Whether you love indulging in cardio exercises, core-strengthening workouts, or resistance fitness sessions, it’s always critical to select the right sports outfit. The shirt is an integral part of your sports outfit, and the kind you choose may mean the difference in how you feel after exercising. That said, you need to select your sports shirts with care, whether you work out indoors or outdoors.
This post provides valuable insights into the factors you need to consider to best choose your sports shirt. These variables may range anywhere, from comfort, anti-perspiration, UV resistance, thermal, and even fluorescent. Pick your choice!
Critical Factors to Consider When Choosing Sports Shirts
Effective workout sessions call for comfortable outfits, and there are several factors you should keep in mind when selecting a sports shirt. Below are some practical tips to help you choose the most versatile sports shirt for your summer wardrobe.
1. The Sport Shirt’s Fabric
This is perhaps the most important criterion when purchasing a shirt, especially a sports shirt. Some fabrics absorb sweat, while others pull it away from your skin. You can choose from a range of materials that are more or less natural, including:
Synthetic Fabric
Synthetic material is commonly used in the production of sports shirts because it repels body moisture by wicking away the sweat from your skin. That helps in evaporating sweat quickly to keep your body cool. Synthetic fabric may be polyester, polypropylene, polyamide, or acrylic. Whichever you choose, the synthetic fabric features hydrophobic fibers that repel sweat, thus reducing drying time while keeping you cool. The only downside is that they quickly develop an odor from sweating if not prepared by the manufacturer to resist odors.
Cotton
Cotton is another standard fabric used to make shirts because it’s easy to care for and absorbs moisture. It doesn’t pull sweat away from the skin as synthetic fabric, nor do they help it dry quickly. That’s why cotton sports shirts can feel heavy and clammy as you exercise. However, if you prefer cotton, it would be best to choose organic cotton because it’s eco-friendly. In fact, there are recycled cotton shirts made from old clothes and scraps of leftover fabric.
Wool
Woolen sports shirts offer natural insulation, making them perfect for outdoor workouts or hiking in the mountains. It’s an antiperspirant fabric that alleviates the development of unpleasant odor due to sweating. However, it’s worth noting that this fabric is fragile and requires gentle washing techniques.
2. Buy the Right Fit
Whether you focus on how stylish your sports outfit is or are searching for a shirt that offers optimum comfort, you can choose from three different fits:
- Slim fit – The shirt adheres to your skin and highlights your body curves and contours.
- Regular fit – This depicts a shirt with a classic cut. It’s neither too close-fitting nor too “loose.”
- Oversize fit – The shirt is looser and longer than a regular fit.
3. Shirt Neckline Type
As a sports enthusiast, you can choose a range of neckline designs for your shirt. Here are some neckline types you can consider:
- Round neck – Generally, you might want to choose a shirt with a basic round neck to feel perfectly at ease when exercising.
- V-neck – A V-neck shirt is perfect for individuals with larger necks. If you’re an avid bodybuilder, it would be best to consider a V-neck shirt as it offers room for muscular contraction at the neck.
- Zip neckline – This is generally used on long-sleeved shirts for individuals who tend to feel the cold more.
4. Shirt Color
The color of your shirt doesn’t really contribute to your comfort, except when you plan to engage in an outdoor physical activity. Are you planning to go hiking? Perhaps you love doing your fitness sessions outside; in that case, it would help to choose a white shirt over a black shirt. Apart from that, you can also consider flashy colors for improved outdoors and summer accessories for enhanced style.
5. Short-Sleeved or Long-Sleeved Sports Shirts?
Your choice between a long- or short-sleeved shirt depends on where you do your sports and what it feels like.
- The place – When choosing a shirt based on where you do your sports, you need to ask yourself several questions: Is it indoors or outdoors? If indoors, is there air conditioning? If you exercise outdoors, what’s the weather condition outside? What’s the temperature?
- What it feels like – People feel the temperature to varying degrees, and you have the freedom to try out a long-sleeved shirt or a short-sleeved version to find out how it feels like for you. You could be surprised which feels better.
If you don’t feel comfortable in a long-sleeved shirt, you can buy a short-sleeved button-down shirt or a polo shirt. Besides letting in air through the sleeves, the buttons enable you to fasten or loosen the buttons to enhance ventilation, depending on the atmospheric conditions.
Learn More About Wearing Sports Shirts Without Being Bland
Are you looking for a sports shirt? Family Britches offers high-quality, versatile shirts that match other clothes in your wardrobe and suit any occasion. Contact us or visit our online store today to browse through our shirt collection.
