The Sunday Sun Day series is back for another topic: UPF clothing. What is UPF clothing? How does it work? In summary, UPF clothing is a valuable tool that can be essential in preventing sun damage for you and your family. Best of all, it does not require any additional time or effort to protect your skin except for putting on your clothes! Let’s discuss this valuable resource.
Q: What is UPF clothing?
A: UPF clothing is clothing that is specifically designed to be protective against harmful sun damage. The abbreviation “UPF” is short for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. UPF clothing provides another barrier to your skin, similar to sunscreen. This clothing is perfect for anyone who plans to spend time outside, whether at brunch on a patio, fishing on the water, a family trip to the baseball games or everyday use. UPF clothing is a great solution to keep your skin safe. Since most of us do not apply sunscreen to our entire body when outside, sun protective clothing is an easy and affordable method to stay safe in the sun.
Q: What does the UPF clothing rating mean?
A: Clothing that can be helpful against sun exposure is given a UPF rating. The higher the number of UPF rating, the stronger protection the clothing provides against harmful UV rays.
But doesn’t all clothing protect your skin? Not necessarily. The average white t-shirt has a UPF rating between 5-7, meaning that clothing is allowing about 1/5th of the suns rays to still penetrate through the fabric to your skin. When you consider how much sun exposure that can accumulate to in the period of a summer, your choice of clothing can make a big difference in the fight against cumulative UV radiation.
UPF clothing is specifically designed and vigorously tested. A few factors that can affect the UPF rating:
- Color (darker, vivid colors are good)
- Weave of fabric (tightly woven fibers > loosely woven)
- Fabric type (shininess > matte)
- Any bleaching of fabric (unbleached cotton > bleached cotton)
The American Society for Testing and Materials created guidelines for clothing to provide a UPF rating. Clothing must go through a process that stimulates two years of seasonal use prior to being tested. Through this testing they created the UPF rating guidelines (see table below).
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Standard for Sun Protective Clothing and Swimwear: |
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UPF Rating |
Protection Category |
% UV Radiation Blocked |
|
UPF 15-24 |
Good |
93.3-95.9 |
|
UPF 25-39 |
Very Good |
96.0-97.4 |
|
UPF 40-50+ |
Excellent |
97.5-98+ |
Buying clothing created with a high UPF rating is recommended for days in the sun, to be used in conjunction with sunscreen. Two of my favorite clothing brands that carry UPF clothing lines include Lilly Pulitzer for fashion and Athleta for workout apparel.
A few favorite UPF 50+ pieces:
About this outfit:
This stylish dress is cool but still maintains the maximum UPF rating, UPF 50+. It’s figure flattering shape hugs all the right places without being clingy. My boyfriend loved this dress for its unique color collaboration and how it accentuated my (fake) tan! Nothing says summer better. On cooler nights it pairs well with a white or pastel-toned sweater. While I love this tropical blue print, it is also available in other prints (pink/green and blue/aqua). Fits true to size.
I am planning another installment of Sunday Sun Day. Please share any and all questions you have regarding the sun and your health. If you like the Sunday Sun Day series, be sure to check out previous related posts, including SPF FAQ and a discussion about a protective pill that can decrease the risk of dangerous sun exposure.
Live your life joyfully so,
Ashley
PS I have a HUGE Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale Guide coming out soon! Stay tuned.
Sources:
Ou-Yang H, Jiang LI, Meyer K, Wang SQ, Farberg AS, Rigel DS. Sun Protection by Beach Umbrella vs Sunscreen With a High Sun Protection FactorA Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2017;153(3):304–308. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2016.4922
