Beat the Heat with Fashion: Unveiling the Trendy Appeal of Cooling Shirts
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By PAGE Editor
Global temperatures are rising at an alarming rate. According to NASA, this year’s July was the hottest ever month in history. The entire summer has been hot. And greenhouse emissions are to blame.
Now, you might not have control over global temperatures. But you’re not entirely hopeless either. Invest in a good house AC and thermostat. When heading out of your house on a hot day, put on cooling shirts.
What are Cooling Shirts?
Cooling shirts are types of clothes specially designed to keep you cool during hot days. They use specific fabrics that dissipate excess heat. Additionally, they allow air to circulate through your body for a cooling effect. The best cooling shirts for men have the following features:
Ample Airflow
Cooling clothes keep you cool by allowing air to permeate your skin. If you wear shirts that trap heat, you will sweat more often. But the sweat won't help you cool down.
Your body releases sweat to control temperature. The heat in sweat is supposed to dissipate once it meets cool external air. This only works if the clothes you're wearing allow air ventilation.
Some materials are better at facilitating airflow around your body than others. We’ll talk more about them shortly.
Moisture Absorption
If you’re like many people, you hate the feeling of sweat dripping down your spine. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, especially when cold sweat flows into your pants.
Cooling shirts wick out this moisture to keep your skin dry. And because they’re designed to enhance airflow around your body, they cool you down. Some shirts are better at absorbing moisture than others. Shop around before you make a purchase.
Regulating Temperatures
Cooling shirts regulate temperature depending on how they’re designed. Some clothes transfer heat from your body to the outside quickly. These shirts are great for people who work outdoors.
Some shirts transfer heat to your surroundings slowly. These clothes are great for wearing in the office. They keep you relatively cool but do not dissipate a lot of heat from your body.
Some shirts are also designed to protect your UV rays. They reflect sunrays away from your body not only to keep you cool but also to alleviate skin damage. Some other shirts are designed to promote quick water evaporation. These shirts are great because they don’t leave your clothes feeling soaked after a lot of sweating.
Additional Innovations
If you shop around for cooling shirts, you’ll discover that most brands have a patented technology they claim improves cooling. For example, they might include infrared blocking to keep you cool from the hot sun.
A few manufacturers are working on battery-powered cooling shirts. These shirts will have small electrical components that absorb moisture and increase evaporation. Additionally, they might even include a spray to keep you smelling good all day long.
How Different Fabrics Cool You Down
As we mentioned earlier, some fabrics are designed to wick out moisture from your skin quickly. Others trap heat to keep you warm, meaning they're not ideal for cooling.
Cotton
Cotton shirts never seem to go out of fashion. The explanation is straightforward. Not only are these clothes comfortable, but they also enhance air ventilation. What’s more, they absorb moisture accordingly.
The only problem with most cotton shirts is that they don’t wick away sweat fast. You might have experienced this problem after a lot of sweating. Your cotton shirt feels soggy in an unpleasant way.
Silk
Silk shirts tend to be light and comfortable. They’re great at regulating body temperatures. But similar to cotton, they don’t always wick away water from your clothes.
Bamboo and Rayon
Bamboo shirts wick away water better than most other fabrics. They also help with air ventilation, which keeps you comfortable and cool for long periods. Similar to bamboo, rayon provides excellent airflow to your body. This increases water evaporation and comfort during warm days.
Leather and Polyester
This might come as a surprise to some, but leather shirts are a thing. They’re designed to trap heat, meaning you don’t want to wear them on a hot day.
Polyester shirts are great. But similar to their leather counterparts, they trap instead of dissipate heat. They trap a lot of moisture, which leaves you feeling wet and soggy instead of cool, and comfortable.
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