The Long Road

07/20/2005 Archived Entry: "Stain Resistance"

I have a Dockers (one of my favorite brands!) Stain Resistant dress shirt. The fabric is really nice and soft and it's coated in something (probably teflon-ish) which is what makes it stain resistant.

Everything you drop onto the shirt just sits on top of it and easily glides off. Water just beads and rolls. Stains can be literally wiped away. It's cool.

What's not so cool? When you're in this dress shirt on a 20 minute walk in 30+ degree weather. Sweat just fricken sits there!! It doesn't get absorbed by the shirt to be evaporated but instead somehow becomes a layer in between you and the shirt. A very uncomfortable layer! It was as if my upper body was encased in water. Not as cool as it sounds.

Replies: 8 comments

:P!...I never considered that aspect of Stain Resistant clothing...must be gross to have all those beads of sweat just collecting on the inside of your shirt.

Posted by dAN @ 07/20/2005 09:05 AM EST

You work for Mike's Dad, surely you don't need to get all dressed up...

I guess it is government still...

Posted by sbdep @ 07/20/2005 09:34 AM EST

Ewwwwww..... Did it feel like a slimey-slug kind of layer?? ;)

Posted by Jen Smuj @ 07/20/2005 05:16 PM EST

..egh, that's just gross.

Posted by Arshwana @ 07/20/2005 06:06 PM EST

man, nothing will ever be as gross as those slugs...*shudder*

Posted by Rayne @ 07/20/2005 08:20 PM EST

It's a handy thing, but after a (relatively short) while, the water-resistant barrier wears off.

Posted by Phil @ 07/22/2005 01:19 PM EST

Yeah, it's not like it's a special fabric or fabric weave, it's probably just a load of chemicals that're put on the shirt that wear off after a while.

..sounds like if you care about the environment, you should avoid purchasing shirts (or pants) like those..

Posted by Arshwana @ 07/22/2005 05:54 PM EST

Yup. I was recently reading about some new UV proof clothes, turns out they're simply "chemically treated" and not some super fabric that shields from UV. It was dissapointing to find out. I imagine the UV protection would also wash off eventually.

Posted by Rayne @ 07/23/2005 01:50 AM EST