Guide to the Functional Performance of Sportswear

Aug. 14, 2012 - PRLog -- As clothing brands are increasingly making use of technology to develop new sportswear, consumers can choose from a wide range of special functions offering both comfort and protection. As a consumer, buying a piece of comfortable clothing is important. Some functions such as antibacterial and moisture management features are added to enhance the consumer’s wearing comfort.

Antibacterial Textiles
Antibacterial textiles such as deodorizing socks and tops are suitable for active people.  Textiles of such nature are typically given an antibacterial treatment to suppress the growth of bacteria on the fabric which may cause unpleasant odors. This may make you feel refreshed throughout the day.

Moisture Management
Those who head to sunny resorts may take clothing, like running tops, with moisture management functions. To achieve the intended purpose, these types of clothing may contain some of the following elements:

- Wicking: Fibers channel moisture along the filament through “capillary actions”, pulling moisture to the fabric surface.

- Push/Pull Actions: Utilizes a double layered approach with inner layer which typically moves moisture away from the surface and an outer layer being hydrophilic or “waterloving”, which will let the moisture be spread out and able to evaporate from the surface.

UV Protection
Shirts and hats with UV protection are often made with special material and constructed in ways which reduce the UV rays reaching the skin. For example, higher density fabrics offer higher UV protection than a lower density fabric.

Water Resistant Sportswear
Water resistant jackets are probably one of the most important items to take on vacation. These items of clothing are specially designed to protect the user from elements such as wind and rain.  They often incorporate fabric which is treated to prevent water penetration but to allow the fabric also to be breathable.  Breathable fabrics allow vapor phase moisture to move away from our bodies and out through our clothing.

Putting “water resistant” and “breathable” fabrics together seems counterintuitive; however it is technically achievable by adding a barrier layer with pores that are small enough to prevent rain droplets from entering and large enough to allow vapor moisture from the inside to escape. Liquid water droplet size is significantly larger than that of vapor.

Thermal Clothing
Those heading to a colder climate this summer may wish to take some warmer items, such as woolen hats. Common sense suggests that as the thickness of the layer increases to keep us warm, the breathability decreases, making us feel uncomfortable. However, many of these items sold in shops today incorporate features of breathability to enhance the physiological comfort of the user.

In addition to the functionality, performance and versatility that these products offer, product safety, such as the absence of restricted substances, also is a primary concern.

Therefore, SGS ((http://www.sgs.com/en/Consumer-Goods-Retail/Softlines-and...) offers a range of services throughout the supply chain to assist and verify product compliance both at the regulatory and contractual levels. With its global network of laboratories and the breadth of its knowledge, SGS can provide professional advice in choosing appropriate test methods for products with widely different end uses and offer technical solutions to suit your needs.
For further details please contact:

Contact details:

SGS Consumer Testing Services
Karen E. Kyllo, Ph.D.
Deputy Vice President, Global Softlines
SGS North America Inc.
291 Fairfield Avenue, Fairfield, NJ 07004, United States.

t:  +1 973 461 7934
Email: cts.media@sgs.com
Website: http://www.sgs.com/pages/consumer-testing/sgs-consumer-go...

ABOUT SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With 70,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,350 offices and laboratories around the world.