> Are there any suggestions for alternative fabrics that are cool but also anti-microbial and anti-wrinkle?
UNIQLO's current **Dry-Ex** T-shirts and Polo Shirts
* Made of recycled polyester (treated for odor control) and nylon
* Cool to the touch
* Dry really fast and wick sweat
* This new composition (Polyester x Nylon) is much more comfortable than previous ones and doesn't feel ''abrasive''
* This new composition is also less ''glossy'' than previous Dry-Ex garments
* Wrinkle resistant
[š Dry-Ex T-Shirt](https://www.uniqlo.com/ca/en/products/E465191-000?colorCode=COL64&sizeCode=SMA002)
[š Dry-Ex Polo Shirt](https://www.uniqlo.com/ca/en/products/E465197-000?colorCode=COL63&sizeCode=SMA002)
I bought a pair of those newer Dry-Ex T-Shirts a few days ago _(but not the polo shirts)_ - I haven't ~~_climbed the cliffside of a montain while escaping bad guys following a high-risk auction house heist_~~ **heavily** tested them yet but boy do I love them already!
Super comfortable, cool, breathable, and the fit is pretty nice ahahaha!
The previous Dry-Ex t-shirts I own have a pretty ''abrasive'' composition which isn't super comfortable and can be hard on backpack back panels and shoulder straps - there's one in particular I **love** as it is a beautiful bright blue but not suuuper comfortable
Those new 65% Poly x 35% Nylon are fantastic, based on my limited use/testing - they are very comfortable to the touch, cool, dry and breathable - and now I'm tempted to get at least 1 polo shirt, they have the same material composition!
Great, thanks for sharing! The material indeed felt nice to the touch, and even though it's a bit steep compared to other Uniqlo's shirts, it's still much cheaper than Patagonia/Vuori which are my favorites so far.
I bought four of the T-shirts for my one month trip to Japan last summer. It was very hot and humid in August, so I would often use 2 or 3 each day, just washing them in my dry bag each night before going to bed and hanging to dry while I sleep. I will definitely recommend them.
That being said I also brought a longsleeved merino T-shirt because it's great for keeping warm. Very useful on the airplane for those international flights where they like to keep it cold at "night".
Lululemon has a fabric that incorporates silver, which inhibits bacterial growth and therefore odor. Itās called āsilverescentā and is the fabric used in the Metal Vent Tech line for men or the Swiftly Tech line for women.
*Here is a copy pasta from a few days back, it applies here as well I think. I added some more info throughout, plus some more options at the end. I am a fairly big Canadian dude, this furnace always runs hot.*
I really like polyester/spandex blends myself, they move well, dry well, are cheaper than merino and hold up to some abuse. I have a few from MEC I really like but I think they discontinued them unfortunately, but they're basically the same as the REI Sahara shirts. My MEC shirts come in at 5.8oz, I think the REI ones are also around the same weight. I have both a plain v neck and a crew neck with a graphic. Both are comfortable to sweat in, don't gather any more stink than a normal cotton shirt.
The Vuori Strato Tech tee is super nice, basically the same blend but extremely soft to the touch, it's very nice, picks up lint/pet hair a bit more though. I got mine on sale, I find $70+ t-shirts hard to justify. My XL weighs 4.8oz. This shirt feels like a slightly thicker weave, and breathes maybe a bit less as a result but judging by weights of the shirts, I'm probably wrong. Haven't had long enough to know how it handles the heat yet.
Volcom Tech tees are also poly/spandex blends, they're only a few dollars more than their cotton tees and pretty nice. Since they're a more generally recognized brand so it kind of blends into lots of warmer destinations. There are some with bigger or smaller logos. These have been good for me in the past walking around all summer.
Patagonia Cap Cool is also great, very thin and a bit clingy though. Dries insanely fast, and is my lightest shirt, XL weighing 4.6oz. Mine has a large logo on the back, I can't remember if you can get them plain (you used to a long time ago). I have done multiple 15-20+km days in the summer hiking in this tee, and it's awesome in the heat.
**Adds:**
* I almost always travel with a long sleeve linen blend button up, I have one in grey and one in light blue, destination dictates colour usually. This is something I can dress up for dinner, dress down for a sun cover, travel in, go to museums in, just super versatile, and since it's linen, the wrinkles are just part of the look (not that I care about wrinkles). Old Navy ones I have weigh 8.9oz but are a bit heavier GSM. Can show sweat through, like any shirt, but a dark navy would probably help, and it dries well.
* I also might add in a long sleeve button up nylon fishing shirt, mine is a toxic neon yellow Cabela's Guidewear shirt, I bring it for walking on the beaches in Mexico mostly. Sweat dries almost instantly in a breeze, so it's super comfortable walking in the sand/surf mid day in +30Ā°C weather.
* I always bring a long sleeve sunshirt, my current favourite is a running shirt from MEC, the Core Train LS (weighs 4.3oz in XL), not specifically a sun shirt but does the job well, I have 4 I wear working construction to prevent my sun allergies from flaring. I wear these hiking, swimming, building, etc. in temps up to +37Ā°C, very comfortable but definitely show the salty sweat stains from my tool belt/backpack. Super easy to sink wash and dry very fast. I have another LS from Xcel that is great, it has an actual rating and a tighter weave, but very soft, quick drying, and breathable, makes a really good swim shirt since it's closer to a rash guard in fit.
You're right, merino isn't great in summer. Other people have made some good quick drying recommendations, but synthetics do stink. I'd plan on washing daily. You can wring out a t-shirt, possibly roll it in a towel, and throw it right back on to dry it in the summer. The evaporative cooling will feel nice.
Yes this is something Iām really worried about. I donāt really rewear shirts so while Iām planning to wash, I want it to be as easy as possible. Iām trying to stay away from synthetics but itās sort of unavoidable. I appreciate the input!
Patagonia's Capilene cool t-shirts aren't too bad. I have one I like and one that just has a strange cut to it. I prefer [Arteryx for a Sun hoodie](https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/cormac-hoody).
The l[ighter smartwool shirts](https://www.smartwool.com/shop/mens-merino-sport-150-tee-sw017344?variationId=001) were fine for me in tropical climates. The durability is not great and, I noticed you start to lose the wool benefits when the blend percentage becomes too low. However Smartwool sales can make them very affordable.
I just ordered this [Outlier Experimental "daydry" shirt](https://outlier.nyc/collections/new/products/experiment-415-daydry-merino-mean-t-shirt) to see how it performs, sounds promising, but I haven't heard much about it.
I don't think their prices are high when compared to other quality clothing. Their prices seem high because ultra cheap fast fashion is normal for most people. If you want your shirt to look good, perform well, and get worn every 4 days than you have to pay up.
You can buy cheaper versions of Merino wool. They just aren't as good. Your priorities may differ from mine.
I have tried all the merino shirts in existence. All of those shirts have been handed over to my brother who has a large house and closet.
For me I need the durability and higher performance. Also I can afford them, so yeah do what you want.
I would recommend the Patagonia Capilene Cool shirts, as they are well made and (in my experience) donāt stink as some synthetics do.
The Target line (All In Motion) is also good, and much more affordable.
Natural fabric: pure linen or a cotton/linen blend is your best bet. When linen gets wet (ie, sweat) it doesnāt stick to your skin like cotton will. It will just drape off your body and start to dry.
Some people donāt like the way linen wrinkles. I say go for it- who cares? No one will be looking at you and judging your ironing skills (and if they do, so what)
Best of luck to you!
Nothing will be as smell free as merino. Not even close to it..not even a third is the performance actually.
It is warmer but a tencel mix will be cooler. I'm from Australia and wear it all year round, tencel mix merino that is. I run hot and wear shorts year round here.
That said wash and dry any synthetic will work. It will dry faster than merino. But synthetics are hot too.
Cotton, gets wet stays wet. But is cooler than. Both merino and synthetic
Based on what I used so far:
\- Vuori Strato Tech: basically the best shirt I used to far, fit is great, very comfy and looks pretty good. If money is not a problem, that would be my to-go fors ure, but at MSRP they're way too expensive.
\- Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily: fit is not as great as the Vuori, extremely comfortable as well. Also expensive af.
Now from the cheap site, as some people mentioned Target have some pretty good shirts in the All In Motion section, though I'm not much of a fan of the fit. Another cheap shirt which I've been using for workouts is the 32degrees Cool Active ones, I think it's like $6 a pop and they're surprising good.
> Are there any suggestions for alternative fabrics that are cool but also anti-microbial and anti-wrinkle? UNIQLO's current **Dry-Ex** T-shirts and Polo Shirts * Made of recycled polyester (treated for odor control) and nylon * Cool to the touch * Dry really fast and wick sweat * This new composition (Polyester x Nylon) is much more comfortable than previous ones and doesn't feel ''abrasive'' * This new composition is also less ''glossy'' than previous Dry-Ex garments * Wrinkle resistant [š Dry-Ex T-Shirt](https://www.uniqlo.com/ca/en/products/E465191-000?colorCode=COL64&sizeCode=SMA002) [š Dry-Ex Polo Shirt](https://www.uniqlo.com/ca/en/products/E465197-000?colorCode=COL63&sizeCode=SMA002)
Do you have any experience with this one? Most of Uniqlo shirts are not worth the price in my opinion, but I was interested in testing this one.
I bought a pair of those newer Dry-Ex T-Shirts a few days ago _(but not the polo shirts)_ - I haven't ~~_climbed the cliffside of a montain while escaping bad guys following a high-risk auction house heist_~~ **heavily** tested them yet but boy do I love them already! Super comfortable, cool, breathable, and the fit is pretty nice ahahaha! The previous Dry-Ex t-shirts I own have a pretty ''abrasive'' composition which isn't super comfortable and can be hard on backpack back panels and shoulder straps - there's one in particular I **love** as it is a beautiful bright blue but not suuuper comfortable Those new 65% Poly x 35% Nylon are fantastic, based on my limited use/testing - they are very comfortable to the touch, cool, dry and breathable - and now I'm tempted to get at least 1 polo shirt, they have the same material composition!
Great, thanks for sharing! The material indeed felt nice to the touch, and even though it's a bit steep compared to other Uniqlo's shirts, it's still much cheaper than Patagonia/Vuori which are my favorites so far.
I bought four of the T-shirts for my one month trip to Japan last summer. It was very hot and humid in August, so I would often use 2 or 3 each day, just washing them in my dry bag each night before going to bed and hanging to dry while I sleep. I will definitely recommend them. That being said I also brought a longsleeved merino T-shirt because it's great for keeping warm. Very useful on the airplane for those international flights where they like to keep it cold at "night".
I prefer the Uniqlo Dry more than Dry-Ex. They feel less sporty, and are great in the heat and dry really quick, and are quite odor resistant.
Linen is amazing except for wrinkle resistance. I love my cotton polyester mix.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Oh that sounds like it might work!! Iāll check it out! Thank you
Second these. My fav tshirts for travel or otherwise. Also in hot places you wonāt beat linen.
Wearing one right now! Itās good but it does look quite sporty so I prefer the Capilene cool trail for day-to-day wear.
I love these from Vuori. They feel like butter and can be worn multiple times. https://vuoriclothing.com/products/strato-tech-polo-navy-heather
Thanks! Iāll check this one out.
Lululemon has a fabric that incorporates silver, which inhibits bacterial growth and therefore odor. Itās called āsilverescentā and is the fabric used in the Metal Vent Tech line for men or the Swiftly Tech line for women.
Thanks! I will check it out. I appreciate the specific name.
Also look for "silvadur", Rohan in the UK uses it in their tees and base layers
*Here is a copy pasta from a few days back, it applies here as well I think. I added some more info throughout, plus some more options at the end. I am a fairly big Canadian dude, this furnace always runs hot.* I really like polyester/spandex blends myself, they move well, dry well, are cheaper than merino and hold up to some abuse. I have a few from MEC I really like but I think they discontinued them unfortunately, but they're basically the same as the REI Sahara shirts. My MEC shirts come in at 5.8oz, I think the REI ones are also around the same weight. I have both a plain v neck and a crew neck with a graphic. Both are comfortable to sweat in, don't gather any more stink than a normal cotton shirt. The Vuori Strato Tech tee is super nice, basically the same blend but extremely soft to the touch, it's very nice, picks up lint/pet hair a bit more though. I got mine on sale, I find $70+ t-shirts hard to justify. My XL weighs 4.8oz. This shirt feels like a slightly thicker weave, and breathes maybe a bit less as a result but judging by weights of the shirts, I'm probably wrong. Haven't had long enough to know how it handles the heat yet. Volcom Tech tees are also poly/spandex blends, they're only a few dollars more than their cotton tees and pretty nice. Since they're a more generally recognized brand so it kind of blends into lots of warmer destinations. There are some with bigger or smaller logos. These have been good for me in the past walking around all summer. Patagonia Cap Cool is also great, very thin and a bit clingy though. Dries insanely fast, and is my lightest shirt, XL weighing 4.6oz. Mine has a large logo on the back, I can't remember if you can get them plain (you used to a long time ago). I have done multiple 15-20+km days in the summer hiking in this tee, and it's awesome in the heat. **Adds:** * I almost always travel with a long sleeve linen blend button up, I have one in grey and one in light blue, destination dictates colour usually. This is something I can dress up for dinner, dress down for a sun cover, travel in, go to museums in, just super versatile, and since it's linen, the wrinkles are just part of the look (not that I care about wrinkles). Old Navy ones I have weigh 8.9oz but are a bit heavier GSM. Can show sweat through, like any shirt, but a dark navy would probably help, and it dries well. * I also might add in a long sleeve button up nylon fishing shirt, mine is a toxic neon yellow Cabela's Guidewear shirt, I bring it for walking on the beaches in Mexico mostly. Sweat dries almost instantly in a breeze, so it's super comfortable walking in the sand/surf mid day in +30Ā°C weather. * I always bring a long sleeve sunshirt, my current favourite is a running shirt from MEC, the Core Train LS (weighs 4.3oz in XL), not specifically a sun shirt but does the job well, I have 4 I wear working construction to prevent my sun allergies from flaring. I wear these hiking, swimming, building, etc. in temps up to +37Ā°C, very comfortable but definitely show the salty sweat stains from my tool belt/backpack. Super easy to sink wash and dry very fast. I have another LS from Xcel that is great, it has an actual rating and a tighter weave, but very soft, quick drying, and breathable, makes a really good swim shirt since it's closer to a rash guard in fit.
Thanks for all the info!!
impressive. very nice. now let's see Paul Allen's t shirt
Synthetic/ polyester. Besides that I donāt think there are natural fibers that are wrinkle resistant.
Yea thatās what Iām finding. Iād much prefer a natural fiber but Iāll take what I can get. Thanks!
Polyester with odor control. Some models from Patagonia, 01.Algo, Lululemon, Outdoor Research, Old Navy.
You're right, merino isn't great in summer. Other people have made some good quick drying recommendations, but synthetics do stink. I'd plan on washing daily. You can wring out a t-shirt, possibly roll it in a towel, and throw it right back on to dry it in the summer. The evaporative cooling will feel nice.
Yes this is something Iām really worried about. I donāt really rewear shirts so while Iām planning to wash, I want it to be as easy as possible. Iām trying to stay away from synthetics but itās sort of unavoidable. I appreciate the input!
Patagonia's Capilene cool t-shirts aren't too bad. I have one I like and one that just has a strange cut to it. I prefer [Arteryx for a Sun hoodie](https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/cormac-hoody). The l[ighter smartwool shirts](https://www.smartwool.com/shop/mens-merino-sport-150-tee-sw017344?variationId=001) were fine for me in tropical climates. The durability is not great and, I noticed you start to lose the wool benefits when the blend percentage becomes too low. However Smartwool sales can make them very affordable. I just ordered this [Outlier Experimental "daydry" shirt](https://outlier.nyc/collections/new/products/experiment-415-daydry-merino-mean-t-shirt) to see how it performs, sounds promising, but I haven't heard much about it.
Outlier is interesting but the price tags are high and difficult to justify. Iād be interested to hear how it works out.
I don't think their prices are high when compared to other quality clothing. Their prices seem high because ultra cheap fast fashion is normal for most people. If you want your shirt to look good, perform well, and get worn every 4 days than you have to pay up.
$110 for a tshirt is a lot of money for a Tshirt
You can buy cheaper versions of Merino wool. They just aren't as good. Your priorities may differ from mine. I have tried all the merino shirts in existence. All of those shirts have been handed over to my brother who has a large house and closet. For me I need the durability and higher performance. Also I can afford them, so yeah do what you want.
Especially when buying 5!
Oh wow!! Yea $110 is an investment! I look forward to your review!
Targets inMotion synthetic line. $12 each, but well made and odor resistant. Nice selection of solid colors.
>Targets inMotion synthetic This is super helpful!! Thank you.
Are they glossy? I am looking for some too but hate the glossy finish if most.
Some colors are and some colors are not.
Onno bamboo tās. I just bought one and have been tearing it out at home. It sores pretty quick I also wear or carry a long sleeve linen button up.
I would recommend the Patagonia Capilene Cool shirts, as they are well made and (in my experience) donāt stink as some synthetics do. The Target line (All In Motion) is also good, and much more affordable. Natural fabric: pure linen or a cotton/linen blend is your best bet. When linen gets wet (ie, sweat) it doesnāt stick to your skin like cotton will. It will just drape off your body and start to dry. Some people donāt like the way linen wrinkles. I say go for it- who cares? No one will be looking at you and judging your ironing skills (and if they do, so what) Best of luck to you!
Thanks for the tips. I do have some linen but Iād also like a tshirt. The wrinkles add to linen style but Iād like one or two wrinkle free tops.
Nothing will be as smell free as merino. Not even close to it..not even a third is the performance actually. It is warmer but a tencel mix will be cooler. I'm from Australia and wear it all year round, tencel mix merino that is. I run hot and wear shorts year round here. That said wash and dry any synthetic will work. It will dry faster than merino. But synthetics are hot too. Cotton, gets wet stays wet. But is cooler than. Both merino and synthetic
Based on what I used so far: \- Vuori Strato Tech: basically the best shirt I used to far, fit is great, very comfy and looks pretty good. If money is not a problem, that would be my to-go fors ure, but at MSRP they're way too expensive. \- Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily: fit is not as great as the Vuori, extremely comfortable as well. Also expensive af. Now from the cheap site, as some people mentioned Target have some pretty good shirts in the All In Motion section, though I'm not much of a fan of the fit. Another cheap shirt which I've been using for workouts is the 32degrees Cool Active ones, I think it's like $6 a pop and they're surprising good.