Shoppers Rule Blog

Moisture management / wicking fabric

Wicking fabrics are fabrics that pull moisture away from the skin.  Regular fabrics, like a cotton t-shirt, soak up sweat and you end up with a heavy, soaking wet shirt that sticks to your skin.  Clothing made of wicking fabric has a special water-resistant coating with fibers that actually transfer the water to a drier part of the shirt without absorbing it.   Typically, this would be the outside of the shirt where the water will then evaporate.  Thus, the shirt stays drier.

Usually made of polyester, these fabrics are popular with many clothing manufactures and are marketed as “moisture managing”, “high performance”, “wicking”, “dry-fit” or other such terms. 

Of course, wicking fabric is great for professional and amateur athletes who want to stay cool and dry during a workout.  A drier fabric doesn’t stick to your perspiring skin and doesn’t impede your performance.  

Moisture managing clothing is also fantastic for anyone engaged in a job or activity requiring them to be in the hot sun or performing manual labor.  Wicking t-shirts are great for military personnel, construction workers, farmers, road crews, lawn care specialists and other physical occupations.  

Wicking fabrics aren’t just for hot weather settings, either.  Think about the benefits for a snow boarder or skier.  In below-freezing temperatures, wearing a wet undershirt can not only be uncomfortable, but also dangerous.   As a person’s activity level slows down,  damp skin can make someone very cold quickly.  This problem is largely avoidable by wearing an under-layer made from a wicking fabric to pull the sweat away from the body.

Likewise, anyone who’s ever woken up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat can easily see the advantage of wearing a wicking night gown or pajamas.

There are many kinds of garments made of moisture wicking fabrics – sport shirts, t-shirts, undershirts, sports bras, even running pants and shorts.  To view Shoppers Rule’s moisture management clothing selection, click on:  Performance Clothing.

Happy Shopping!

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