The influence of fabric construction and fibre selection on sportswear was a major theme at the 40th Dornbirn Man-Made Fibres Conference. The main sportswear trends are the introduction of new fibres enhancing wear comfort and improving skin’s natural properties; seamless knitting techniques; evolution of the classic three-layer protection system; high fashion/designer labels for sportswear and smart garments through integration of electronic components in textiles. Annual market growth is estimated at 10%. Kurary’s Airmint PES filament is described and Wolkiss 2000 cationic dyeable PES from Filature Miroglio. DuPont’s Lycra Soft family of yarns are described, including Lycra Power. Elite from Nylstar is a PTB (polybutyleneterephthalate) textured yarn achieving permanent elasticity. The Tencel Natural Strech range is reviewed. Te current position of PTT (poltrimethylene terephthalate) yarns is covered. Cargill Dow’s Nature Works innovation and Rainbow cationic viscose fibres, seamless garment technology and intelligent coatings are described, with a concluding summary of wear comfort.