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Don’t let the temperature get the better of you
Do base layers have as much market value in the summer as in the winter?
The market value is currently lower through the summer, however as we have seen with more and more manufacturers entering the underwear market, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of technically good performance underwear particularly in the colder months.
To move people away from cotton and the like has been a long journey and it is largely due to the better informed retailers and their staff taking the time to explain the benefits.
When you take a little time out to think about it, the summer months should actually generate as much technical underwear business as the winter, the reason for this is that the body is more likely to overheat and therefore generate moisture to cool itself.
Without a technical fabric next to the skin to pull the moisture away quickly, the body climate becomes uncomfortable, damp and clammy, and for anyone taking part in medium to high energy activities this will have a detrimental effect on their performance; dehydration will occur more quickly, and the body will use more energy to try to cool down. So logically the faster you move the heat and moisture away from the Skin, the less energy is used for the cooling process therefore leaving more energy for the sport or activity.
Talk us through your products
We have three main segments Underwear, Tec shirts and Running:
Underwear:We break this segment down into four logical groups: 1.COOL - Blue, 2. LIGHT - Orange, 3. WARM – Red, 4. X - WARM - Maroon.
With over 130 styles it is impossible to go through them all. Cool & Light are, as you would expect, what are available for the summer 2007 season,Warm & XWarm are more for the winter months although we do have stock available for people traveling further abroad.
Tec shirts: This segment has two specific collections for the summer months; we have the "Just one" Collection, this is the ultimate in Tec-T's - everything you would expect with great fitting, and very light so it does not feel like you have a shirt on.With flat lock seams positioned away from the classic pressure areas it means wearing a backpack will not feel uncomfortable. The fabric is designed to transport moisture away from the base layer or skin very quickly; it also dries fast. Probably the biggest plus however, is that we have used the "EFFECT" Silver ions in the fabric to combat the biggest reason people do not buy Tec-T's....the odour!
This is a major plus point because of the unique way ODLO positions the silver in the Fabric. The Ions are integrated in the fabric at an early stage of production, this is then permanently within the shirt and will not wash out or breakdown as other applications can do.
The other appeal for these shirts is the choice of colours! The range has variations on the neck line including polo, crew, v- neck as well singlet and long sleeved T's, the minimum choice of colours is 8 and some styles have as many as 20 to choose from.
Running: This is split into two areas Quantum & Active, Quantum is a chance for the design teams to really stretch themselves in terms of fabrics and design and for the factories to employ the latest techniques, the result is premium quality including laser cut fabrics bonding rather than stitching and lots of subtle extras, but the real story is in the fit and freedom of movement for the wearer. This tends to position Quantum right at the top of the market place in terms of price and style.
Active is the more commercial part of the range, it has again great designs for both men and women,with more of a street fashion influence, technically the fabrics are excellent and again the fit and cut are focused on comfort and ease of movement.
Taking a look at some other brands...
Nike
Nike Pro is a range of compression-fit first layer products designed for the performance needs of the player or athlete. Designed for wear under uniforms and equipment for both team and individual sports, it is an essential element of the modern sportsman’s equipment.Nike Pro benefits include:
- Made from Dri-FIT material that pulls or ‘wicks’ sweat through the material away from the skin. This keeps moisture away from the skin and lets it evaporate faster, helping keep the athlete cool.
- Ultra-sheer, engineered, stretch mesh ventilation panels across the back, spine and beneath the arms helps reduce core temperature.
- Fabric is a soft-handle polyester with a tubular construction and flat seams to aid player comfort and avoid chafing.
Now Nike Pro under-layers are available to amateur athletes looking for ways to give their game an edge.
Nike Pro is available in sleeveless, t-shirt and long-sleeve style, depending on the athlete’s requirements. There is also a range of colours for each garment style.
All three versions of the Nike Pro under-layer garments feature the following benefits:
- Dri-FIT Fabrication to wick away sweat from the body
- Engineered Stretch Mesh for increased ventilation
- Strategically placed venting to promote temperature control.
- Spinal cooling to promote core temperature reduction
- Tubular body construction for comfort
- Flat Seams strategically placed to avoid friction
- Compression fit for comfort and performance
Adidas
A host of sporting stars and clubs have been boosted by the arrival of a new range of performance enhancing apparel which promises to give players and athletes the competitive edge.
Techfit is a multi-sport garment and is said to be scientifically proven to enhance sporting performance, giving more strength, power and endurance. The technology supports key muscle groups and stores elastic energy to deliver explosive performance throughout athletic movement.
Adidas claims to have first brought compression technology into sport in 1998, introducing the first ever prototype, a full body swimming suit worn by gold medallist Ian Thorpe.Through continued research and development, adidas moved compression to the next level designing the one-armed compression suit that aided Denise Lewis to triumph in the heptathlon at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Since then the technology has been worn by the 100m sprinter Kim Collins as he became the World Champion in 2003, the reigning 4 x 100m Olympic Champion and the mighty All Blacks.
The power of Techfit apparel can enable an athlete who could sprint 100 metres in 10 seconds to run the same distance almost a metre quicker. It can add an average of 5.3% total body power output, increase maximum jump height by 4%, and accelerate faster sprint times (1.1%). Additionally, the compression of Techfit improves metabolic efficiency by lowering the oxygen level the body requires to perform by 1.3% offering a longer sustained performance
Canterbury Baselayer
The latest addition to Canterbury’s performance BaseLayer collection is the new Compression range. Following on from the success of the Hot and Cold temperature control clothing, the Compression BaseLayer is sure to become an athlete’s must-have sporting apparel.
The benefits of this new compression product are that the garment not only enhances performance when training and competing, but also accelerates recovery time. By reducing muscle vibration and maximizing the efficient flow of the blood from the extremities of the body back to the heart, Compression significantly prevents muscle fatigue from lactic acid buildup. The products can also be worn as if moulded to the body and provide another option to tailor your outfit.
Completing the range is the original Hot and Cold BaseLayer.Cold garments are designed to insulate athletes in the coldest of climates whilst the Hot BaseLayer keeps athletes cool in the hottest temperatures. The two temperature control ranges ensure maximum performance in all conditions.
Designed to be worn close to the skin, all BaseLayer products are skin-tight yet flexible, offering full freedom of movement for the athlete.With an anti-bacterial layer completing the line-up, your gear will not only offer performance in the extremes but will also come out smelling fresh.
The entire range incorporates Canterbury's moisture transport system,which enables the 'wicking' of sweat away from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric and away from the body.The result is a moisture free garment that speeds up muscle recovery during high intensity activity.
The Canterbury BaseLayer collection is endorsed by a host of elite athletes around the world in various sports, including golfer Michael Campbell and rugby player Bryan Habana. Portsmouth Football Club, the Australian, South African and Irish rugby teams, as well as the English and Irish hockey squads also wear BaseLayer.
McDavid
Not only has McDavid had the technology for over twelve years, it is now taking the base layer concept to its next logical step for impact sports – Protective Undergarments.
In late 2004 one of basketball’s leading lights – Shaq O’Neal – was experiencing a problem with a rib injury. Due to the close relationship that McDavid had with the club through its sports medical expertise,Miami Heat asked if there was a product available that would allow their star player to play and be protected from further injury.
The starting point was McDavid’s hDc moisture management technology – a compression fit garment that keeps the body cool whilst hot and warm whilst cool, however to incorporate solid foam or neoprene as a protective padding would have simply resulted in excessive sweating and not solved the problem.
With this in mind McDavid approached a UK manufacturer who had started to develop a process to produce hundreds of individual foam hexagons permanently bonded onto fabric with gaps in between the hexagons for flexibility and breathability.
Combing these “hexpads”with hDc fabric resulted in a garment that not only regulated body temperature and allowed breathability, but also protected against impact - McDavis HexPad was born.
Pretty soon every US basketball player was demanding the technology as additional protection and now McDavid HexPad dominates the professional basketball leagues in the US with athletes wearing padded undershirts and shorts, as well as padded sleeves and calf protectors.
By 2005 the technology was introduced into more impact sports across the US and Europe such as basketball, lacrosse, floorball, volleyball and handball and the UK saw the launch of a core rugby and football goalkeeper range.
Two years on and McDavid hexpad is being worn by some of the Premiership’s leading goalkeepers and some of rugby’s top international players as well as being embraced by hockey players and cricketers looking for the new edge. All garments are now:
- hDc Moisture Transport fabric to regulate body temperature
- Compression fit to reduce fatigue and injury
- Conforms flexes and moves with every movement of the body
- Anti-microbial to inhibit odours such as those caused by perspiration.
- Machine wash and dry for ultimate convenience.
