PPB July 2016

20 / 116

EYE ON APPAREL
Innovations In Outerwear
SOLAR POWERED Solar energy has been
around long enough that rooftop solar panels
barely register a passing look these days. But
now outerwear is harnessing the power of the
sun. The ThermalTech jacket, made with
strong yet lightweight stainless steel mesh fab-
ric, uses solar power rather than capturing
body heat to warm the wearer. According to its
website, “ThermalTech is designed to capture
the sun’s ultraviolet rays and energy from arti-
ficial light sources to convert and store as
heat—increasing the in-clothing temperature
by 18°F in only two minutes!”
WATERPROOF BREATHABILITY
Voormi, a small Colorado-based company, has
produced a technology that can create a water-
proof, breathable textile with only a single
layer of material. WIRED magazine called it
“the most significant advancement in outdoor
clothing since the first Gore-Tex jacket with a
waterproof-breathable membrane debuted in
the mid-1970s.” Foul weather gear, sleeping
bags and other outdoor items just might get a
little lighter.
BETTER BACTERIA Spider silk has been
the envy of manmade fiber for years, given its
natural durability and elasticity. Now outer-
wear brand The North Face has partnered
with a Japanese company named Spiber to
create the Moon Parka, which is made out of
QMONOS (the name is derived from the
Japanese term for spiderweb), an all-new fiber
created from bioengineered bacteria that has
the same look and feel as spider silk, which is
considered the toughest material in the world.
Made in part with recycled polyester from plastic bot-
tles, the Champion® Double Dry Eco®
Pullover Hood includes eight color-block options.
These optimized color pairings are ideal for practice
squads, booster clubs and student organizations. This
nine-ounce, 50/50 cotton-polyester fleece is comfort-
able, durable and environmentally conscious.
Hanes/Champion // UPIC: HBIINC //
18 • PPB • JULY 2016 INNOVATE