Sunscreen isn’t the only defense we have against the sun.
A growing number of companies are starting to offer clothes with UPF, or ultraviolet protection factor. Think of it as the sartorial equivalent of sunscreen’s SPF, but with UPF you don’t have to reapply every two hours.
“People think a T-shirt is protecting them from the sun, but an average cotton tee has an SPF of about 8,” says dermatologist Dr. Patricia Wexler.
Although you’re probably not getting sunburned through your clothes, you’re still at risk for other sun damage that can speed up the aging process and increase your risk for skin cancer. But the densely woven materials that make up UPF clothing protect you from both the kind of rays that can burn you and the kind that can damage your skin over time.
“I don’t think anyone can be diligent enough with sunscreen,” Wexler says. “These clothes take the worry out of sun protection because you don’t have to wonder if you’re covered.”
Here are some of this season’s most fashionably protective clothes with UPF 50 — meaning that just a 50th of the sun’s rays can penetrate ’em.












