Technologically advanced synthetics or natural fabrics? What materials should your uniform be made of

Today you can find uniforms made of a wide variety of materials: from natural fabrics like cotton and linen to high-tech synthetic novelties that do not train for you. And quality sportswear can be made of different fabrics: the principle “the more natural, the better” does not always work. Form of what material is safer for the skin and what to pay attention to when choosing, we understand together with dermatologist Maria Vasilieva.

What should be sportswear?

Choosing a tracksuit, it is worth paying attention primarily to comfort and convenience. The form should not chafe, shrink, excessively overstretch – or, as it is often called today, “sculpting”. Clothing for training should provide freedom of movement, do not stiffen and allow the skin to “breathe” so as not to interfere with the natural heat exchange.

What fabrics are used to make uniforms?

Today, tracksuits – pants, leggings, shorts, sweatshirts, turtlenecks, tops – are made of a variety of materials. If we talk about natural fabrics, most often it is cotton, jersey and canvas, less often – silk and wool (for winter sports).

Cotton is good because it provides air and moisture permeability. At the same time, it is strong enough, practically does not burn out and, importantly, hypoallergenic. However, clothing made of cotton stretches rather quickly and loses its “marketable appearance”.

Canvas is made of cotton, but this material is characterized by greater density and, accordingly, wear resistance. Also, the form of canvas is hygienic and resistant to wind.

The main disadvantage of clothing made of wool is difficult care. To ensure that it does not lose its original appearance and serve you for a long time, you need to approach the washing of such products with intelligence. And given that sports uniforms need to be washed after each training session, it is quite problematic.

Silk in its pure form is often not used to make tracksuits. It is added to other fabrics to achieve a certain appearance and increase strength.

As for synthetic materials, there are many of them on the sportswear market. Big brands invent new technologies year after year and strive to improve the quality of clothing. As a rule, artificial fabrics are characterized by high elasticity, provide good heat and air exchange. However, some may cause an allergic reaction.

What materials are better to choose?

When choosing clothes for sports, you should first look at the composition of the fabric, says the dermatologist. Those with sensitive or acne-prone skin should avoid synthetic materials such as viscose or capron. They do not allow moisture and air to pass through and can provoke dermatitis or acne or aggravate existing ones.

Dermatologist advises to give preference to natural or semi-natural fabrics (cotton, linen, bamboo). Such materials absorb moisture and have good breathable properties. They do not create a greenhouse effect, which promotes bacterial growth on the skin surface and thus provokes or aggravates some skin diseases (acne, atopic dermatitis, epidermophytosis, etc.).