Some cultures with historically hot climates, such as North Africa and South Asia, have beneficial traditions for dressing in the heat, such as loose clothing or covering most of the body. , designers around the world are trying to solve heat problems with technology.
The most affordable example is Uniqlo’s AIRism T-shirt ($15), which comes in a polyester and spandex version, and another is 71% cotton with 25% polyester and 4% spandex. is a mixture of
The polyester and spandex versions are sticky, causing the uncomfortable sensation of wrapping your upper body in saran wrap. (Uniqlo describes its texture as “smooth.”) , produces an initial cooling effect. A Uniqlo spokesperson said the shirt was well received by customers.
Slightly higher on the cost curve, Dickies’ Cooling Temp-iQ T-Shirt ($20) is a 50-50 blend of cotton and polyester that promises “instant cooling.” A company spokesperson said it employs “advanced body temperature technology designed to cool or warm in response to your body’s signals.” However, while the clothing was comfortable against the skin, there was no perceptible cooling sensation, whether momentary or not.
One shirt with a noticeable cooling effect was made by LifeLabs, a company out of the Stanford University lab. The company’s $49 CoolLife Tee is made of polyethylene, the same polymer used in plastic bags. It feels as cool as walking barefoot on a tiled floor.
Computerized Knitting and Spacesuits
For a similar price, Ministry of Supply, a Boston company founded by former Massachusetts Institute of Technology students, sells the Atlas Tee ($48). The shirt is made using computerized knitting, according to company co-founder and president Gihan Amarasiriwardena. This is a technique similar to 3D printing that allows the creation of additional spaces between strands of material.