Dry Goods

Moisture-wicking fabric wins the performance-wear popularity contest.

APERSON ONLY has to consider the steadiness of antiperspirant and umbrella sales in this country to know that, from a comfort standpoint, an overabundance of moisture just isn’t OK for the average human. Maybe it’s simple biology. Orangutans—primates with whom we share around

95 percent of our genetic makeup—are known to craft rain hats out of leaves. But regardless of how clever these friendly apes might be, they’ve yet to come up with any solutions for the sweating thing. Such know-how can only be a byproduct of that last 5 percent of uniquely Homo sapien DNA. Behold: moisture-wicking fabric, miracle of evolutionary science.

STYLE THAT WORKS (OUT)

Though the technology behind performance apparel has grown to NASA-esque proportions, moisture-wicking fabrics are the constant in most promotional athletic garments. “It used to be a badge of honor to have sopping wet clothing after a good, old-fashioned, hard workout, but the fact is that performance was substantially impeded by it,” affirmed Les Tandler, executive vice president of Yorktown Heights, New York-based Game Sportswear.

To help athletes and mere mortals alike reach their optimum level of comfort, moisture-wicking fabrics contribute to a continuous cycle of wetness management. Lori Anderson, marketing manager at River’s End Trading, Hopkins, Minn., described the technology as it is used in one

of the company’s top products. “Dri-FIT by Nike … is a high-performance microfiber polyester fabric that pulls sweat away from the body and transports it to the fabric surface where it evaporates and leaves the skin cool and dry,” she said. As opposed to ordinary T-shirts, fabrics such as Dri-FIT do not absorb moisture.

Specialized athletic garments have been a boon for the ad specialty industry for the past few years now. “Performance features are that one extra detail that will help our customers earn business and create ew business,” said Anderson. She pointed to River’s End Trading’s wide variety of styles as proof. “Nearly every piece of athletic apparel we have offers some type of moisture-wicking properties,” Anderson