[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;8745776]
Signs that a dress is too tight and/or short: You can discuss the possibility of making it into a shirt.[/QUOTE]
I truthfully don’t know who they are making these sunshirt dresses for, but it sure as heck isn’t my body type 
Question for sun shirt fans–is your sun shirt qualitatively different than any old long sleeved shirt would be? What is the difference?
[QUOTE=mayhew;8745971]
Question for sun shirt fans–is your sun shirt qualitatively different than any old long sleeved shirt would be? What is the difference?[/QUOTE]
Slightly thinner/lighter synthetic fabric. Mesh armpits. Stand up type collar.
[QUOTE=mayhew;8745971]
Question for sun shirt fans–is your sun shirt qualitatively different than any old long sleeved shirt would be? What is the difference?[/QUOTE]
Tech fabric that has rated UV protection (regular cotton offers actually very little in the way of sun protection), and also tends to dry faster… think difference between running in a cotton t-shirt vs a Nike t-shirt.
I wear mine in 95+ temps + 4389654% humidity in Houston, and honestly sweat no more, no less than in a t-shirt, tank top, whatever. I value the UV protection greatly, and would rather be sweaty than have the sun directly on my skin. They really do dry a lot faster, too.
While I don’t doubt there is extra UV protection, how many washings do they take?
Is there studies that show that long sleeve cotton shirts dont have UV protection? They must have some because my farmer father is lauded by his dermatologist as to how healthy his arms and torso are. He has had numerous pre cancerous spots on his head and face but none on his arms.he always wore lightweight long sleeve when working in the sun.
I have not necessarily followed his lead but I am not out nearly as much.
[QUOTE=roseymare;8746150]
While I don’t doubt there is extra UV protection, how many washings do they take?
Is there studies that show that long sleeve cotton shirts dont have UV protection? They must have some because my farmer father is lauded by his dermatologist as to how healthy his arms and torso are. He has had numerous pre cancerous spots on his head and face but none on his arms.he always wore lightweight long sleeve when working in the sun.
I have not necessarily followed his lead but I am not out nearly as much.[/QUOTE]
I’ve washed all of mine hundreds of times and I can attest to their sun protection by my reverse Mickey Mouse tan lines! :lol::lol::lol::lol:
[QUOTE=roseymare;8746150]
While I don’t doubt there is extra UV protection, how many washings do they take?
Is there studies that show that long sleeve cotton shirts dont have UV protection? They must have some because my farmer father is lauded by his dermatologist as to how healthy his arms and torso are. He has had numerous pre cancerous spots on his head and face but none on his arms.he always wore lightweight long sleeve when working in the sun.
I have not necessarily followed his lead but I am not out nearly as much.[/QUOTE]
It is well documented that cotton has a lower UPF factor than most synthetic fabrics:
http://www.skincancer.org/publications/the-melanoma-letter/summer-2012-vol-30-no-2/clothing
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/clothing/protection
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/clothing/get-in-on-the-trend
“As a rule, light-colored, lightweight and loosely-woven fabrics do not offer much protection from the sun.” “When selecting clothes for sun protection, consider fabrics that have been specially treated with chemical UV absorbers, known as colorless dyes. These prevent some penetration of both UVB and UVA rays. A number of manufacturers are now making special sun-protective clothing that has been treated with a chemical sunblock during the manufacturing process. In addition, they use fabrics of the weave and colors that provide protection best. The garments are designed to cover as much of the skin as possible.”
Cotton is not bad according to those links. It is just that many cotton fabrics are loosely woven and light colored.
Sorry My phone ate the rest of my post
What I wanted to end with was who wants to wear a denim shirt though when technology can make a white one just as UV resistant.
[QUOTE=Jo;8746163]
I’ve washed all of mine hundreds of times and I can attest to their sun protection by my reverse Mickey Mouse tan lines! :lol::lol::lol::lol:[/QUOTE]
Good to know. The Pesticide in the bug shirts only lasts for a certain number of washings.
Not everything we call a “sunshirt” has the special UV fabric, just FYI. If that matters to you, look carefully before you buy.
I got mine from the eBay seller.
I agree with the poster who said that you do NOT have to size up - at least with those standard shirts. I wear a large in the Dover sunshirts I have I would have been happy with all four for the Kastel in a large. However, because they’re so light it doesn’t bother me terribly that two of them are a little too big. If I order more I’d order them in large, though.
I got two crew neck sun shirts and two of the dresses. The crew necks are great. The dresses are definitely weird. I think I’ll maybe wear it as a nightgown? Or as someone else said, just chop the bottom off and turn it into a shirt? I can’t quite picture the situation where I would want a long-sleeved dress made out of this material - with the mesh under the arms and everything.
One of the shirts I ordered was sent in a size small so I’ll see how easy it is to fix that with the seller. It was the one I opened up first and I tried it on without checking the label and I freaked out. Then I noticed it was two sizes too small and could breath again!
Maybe the dress is supposed to be a beach/pool coverup?
Anyhow, I can explain the difference in uV absorption amongst different fabrics and take a stab at why uV coatings might last longer than the bug repellant coatings.
This article from REI does a nice job of explaining the physical differences amongst fabrics, e.g. more highly-woven and less stretched out, is going to provide more protection because the uV rays are physically blocked to a greater extent, just as you get more protection from the sun under a regular roof than a lattice roof. Also, more reflective is better and the uV rays bounce off more.
The article also alludes to the chemical differences between cotton and polyester.
This football jersey graphic from Compound Interest (one of my favorite sites) shows the difference between cotton and polyester. If you look at the polyester, it contains hexagons with double and single lines (AKA benzene rings) as well double lines to O’s (AKA a carbon-oxygen double bonds, or carbonyls). Compounds with these features absorb uV light, providing a chemical as well as a physical barrier. If you look at the cotton, it contains neither of these uV-absorbing features.
As far a bug- vs uV-resistant chemicals, my guess would be that the bug ones work by converting to the gas phase to some extent so that there is a “cloud” of it above the surface of the fabric. Over time, the bug chemicals are thus going to evaporate, a process that may be hastened each time the garment is washed. The uV additives, on the other hand, work by absorbing uV radiation in the same way as the benzenes and carbonyls do in the polyester. Thus they don’t need to be volatile. But all this is just a hypothesis.
Thanks!
I ordered two of the standard 1/4 zip kastel sunshirts from the ebay seller. Seems like legit from kastel themselves. Both shirts of the shirts I ordered came from the groupings with *Free gift, I received two of the dresses; one pink, one blue. I was initially bummed as I was hoping to score at least one shirt.
Well I decided to head to the beach today and packed one the dresses just for kicks. After spending several hours on the beach I threw the dress on over my swimsuit while leaving. It felt quite nice to cover up my sensitive skin and bonus it was guarded from further UV damage. It is cute enough as a beach-y cover-up that I felt comfortable hopping in the nearby candy/soda shoppe/restaurant to grab a chocolate frappe and saltwater taffy before heading home.
Not sure I need two though…
I ordered two from the eBay site and wore one today for the first time. I LOVE IT. I rode late morning, and while the temps were 70+, I actually debated whether or not to add a layer because the shirt was so cool. I rode outside with my helmet brim and gloves, and probably had the best UV protection I’ve had in years.
Tonight I added three more to my collection. I’m a pro, and I’ve been eyeing these for a while but wanted something that fits small enough for me. The x-small is just right. I’m 5’1-ish and 105. I hope the embroidered ones fit like the plain, I plan on using them as show shirts as well, since I show dressage and there is much more variability in what’s acceptable for showing in that world.
I somehow received two of the dresses. They are nightgowns for me, I’ve got dresses that work much better for beach-type stuff.
Just thought I’d chime in and say that I agree that you do NOT have to size up in the Kastels. I bought a couple of shirts back when they were for sale on Zulily. I ordered up based on recommendations from here and the shirts are baggy on me. I ordered a medium; however, based on the size chart I was a definite small and I think the small would have fit better at least in the waist.
Now if you like loose fitting shirts then I’d order up; also if you have a long torso and long arms you also might want to order up a size. I have both a long torso and long arms and the arms in the medium are not long enough which makes me think the small would have been even worse.
I just ordered some Kastel shirts for my mom from the eBay site. She really liked mine and they fit her great. She just wanted different colors. Anyway the shipping was very fast. I ordered on Wed night and the shirts arrived Sat. I was really hoping I’d get the tights as my free gift; they look like they would be nice for biking but I got the dumb dresses. :disgust: I’m not a dress person and even if I was they don’t fit me. I’m not sure what to do with them.
I sized up in the white shirts and they are too see through for me in my size. Other than that, I would say the shirts fit true to size.
I did buy one of the puffy jackets…and that was a mistake. The fit is different and hits my hips wrong. Nothing new in my world as that is quite a common fit issue for me, but I was disappointed.
[QUOTE=Skitten;8742247]
I like the Noble Outfitters… on sale for $6 at Horseloverz and great quality for the price. They have sales on them often.
I bought 3 of them and I ride in the Caribbean morning sun!
Only the white one can be a bit see through if you’re not wearing skin colour undergarmets.
I was starting to get an equestrian tan with my polos. [/QUOTE]
Thank you for the heads up on these. I just bought 4 for $5.99 each.
For those of you who received the infamous dress…I cut mine into a shirt and it worked lovely today. Haha. It probably won’t last more than a couple of washes but I’m planning on getting some use out of it at least!
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