Talkback: Summer Tops - Shirt Or Base Layer?

Umm, surely the long sleeves and the proper fold up collar mean the shirt is rather ahead in sun protection? Sleeves pedantic of course but the collar is intrinsic and does make a real difference.

As for colours, well.... They're seemingly not doing long sleeved shirts in this very thin nylon/polyester blends this year mind. Just some slightly scary squared mix poly cotton ones.

"you'll probably get better wicking and cooling performance from a good quality, summer-weight base layer than from a more conventional shirt."

But wicking that moisture away, rather than having it sat on your skin to conduct away heat before evaporating, will probably mean hotter.
So better wicking, yes, but if you wick the moisture away that may impede the better cooling, as may being too close a fit to allow air to circulate under it.

Wicking moisture away is primarily a comfort thing, but if your comfort is best served by being wet (to cool you down) it may be a bit of an own goal. At least until the clouds roll over the sun, when you'll be glad to be drier...

Pete.

vastly superior ventilation, sun protection and staying cooler from a shirt.

paramo's parameta a fabric wicks like a madly wicking thing and dries very rapidly and would give any t shirt a run for its money. usual colour caveats, some weird styling and the winner of the worst buttons on a shirt in most price categories

the new fabric in rohan's pacific shirt is very light, very comfortable and wicks and dries very quickly. and doesn't smell. not sure about it's durability but rohan ssem to think it's more robust than it looks. rohan's expedition shirt ticks most boxes for an outdoor shirt though.

I wore a shirt over wicking T-shirt at weekend. Was cooler than when wore T-shirt on on. Developers shirt with double flip up collar. Worked a treat. Mind you only second time worn.first was two years ago and it showed up sweaty patches badly. That was on own.

shirt is cooler and has pockets...but i still want an updated version of my dad's long-sleeved polo shirt with button cuffs & chest pocker...closest I found was from Gowing's in Sydney (!)..but still 100% cotton