The best sun-protective clothing

Summer officially starts this month, and in addition to using a strong sunscreen when you go outside, it's a good idea to wear sun-protective clothing. That's not just any hat or long-sleeved shirt in your closet; sun-protective clothes are made of materials that effectively shield your skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Protective fabrics

Loosely woven fabrics of summer (such as gauze and linen) do very little to keep UV radiation from reaching your skin. The best defense comes from tightly woven fabrics with high thread counts, in dark or bright colors (which absorb light). Examples include polyester, nylon, lightweight wool, or canvas.

Many clothing manufacturers now use high-tech fabrics for sun-protective garments. High-tech fabrics offer at least as much protection as regular densely woven fabrics, and maybe more. Often these fabrics wick away moisture and dry quickly. Some are even embedded with chemicals used in sunscreens (such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide). Note, however, that such chemical protection may last for only a limited amount of wash cycles, such as 20 to 40.

UPF protection

You'll know for sure if clothes are sun-protective if they have an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating on the label. That's a measure of how much UV radiation penetrates the fabric.

"Look for a UPF rating of 50, which should block about 98% of the sun's rays. It's comparable to sunscreen with a sun protection factor [SPF] of 30, so wearing the clothes is consistent with actually putting sunscreen on," says Dr. Abigail Waldman, director of the Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery Center at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Can you skip sunscreen if you're wearing UPF-rated clothes? "Yes, but only for areas covered by the clothes," Dr. Waldman says. "Any exposed skin still needs sunscreen, such as your neck, ears, hands, and feet."

And keep in mind that all clothes, UPF-rated or not, provide less UV protection when they get wet or if they're stretched and light can peek between the fibers. "So make sure clothing fits loosely. And it's not a bad idea to wear a waterproof sunscreen beneath sun-protective clothes if you know you'll be perspiring a lot or going into water," Dr. Waldman says.

Options and costs

If you're looking to buy UPF-rated clothing, you'll find a wide range of options to shield every inch of your skin, including hats, scarves, gloves, face masks, neck gaiters, shirts, hoodies, dresses, skirts, shorts, pants, leggings, shawls, swimwear, unitards, and more.

Which items do you really need? "The more skin you cover, the better, especially if you're doing yard work or going to the beach," Dr. Waldman says. "A hat, long-sleeved shirt, and pants are preferable. That can be a challenge on a really hot day, so make sure the fabric feels breathable and has moisture-wicking properties."

UPF-rated clothing can be pricey. A man's long-sleeved tee from some of the largest retailers (such as Coolibar Sun Protective Clothing, Columbia Sportswear Company, Lands' End, or L.L. Bean) goes for about $50. Brimmed hats for men and women also start at about $50.

To save some money, Dr. Waldman recommends using a laundry aid that adds sun-protective chemicals to densely woven clothes you already own (dry-fit nylon or polyester-blend tees are good candidates). The laundry aid is called Rit SunGuard, and it can give clothes a UPF of 30. "It's a powder. You just throw it in with normal washing, and it lasts for 20 washes. The clothes look the same," Dr. Waldman says.

A word about hats

You need a hat that protects more than just the crown of your head from UV rays, and that means you need a wide brim. "A lot of people fall short by using a baseball cap. But it doesn't cover the ears, the chin, or the back of the neck. So get as wide a brim as possible, at least three inches," Dr. Waldman says. "If you're not wearing a hat with a wide brim, apply sunscreen on exposed areas. And that goes for when you wear bike helmets, too. They have slits that allow for sunburns."

A hat's materials and construction are also important considerations. "You don't want a lot of mesh or large holes in the hat, because UV rays can reach your skin. The best material would be canvas, polyester, or nylon. They'll provide more protection than a straw hat," Dr. Waldman says.

Remember why you're doing this

Taking the time to wear protective clothes outside has a big payoff for your skin. "Even one sunburn can result in skin cancer in a few years," Dr. Waldman says. "If you can cover up and avoid burning now, you'll be better off later."

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