotton Lycra, Rayon Lycra, Stretch Vinyl, Slinky, Netting, Sequins, Cracked Ice Fabric, Stretch Lace, Wicking Fabric, Stretch ITY, Ponte Di Roma, Stretch Denim, Stretch Suede, Faux Leather, and Spacer fabrics. The company also provides complementary services including a Knowledge Center with fabric education, sample ordering for swatch requests, wholesale/bulk pricing programs, and clearance offerings. Fabrics are sold primarily by the yard with color/swatch matching available, and the catalog supports applications across swimwear, dancewear, costumes, activewear, home decor, and specialty apparel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nylon Spandex Stretch fabric blend combining nylon with spandex elastane, available in finishes including Milliskin Matte, Milliskin Shiny, Milliskin Glitter, Cire, and Regular Spandex (Raschel). Sold by the yard for apparel makers.
• Hologram Spandex Holographic foil-coated spandex fabrics with iridescent shimmer effects, including pattern/abstract designs, paisley holo foil, animal prints, 4-way mystique, and holographic dots.
• Metallic Spandex Spandex fabrics with metallic foil finishes offering reflective properties, including 4-way stretch, metallic pattern/tie dye, stretch lame, and reflective variants.
• Mystique Mini Dots Sparkling dot-patterned spandex with holographic effects, available in 4-way and 2-way stretch, including liquid mystique, holographic mystique, and tie dye mystique variants.
• Printed Spandex Spandex fabrics with various print patterns including abstract, animal, Aztec, Brazilian, camouflage, and novelty designs.
• Stretch Mesh/Illusion Open-weave stretch fabrics including solid mesh, metallic mesh, glissenette, glitter/pattern mesh, and mesh with sequins for layering and accent applications.
• Stretch Velvet Soft pile fabrics with stretch properties including solid crushed, stretch sequins, and glitter/pattern variants for dance, costume, and formal wear.
• Cotton Lycra Fabric blend combining cotton with Lycra spandex, offering breathability and stretch recovery; available in solid and printed varieties.
• Stretch Vinyl Synthetic leather-like stretch fabric with glossy finish in solid and pattern options, including reflective variants.
• Slinky Lightweight drapey stretch fabric with fluid hand-feel, available in metallic, solid color, and glitter finishes.
• Netting Open-mesh fabric varieties including fishnet, athletic net, powernet, and cabaret net for dancewear, costumes, and athletic applications.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Minerva Crafts: UK-based online fabric retailer with global shipping and a deep stretch/knit fabric assortment; comparable assortment breadth to Spandex World but serves primarily European and international customers with different brand positioning.

Direct peers

• Mood Fabrics: Specialty fabric retailer with strong e-commerce and a famous NYC physical showroom, serving apparel designers, costume makers, and small manufacturers — directly overlapping with Spandex World's customer base of swimwear, dance, and activewear makers.
• Rasch Fabrics (mktex.com / fabricdepot.com): Wholesale stretch and dancewear fabric distributor serving the same costume, dance, and performance apparel segments; comparable B2B/wholesale model and similar specialty stretch fabric focus as Spandex World's wholesale tier.
• B&J Fabrics: NYC-based specialty fabric retailer serving apparel designers and small-batch manufacturers with a strong stretch and novelty fabric assortment; comparable positioning, customer base, and physical retail showroom model in the same NYC market.
• Stylish Fabric: Online stretch and knit fabric retailer specializing in spandex, lace, and novelty fabrics for activewear, dancewear, and swimwear makers; most direct head-to-head online competitor to Spandex World's core assortment.
• Stretch & Sew / Pacific Trimming: NYC-based specialty textile retailer offering stretch fabrics, trims, and notions to apparel makers and designers; comparable in customer base, NYC retail location, and stretch-fabric focus, though with broader trim and notions assortment.
• Girl Charlee Fabrics: Online specialty retailer focused on knit and stretch fabrics for apparel makers, with strong emphasis on Cotton Lycra, ITY, and printed knits; directly competes with Spandex World's knits and Cotton Lycra categories for the same DIY and small-business sewing customer.

Broad incumbents

• Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts: Major national craft and fabric retailer with extensive stretch fabric assortment across physical stores and e-commerce; serves the same hobbyist and small-business apparel maker segments as Spandex World but at far broader scale.
• Michael's (The Michaels Companies): National arts, crafts, and sewing supplies retailer carrying a basic stretch and specialty fabric assortment; overlaps with Spandex World's hobbyist and DIY customer base but does not specialize in performance or novelty stretch fabrics.
• Fabric.com (owned by Amazon): Large online fabric retailer offering stretch fabrics, knits, and specialty textiles directly to consumers and small apparel makers; competes with Spandex World on assortment depth and per-yard pricing in the DTC channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/spandexworld
• Xx.com/spandexworld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spandex World