More context/info below ⬇️
So do you use UPF clothes? What are your favorites? How you combine them to still look nice and fashionable?
Currently, I have a few hoodies from Uniqlo, some boleros and scarfs from Ker Sun, and both full-arm length & short gloves from Sunday Afternoons and Coolibar. I otherwise just wear jeans, t-shirts + undershirts and a baseball cap in summer.
More context/info:
We all know how bad sun damage is for your skin right? It's the number one ager for your skin and biggest cause of skin cancer. I also have PLE (sun allergy) so it's extra important for me. Allergic reactions ain't cute, and having to use heavy medical creams to deal with that isn't great for my skin either due to it's side effects. So prevention is best.
I already wear sunscreen (with good UVA & UVB protection) religiously, but at times it doesn't work ideal (when you're too busy to always reaply in time, sweating a lot, rubbing it off on furniture, etc.) and sometimes you just wanna be lazy and not spend 15 minutes applying it to your whole body to walk to the store nearby.
Hence UV protective clothes (or UPF clothes, as UPF is the rating of UV-blockage). You know, those kinda clothes you see Asians covering themselves with. Protection can be archieved by fabric, weave, colour, and additives like zinq-oxide. Additives however will wash out over time, whereas clothes not relying on them will work until the fabric degrades.
Some pro's are that UPF clothes keep working without needing to be reapplicated for any bodypart that's covered, and they protect from both UVA and UVB, wheras SPF ratings only measure UVB blocking. Using them also saves money over using sunscreen as covered bodyparts don't need sunscreen making me run out less quick.
Yes, regular clothes cover too but their protection is a guess game. A white cotton shirt would have a UPF rating of 3~7 for example. Traditional blue jeans are quite high (100+), but the same jeans in white or thinner fabrics are much lower (not even meeting European standards to be called UV-protective). UPF clothes are tested and certified. In the EU, they need a rating of UPF40 or higher to be allowed to be marketed as "UV-protective".
UV-protective clothes are also often made to still be comfortable in hot weather, wheras other clothes that protect as much might be thicker and warmer. At times it may even be more comfortable than bare skin due to blocking direct sun hitting you and using cooling fabrics.
Sadly most are simple plain (sport)shirts or longsleeves, which is boring after a while, or swimwear. Hence this topic.
Some brands who make UPF clothes:
- Uniqlo
- Ker Sun
- Coolibar
- Solbari
- Sunday Afternoons
- Columbia
- Hyphen
- UV.LINE
- Skinshield
- iq-uv
- REI
- UVSkinz
- Patagonia
4 Comments
swelter_spark@reddthat.com · 2 pts · 19d
I have some sleeves, but mostly just wear fishing shirts.
greatwhitebuffalo41@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 19d
I wear long sleeves every day because I work outside. I tried to wear gloves but I haaaaate it.
HubertManne@piefed.social · 1 pts · 14d
So went down a rabbit hole with merino wool somewhat recently. My brother had gotten some good deals on these loose and light long sleeve shirts. Being wool we mostly thought about warmth but I found out they wick moisture pretty well. So in some ways it helps with both heat and cold but its not great in heat just not bad. Anyway then I was looking at uv blocking materials and low and behold merino wool is one of the best natural fibers for blocking it. Now engineered fabrics are supposed to do better but I have been using it and am pretty fair skinned and its been keeping me from getting sunburned. One thing is from my reading all materials don't do as well if wet. Apparently water helps channel the light through the material. Does not spoil it completely though just reduces effectiveness.
Breezy@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 14d
I find that Uniqlo's jackets are really casual/stylish for me, and my main go-to outfit is a some form of higher neck top (usually Uniqlo's bra-tops), their UV jacket worn open, and long pants/jeans. Couple that with a bucket hat or baseball cap for more casual headwear. I don't find the styles boring, though I do have a pretty minimalist fashion sense and prefer plain clothing.
I know for sure Uniqlo makes pattern clothing that are also UPF-rated. Muji also does make some as well (but very minimalist in style). A lot of the hiking brands that you've posted also make casual-like UPF gear, and I want to add The North Face making UPF gear though very seasonally (not always in stock). Check out Cotopaxi as well. For women-specific, there's also Title Nine (and the other brands they stock) and Athleta. I find a lot of athlesiure brands' clothing to have UPF ratings as well, since that's essentially what tightly woven polyester is.
Swimwear is actually much easier to find non-plain styles. There are a lot of different brands doing long-sleeve rash guards in different patterns/styles from traditional retailers. I also like wearing long swim leggings with unlined board shorts layered over it for things like paddle-boarding/kayaking.
I'm not sure what jeans were being tested for the EU UV standards, but even white jeans (100% rigid cotton) provides significant UPF protection due to the tighter weave. Anecdotally, I've worn very light washes of 100% rigid cotton jeans outdoors for prolonged periods of time under very high UV levels and haven't tanned even the slightest bit (which I know isn't the most accurate indicator, but as someone whose skin is photosensitive my skin not being irritated under those conditions is actually a pretty good sign). So I wouldn't worry about jeans all that much.
But yeah, usually a simple UPF jacket can easily be worn over your regular clothes and still look really casual yet still protective so you can keep cool designs/patterns to your base layer without too much hassle. I think it's more important to find shade/stay-indoors during very high UV levels, otherwise there's no shame in going fully kitted out in sun protective gear.