I guess there are
some people who need "sunblocking" clothes, but it seems soooo gimmicky that it's irritating that they put it right there on my morning news without saying anything like "for super sun sensitive people", not necessary for everyone. But such is the media, I suppose.
To feed my curiosity, I did some googling research and found this:
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Quote:
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Several factors determine the effectiveness of clothing in blocking harmful UV rays, including fabric construction, fiber content and weave, fabric color, finishing processes and the presence of additives. For example, a basic white cotton T-shirt provides only moderate protection from sunburn, with an average sun protection factor (SPF) of 7. At the other end of the spectrum, a long-sleeve dark denim shirt offers excellent sun protection -- an estimated SPF of 1,700.
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I'd have to assume that even a plain white tee and it's SPF 7 is waaaaay better than a lotion of SPF 7 because a tee shirt doesn't rub off, evaporate, sweat or get washed off. Although I have serious questions on whether this "basic white cotton T-shirt"
really has an SPF of just 7. Because on days when the burn factor is a 10, an SPF 7 would allow you to stay in the sun for a maximum of 70 minutes. But I've spent HOURS in the sun in a plain white tee and still, never burned under it.
