Why doesnt someone come out with a highly-relfective T-shirt for outside Workmen ??

Any runner's or biking store will have an assortment of reflective clothing, but I don't understand where you're coming from. Why would a roofer need reflective clothing? He's not going to get hit by a plane, right? Ditto with the AC repairman.

Instead of wearing reflective clothing all of the time (some people don't want to light up like a Christmas tree), get one of the reflective runner's sashes. Takes up no space, doesn't have to be washed every day and they're cheap.

You won't find much that will reflect as well and still pass air, as white cotton. That has been traditional boating wear in sunny warm areas for centuries. Anything silvery would get very hot, and anything applied to the fabric would make it become like a sauna. A Cuban or Mexican style white open-neck cut fabric shirt is actually cooler than a white T, because it lets more air through, and doesn't hold sweat against the skin. Too bad white is impossible to keep clean. I go with light tan myself, so as to be able to go out in public at all. Coffee-stain tan also hides lawnmower dust and dried-in sweat stains pretty well. :^/

-- aem sends...

He was talking reflective like a white roof versus a dark roof, to stay cooler in bright sun. My black Tees stay in the drawer all summer- noticably hotter to wear than light tan or light gray. I haven't got the guts to go out in public in a white Tee, and it wouldn't be white after the first day anyway.

-- aem sends...

Thanks for the translation. ;)

The reason a Roofer would want a reflective t shirt is to reflect as much sun off of him as possible thereby making him cooler ; not to make him noticed .

I wasn't sure. There've been a few roofers over the years that I wouldn't mind shooting!

As far as the shirts, the stuff about runner's and bikers still applies. Coolmax fabric does a great job of wicking away sweat so you feel drier than in a cotton shirt.

My recent answer to this problem has been a fan and an extension cord...

then again, here's a new product which may be on topic

regards, charlie

These things are quite effective for deakling with a hot environment. Yes, they really do work.

they're also ridiculously expensive, unless you catch a sale. T- shirts, well, I'm still appalled at the prices, but a good cotton T- shirt still sells for about $5 or so as opposed to 5-10x that.

nate

The most reflective metallic and metallic-colored objects absorb more light than the whitest white ones. Metallic objects have another disadvantage - they tend to be poor radiators of thermal infrared.

I would go with white as the best choice for thermal considerations. However, I have found that when I wear white trousers, my bike chain likes to jam or come off when I am in a hurry and somewhere I can't wash my hands of the grease. If that does not happen, something else messy often does.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

Or buy them on eBay. You can pick up a Coolmax golf shirt for $15 including shipping. But I'm with you on not spending a lot on work shirts as they get ratty pretty quickly.

Coolmax does cost more but shouldn't. It's just polyester, probably with a special finish. I suspect the garment makers rather than the fiber maker is cashing in. When they first started marketing it, I could buy Coolmax socks at Kmart for the same price as cotton socks. They were great for wicking moisture and not bunching up and feeling clammy like cotton.

Stop by a running store. Runners need that kind of garment and the running stores have them Coolmax is the big name. It tends to wick away the moisture and evaporate it far better than cotton.

Upon reflection that's absolutely brilliant suggestion! And really throws some light upon the idea of increased safety while working. However there are civilian style reflective jackets/halters etc. sometimes worn by joggers and pedestrian crossing guards and of course the more official ones worn by police and rescue workers.

Why?

Because T-shirts are washed often and such washing would probably ruin the reflective stuff over time. There are already light weight reflective vests.