March 2008

Performance Wear Diaries

Four Wearables editors put performance wear to the test for a week and kept journals about how the industry’s best performance polos, button-downs and athletic wear held up in their crazy-busy lives. See what apparel won us over.

By Nicole Rollender, Joe Haley, Joan Chaykin and Melinda Ligos

Performance wear is the latest, greatest category to hit the wearables marketplace, and it’s everywhere. Polos, wovens, T-shirts, athletic wear and outerwear tout all kinds of technical qualities, including: moisture wicking; anti-microbial and anti-odor; UV protection; stain repellent and release; easy-care machine wash and dry and fade free; anti-wrinkle and shrink resistant; and anti-pill. We asked industry suppliers, including Vantage Apparel (asi/93390), SanMar (asi/84863), Augusta Sportswear (asi/37461) and Greg Norman Collection to send us their best performance polos, wovens and athletic wear. Four Wearables editors were given between seven and 10 items and asked to wear the ones that most appealed to them at work, at home and out and about – and to keep a journal of their experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly. From baby food and orange juice spills, to soccer games and intense cardio workouts, we’ve got the lowdown on how performance wear stacks up.

NICOLE ROLLENDER, editor
Monday, January 28
On a cold, dark Monday morning, this fuchsia shirt (style WNS8K438) from Greg Norman’s Women’s Collection had just that extra zing of color to perk me up. My first performance shirt of the week, I was pleasantly surprised at how lightweight the stretchy 61% cotton/39% polyester fabric felt and breathed. While a golf shirt isn’t something I’d normally wear, this shirt’s zip front, raglan-style sleeves and body-skimming fit did look good on this non-golfer – and was appropriate for casual Monday at work. This shirt has Play Dry Pima-Tech moisture-wicking technology; while I wasn’t sweating on this winter day, the pima yarn fabric did feel comfortable against my skin, even under my non-breathable Mecca Femme soft-shell jacket.

Tuesday, January 29
Since layering’s so in right now, I first put on a slinky, cap-sleeve, V-neck T-shirt (AE 233), made of 88% microfiber/12% spandex from Expert Performance T (asi/53404). The shirt had a relaxed

About Me
A gym rat in my mid-20s, I gave up my two-hour-a-day gym habit to focus on my career as an editor and writer. Now, I work out five or six days a week at home, doing cardio and weight training. Style-wise I’m not a big fan of polos or wovens, but I like athletic-inspired shirts I can wear to work or out on the weekends – plus glide away 45 minutes on the elliptical machine or lift free weights in them.

fit, but still did curve in at the right places, and I liked the fabric’s subtle sheen. The moisture-wicking fabric felt cool against my skin all day; in addition, it’s treated with BodyFreshé to fight odor-causing bacteria. Then, I layered over it another item from Greg Norman, this time from its PlayDry Collection – a mirage blue, 100% polyester Weatherknit ¼-zip long-sleeve jacket (style WNS8J431), which offers natural stretch and recovery and moisture wicking. I felt really good in this ensemble; the jacket’s fabric is powdery soft and I liked that it has two zippered pockets in the front. At work, when I took off the jacket, someone said the Expert Performance T shirt looked like something I’d normally wear – and it is.

To work out at night, I wore a Nike Gym Basics long top (style 34415) and Nike Gym Basics capri pants (style 27831), both made of 92/8 cotton/spandex jersey that offers a smooth finish and higher loft, from River’s End Trading (asi/82588) to do an hour of cardio on my elliptical machine. Not only did I get a compliment on my “cool workout wear” with the swoosh on each piece from my husband, Grant, but this entire outfit really did stretch and allow me to move easily. By itself, I wasn’t sure if I liked the design of the capris, but when I put on the longer-cut top, the outfit looked great and made me feel like an athlete.

Wednesday, January 30
To work I wore Vantage Apparel’s (asi/93390) 100% polyester Vansport body-mapped blocked mock neck shirt (style 2791) in navy, which has dusty blue blocked panels in the perspiration zones. The lightweight jersey fabric was definitely breathable all day. I wore a size medium, which was a little too large for me, so the body felt un-silhouetted, even though it has front princess seams. However, the jaunty zip-neck stand-up collar added flair. The shirt, which is also easy care, definitely resisted wrinkles all day.

My workout was an intense hour on the elliptical machine – I wore a 90% poly/10% spandex knit sports bra (style 701) in red, white and black from Augusta Sportswear (asi/37461). I noticed as I worked out longer that I really liked the keyhole racerback styling – less fabric to hold moisture. The sports bra, which is antimicrobial and moisture wicking, was damp when I finished working out, but passed the smell test, according to my husband (who was somewhat reluctant to participate), but was pleasantly surprised.

Thursday, January 31
Most people who know me will say I’m not a happy, pink person – most of my clothes are black or deeper jewel tones. But this morning, I decided to go pink, wearing a Sport-Tek by Port Authority Dri-Mesh short-sleeve T-shirt (style K468) from SanMar (asi/84863). The 100% double-layer poly mesh was very lightweight, and the tiny mesh holes added some interesting texture to the shirt, as did the half-circle vents under the arms. Today was my grandmother’s 96th birthday, so I took the night off from working out and joined my parents in visiting her at the nursing home. The room she’s in gets pretty hot, but I felt comfortable. I wore this shirt in a size medium, and it was a little roomy. I think I could have worn a small and it would have been more figure flattering. Surprisingly no one at work or my parents said anything about me wearing a pink shirt. Maybe they’re hoping I’ve turned over a new leaf.

Friday, February 1
I decided to wear Vantage Apparel’s (asi/93390) Vansport color-blocked polo (style 0241) in black with sporty silver mesh color-blocked shoulder and side panels, all day, for work and working out. I really liked how this drapey tech tee fit me with its fashion details, especially the V-neck, capped sleeves and how the color-blocked side panels kept the front clean but still added some nice details to the sides. I also did a 45-minute session on my elliptical machine in this shirt, and was stoked that I stayed dry and odor-free.

Saturday, February 2
When I got up this morning, I decided to run some errands in a royal blue, 90% poly/10% spandex knit sleeveless top (style 705) from Augusta Sportswear (asi/37461). I was surprised at how fitted the size medium shirt was, but the longer I wore it, the more I liked the compressed feeling and the athletic silhouette. After returning from my local produce store with locally grown vegetables and fruits, and cheese and eggs, I decided to do an hour-long free weights session. The shirt indeed wicked moisture away from my body. I decided to wear the shirt for the rest of the day to see if I was odiferous, but I wasn’t. All around, I love this shirt.

The wrap up: While a couple of people told me I looked like I should be working at Footlocker with my new wardrobe, most people said I looked very athletic and the shirts were figure flattering – and the pops of color brought some life to my normally all-black wardrobe. I especially liked the lightweight fabrics that draped well and stayed breathable all day.

Joe Haley, managing editor
Sunday, January 27
I actually began the week on Sunday. My youngest son, Shane, was moving into his new room. This heather gray sport tee (style AT 801) from Expert Performance T (asi/53404) was the perfect shirt for the day. Even though it was the dead of winter, moving a bed, dresser, nightstand and 10-gallon fish tank (heavier than what you’d expect), I did my fair share of sweating. All the huffing and puffing, and lifting and carrying aside, I was rather comfortable in the shirt. My wife, Pauline, said she liked the color and how soft the fabric felt.

Monday, January 28
I began the work week wearing a yellow striped polo (style 1020) from Heritage Cross (asi/60578). The shirt was very lightweight and comfortable – consisting of 100% micro-poly combined with the Cross Cool system and an antimicrobial finish. One extra feature of this shirt was all-over body mapping with strategically placed inserts to help wick away moisture. Later that night, I wore this shirt to my soccer practice, and while my 10-year-old players thought it was a little too bright for the gym, I remained comfortable the entire evening.

Tuesday, January 29
On of the problems of being 5’ 4” and 155 lbs. is that it’s hard to find a shirt that fits well. Forget small, unless you want to see buttons stressed to the point of explosion. Mediums often fit right the first time but after several washings, fahgetaboutit. And large never seems to shrink enough. But, I have to admit that this red button-down (style 0281) from Sierra Pacific Apparel’s (asi/87224) FeatherLite collection, was nicely cut. The sleeve length is perfect and it has a soft hand. The vibrant color really popped on my online TV program, The Joe Show. I have the same shirt in royal blue and it fits just as comfortably.

About Me
The father of two active boys (Nigel, 13, and Shane, 12) means I’m just as active. There’s constant motion at our house. On most nights, we have little more than an hour and 15 minutes to change from work clothes and cook and eat dinner before we’re out the door heading to soccer, baseball, basketball or track and field. Having to be out of the house seven nights a week means I’m often looking for shirts that can go from the office to the gym and field. When coaching I prefer sports or polo shirts that are moisture wicking, lightweight and comfortable. When I’m just sitting in the stands watching, stylish button-down shirts fit the bill. Luckily, the shirts I prefer are appropriate for a business casual work place as well.

Wednesday, January 30
On business casual days I prefer to wear button-down shirts and I love the navy Velocity Repel & Release twill shirt (style 1200) from Vantage Apparel (asi/93390). This worry-free woven repels stains, retains its color and resists wrinkles, making it a great

shirt for on-the-go professionals. While it was heavier than the shirt I wore on Tuesday, it was still comfortable. And by chance, I spilled coffee on my desk and across my sleeve. While the coffee beaded up and brushed off my sleeve with ease, my desk calendar wasn’t as easily saved.

Thursday, January 31
As Thursday is the last business casual dress day of the week at ASI, I decided to save this Glen plaid dress shirt (style 738) in blue from River’s End Trading (asi/82588) for today. Easily the most fashionable shirt I wore, I found it extremely comfortable. The cut was just right for a size medium and there was ample room. I have a similar shirt I purchased from Macy’s, which led to my wife asking why I bought another one just like it. She was surprised and impressed when I told her that it was, in fact, a shirt from an industry supplier.

Friday, February 1
For the last day of the work week, I wore what was easily my favorite shirt. The blue polo with black/white horizontal stripes (style GNS8K40B) from Greg Norman is just awesome. It had a generous fit for a medium and was so lightweight and comfortable. While I love the style, I can’t wait to wear it on the golf course in the summer to really see its performance attributes at work. At night, I wore it to my men’s bowling league and wasn’t constricted at all when I bowled.

Saturday, February 2
It’s Saturday and I still have one more shirt to wear. This Arnold Palmer, navy/light blue striped golf shirt (style ANP7025) from Capital Mercury Apparel (asi/43778) was just the right shirt for the day. Two basketball games at two different schools meant a little hustle for dad. With no time to spare following my son Nigel’s game, the family practically ran to the car and sped off for Shane’s game. The second gym was hot but I did remain cool and dry.

The wrap up: The only negative this entire week is that I prefer to wear a T-shirt under most of my polos and dress shirts. I think it gives a more clean and polished appearance. Because of this, with the short-sleeve shirts, I was unable to feel the fabric directly against my skin. While the fit and weight were outstanding, I could only judge the softness by running my hands across the shirts and taking my wife at her word.

Joan Chaykin, assistant managing editor
Sunday, January 27
Vantage Apparel’s (asi/93390) women’s solid jacquard polo (style 2716) in dusty blue is the ultimate anti-everything: anti- wrinkle, -stain, -pill; you name it. Though I wasn’t working out, I was getting down and dirty with housework, and after a long day of chasing dust bunnies, I still looked as fresh as the morning dew. The only negative was the fit – I prefer my shirts to be at hip level or below.

Monday, January 28
I love everything about the Greg Norman Women’s Play Dry polo (style WNS8K341) in black, even the retail tag, with the Greg Norman shark logo. This moisture-management system shirt wicked the moisture away from my skin and transported it to the outer layer so it was evaporated in the air. I liked the tapered style and quality fabric. I was able to wear it to work and it kept me comfortable all day and into the evening hours.

Tuesday, January 29
Sierra Pacific Apparel’s (asi/87224) FeatherLite pink button-down twill (style S5283) is my favorite button-down shirt. It’s stain resistant and treated with a Teflon fabric protector. I was thrilled to see this feature actually work. I was in the process of eating an orange when a large spatter of orange juice squirted on my sleeve. I saw how the juice beaded up and I was able to simply clean it off with a napkin. I even went up to a few people in the office to show them this wonderful feature. I think they’re a little afraid of me now.

About Me
As a wife, mother of two active teenagers and full-time employee, I’m on the go constantly. When I’m not carting someone to a game or practice, I like to read or watch TV. Sometimes I’ll blurt out my dismay over something I’ve read or seen on the news; even fictional shows can inspire strong negative reactions in me. My 16-year-old daughter, Natalie, recently told me I’m “anti-everything.” This gave me pause, and I reflected that she’s correct in her observation.
When Wearables Editor Nicole Rollender asked me to ‘test-drive’ some performance wearables, I was on board. Considering that most of the shirts are anti-everything, I thought it apropos that I be a test subject. Though I was somewhat dismayed that the performance shirts didn’t return me to my 25-year-old figure, overall I was pleased by the shirts’ features.

Wednesday, January 30
My second-favorite polo is the River’s End Trading (asi/82588) Solar Shield (style 6210) in cardinal. The features on this include moisture wicking, UV protection and body mapping for ventilation. I visited my 14-year-old son Michael’s school today for parent-appreciation day. He always tells me how hot it is in his classroom, and now I know this is very true. For fun, I asked this class of rowdy eighth graders Trivial Pursuit questions, so between the heat and being nervous speaking to this group, my shirt worked double duty. The fit is just right and the color is complementary to my skin tone.

Thursday, January 31
I liked the more masculine styling of Capital Mercury Apparel’s (asi/43788) CoolMax poplin button-down shirt (style NLS6129). This long-sleeve white shirt with blue pinstripes looks professional (I wore it under a suit jacket) and kept me comfortable all day with its breathable, moisture-control fabric. I wore it again at home with a T-shirt underneath. This worked better for me untucked, because it’s rather long (even for me).

Friday, February 1
Friday is dress-down day in the office, but the SanMar (asi/84863) Port Authority polo in burgundy kept me looking sharp. This Dry Zone Ottoman sport shirt (style L525) has the moisture-wicking technology I’ve come to love. After work, I met my two best childhood friends at a nearby pizza shop. We went through two bottles of wine, so I was having some trouble getting the cuisine to my mouth properly. I was extremely pleased to see that all food debris wiped right off without leaving any stains. Short of wearing a bib, this shirt couldn’t have worked better.

Saturday, February 2
Finally, the Augusta Sportswear (asi/37461) women’s textured color block sport shirt in royal/white ended my week on a positive note. I wanted to go to the driving-range or play tennis to test the features, but I ended up taking a long, leisurely walk instead before going on a closet-cleaning expedition, and was successful in this feat. I think if you have the proper apparel for action, whether sports or extreme house-cleaning, you’ll perform better, and feel better.

The wrap up: These shirts are a welcome addition to my wardrobe. Since I’m not a workout freak or a serious athlete (I just play one on TV), I never felt the need to own a performance shirt. Now, however, the professional look and comfort of these shirts has given me a newfound appreciation of the neat advances in performance wear, plus I can wear them to work, out with friends or to my kids’ school and sporting events. They’re truly multi-functional apparel.

Melinda ligos, editor-in-chief
Monday, January 28
Monday is casual dress day at the office: the perfect day to try out the Sierra Pacific Apparel (asi/87224) FeatherLite gray polo (style 5330), which I paired with a white cardigan and jeans. The first thing I noticed about this shirt other than the hint of stretch (it’s a 58/37/5 cotton/poly/spandex blend) was how soft it was. In fact, as I picked up my daughter, Joely, from her crib, she plopped her head right down on my shoulder and snuggled in. Too bad we couldn’t stay like that all day. As I zipped off to work, I dropped by Starbucks to grab my regular drink – a venti black unsweetened iced tea – and accidentally spilled some on my shirt as I headed back to the car. Nine a.m. and already a spill … that’s early, even for me. Luckily, the shirt had been treated with Teflon, and the tea beaded right off. Let’s hope the rest of my day is as lucky.

Tuesday, January 29
I’m not a big wearer of short sleeves, but I am a big fan of pale blue, so I didn’t mind trying out this 70/30 cotton/poly button down (style 5231) from Sierra Pacific Apparel (asi/87224). Today is video day at work, which means we film several videos for our e-newsletters. That also means that I look like a circus tent unless I’m wearing tailored clothes. Lucky for me, this shirt had darts in the front and back to provide a nicely-tailored look. I wore it under a gray suit and it looked polished and professional.

Wednesday, January 30
Tonight I played tennis at my local racquet club. My serve isn’t getting any better, but at least I look like Maria Sharapova (ok, maybe not quite like her) in this Ping ladies’ textured poly dry fiber performance shirt (style LP318) from SanMar (asi/84863). It definitely kept me dry through a one-and-a-half hour session of huffing and puffing around the court. And I was amazed at how lightweight it felt – almost as if I were naked. Lucky for the other folks on the court, I wasn’t.

About Me
As editor-in-chief of seven magazines and a mother of three young girls, I barely have time to get dressed during the day – let alone change my clothes when I get home in the evening. Nope, I’ve got to feed Joely (the baby), my husband, my two girls and my always-ravenous dachshund Ruckus as soon as I step in the door. So whatever I wear to work stays on me until about 11 p.m., when the homework is done, and everyone’s been bathed, diapered and/or walked, and I can finally plop down on the couch with a glass of wine and watch a Tivo’d edition of The Real Housewives of Orange County. The only one who wears his clothes longer each day than me is my husband, Mark, who has been known to occasionally fall asleep in a suit and dress shoes.

Thursday, January 31
It’s been a busy day, starting with an 8:30 a.m. meeting at work that spanned more than two hours, and finishing with a meeting of my daughter’s Daisy Troop in which I was required to help 11 5-year-olds decorate cookies with colored icing. Within five minutes … oops! … I smeared purple frosting on the sleeve of my Bill Blass Premium wrinkle-free, stain-repellent long-sleeve button down (style BB1946) from Capital Mercury Apparel (asi/43778). Never mind, it came off with a quick wipe, thanks to the fact that the shirt has been treated with DuPont Teflon fabric protector. I really put it to the test when I got home and Jojo wiped her mouth – apricot baby food and all – right on my shoulder, grinning all the while. Again, a quick wipe with a damp towel took the stain right out. Intrigued, my husband decided to do an “experiment,” and pour the rest of his glass of red wine down the front of the shirt. The wine jumped – and I mean jumped – right off the shirt.

Friday, February 1
I love anything blue, but I had a little trouble when putting on this River’s End Trading (asi/82588) easy-care shirt (style 636) this morning. While it was super-comfy, it wasn’t as long as the other shirts I’ve been wearing this week, so it’s not a candidate for tuck-ins. Still, it’s professional looking, and its wrinkle-resistant properties mean I can throw it on the floor for a day or two before hanging it up. At the end of the evening, I balled it up and tossed it into my walk-in closet. The next day, when I fished it out, it wasn’t even wrinkled.

Saturday, February 2
I was out for Mexican food, which means of course I spilled salsa on my blouse. Good news: It’s a Vantage Apparel (asi/93390) Velocity Repel & Release oxford shirt (style 1211), which means that the salsa wiped off with the brush of a napkin, no water required. This shirt would look great with a suit.

The wrap up: After a week of wearing strictly performance wear, it’s going to be tough going back to my old wardrobe, which unfortunately doesn’t have Teflon or any of the other cool properties of the clothes I wore this week. Looks like I’ll be carrying a lot more Shout wipes around with me and heading to the dry cleaners a lot more.