Hive mind... shopping query...

[rhu]

I'm looking for a very lightweight solar-protective jacket that can be thrown on over a T-shirt and shorts, because I'm too lazy to remember to put on sunblock everywhere whenever I'm going to be outside for more than ten minutes.

The best match for what I want seems to be sold as a women's-only "coverup" (for example, this). Anyone have suggestions for where to find such a thing in a unisex or men's style? ('Cuz let's face it, my bust/waist/hips/height measurements aren't on that chart!)

Comments

[michelel72.livejournal.com]

When I went to Atlanta last June, I wore a Sunveil cover-up (something like this) over my tank and shorts, with a hat in place of a hood. That website has men's versions, though I don't see any long ones there. (I bought through Tilley Endurables.)

Otherwise, I'd suggest checking the swimwear areas of physical stores. Google searching turns up several companies, but I can't vouch for any of them particularly. I haven't seen anyone offering a men's version of the cover-up, which seems weird. Maybe they think the garment is inherently "feminine"?? You may have to see if there's a women's version that offers a large enough size.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip -- they have a two-piece solution, the unisex jacket and the unisex overpants, which are probably more practical anyway. No prices on their website, though, so I've sent them an email inquiry.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, this says:

Sunveil's Cover-up claimed to block up to 97 percent of UV radiation, but actually had a UPF of zero, according to Vartest Labs. A Solarveil tunic boasted "90 to 95 percent UVA and UVB blockage" for one part of the garment and "70 to 80 percent UV blockage" for another part. But its real score was zero.

[michelel72.livejournal.com]

I wasn't able to find any other indications about their ratings/effectiveness besides the article you point to and some old cache pages from their website, so I emailed them. I received a vast response; in short, they don't know what that report is about, they've heard very little about it, they doubt the testing protocols, and they have never had a "compromising incident". I'll forward it to you offline, unless you want me to post their very long response here. :>

I will say that I tend to sunburn in direct summer sun and I did not get any degree of sunburn while using their product; take that for what it's worth ....