Category: Apparel

Recon Heads-Up Display Tech to be Adapted for Space Exploration

Recon Instruments' Transcend snow goggles with GPS-enabled, heads-up display.

Typically NASA’s research and technologies lead to the creation of consumer and commercial products. But it looks like NASA will be utilizing a commercial product as part of its next-generation spacesuits and helmets, according to a report from Wired.

NASA announced that Recon Instruments will be creating a customized integrated heads-up display for helmets that’s based on Recon’s GPS-enabled, heads-up-display-equipped goggles for snowboarders. The technology will be integrated into NASA’s Desert RATS initiative for future missions to Mars and other galactic destinations.

NASA EYES SNOWBOARD TECH FOR NEXT-GEN SPACESUITS (WIRED)

RECON INSTRUMENTS

Islabikes Clothing Now in Kid’s Sizes

Bikes come in children’s sizes, so why not bike attire? Now Islabikes, the maker of bikes for children ages two and up, have introduced a line of children cycling attire reports our friends at BikeRadar.com. The line, which is currently available in the U.K., includes short-sleeved jerseys (£24.99), a winter jacket (£59.99), bib shorts (£26.99), thermal bib tights (£39.99), and leg (£19.99) and arm warmers (16.99).

Least a parent worry that their young rider will outgrow the clothing too quickly, it is noted that the clothing is designed with room for growth, while still including features and functionality that you’d see in adult cycling kits. These include breathable fabrics, reflective details and of course child-friendly zippers.

Company founder Isla Rowntree, a former British national cyclo-cross champion, said that the company introduced the children’s attire after getting many requests from their customers. It seemed the kids had the bikes and wanted to dress the part too.

[Via BikeRadar.com: Islabikes release children’s clothing range]
Islabikes Official Website

Sunice Makes for Nice Fitness Attire

There have long been clothes that look stylish and clothes that are good for fitness. Sunice is working so that this doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive ever again. Canada’s number one outerwear company announced last week a new fabric for its Typhoon category.

Zephal is a lightweight, quieter performing fabric that feels good and provides a whole lot of style. The Typhoon category encompasses all that represents a very well designed, lightweight rainsuit with a 3 year waterproof guarantee. Textured materials accentuated with strategically placed stretch inserts makes Typhoon a great fashion essential for golf by fulfilling expectations of looks and performance.

“As Sunice continues its search for the most technical, performance driven fabrics for golf, we are confident that the Zephal collection will continue to grow as it’s supple hand feel and light weight are so perfectly suited to the sport,” said Heidi Rowsell, Marketing Manager for Sunice. “This category makes fashion and function very affordable in a fully waterproof and breathable suit. It’s tough to beat on price, performance and looks.”

The fact that it is waterproof yet breathable means that the Sunice attire will be good in the sun or rain. So very NICE from Sunice.

Sunice Official Website

Woolrich Adds Agion Odor-Fighting Tech

Like Levi’s, Woolrich is a bit of Americana fashion that’s well recognized around the world. The familiar red-and-black flannel shirt is quintessentially Woolrich even to those who don’t own a piece of outdoors clothing. The 180-year-old-plus brand is experiencing a bit of resurgence as of late, in particular in the high-end fashion market. Woolrich might be old, but it’s ably keeping up with modern times by incorporating fresh designs and technology.

At Outdoor Retailer earlier this year, Woolrich announced they have paired up with Wakefield, Mass.-based Agion to include Agion’s Active odor eliminating technology in Fall 2011 lineup of Merino wool and polyester blend base layers, the first company to do so in the outdoors industry.

Agion’s odor-busting tech is based on silver, and has been incorporated in a variety of products that include electronics and apparel. According to Woolrich, “Agion Active features a dual action technology that not only provides antimicrobial product protection and industrial-strength odor elimination, but also eliminates odors both on and around the fabric. Silver ion antimicrobial technology stops propagation of odor causing bacteria on the fabric, while a natural, proprietary odor-trapping solution captures molecules from ambient odors. Unlike previous odor control solutions, Agion Active eliminates odor from over 14 sources, achieving performance well beyond what has been offered to the consumer. Agion Active regenerates with each the wash and continues to perform for the life of the garment.”

The Agion Active gear is 50/50 polyester and Merino blend, available in crew and half-zip shirts for men and half-zip and V-neck shirts for women. Fibers are very fine so they should feel comfortable under the heavier stuff you’re packing on to your body. In addition to the smell-fighting tech, the apparel helps regulate body temperature and offers moisture wicking, quick drying, and UPF 40+ protection.

The Woolrich with Agion Active garments will be available this fall and sell for $59 to $69.

WOOLRICH

Made in America: Melanzana Outdoor Clothing

For over 150 years, Leadville, Colorado has seen both the boom and bust times that often occurs with mining towns. With the last of the big mines closing in the 1980s, it seemed as if Leadville might just fade away into the history books. A few citizens were not about to let that happen and numerous high altitude sporting events and festivals were born to bring in outside tourist dollars. Along with tourist dollars that started to flow into the economy, other businesses started to appear. One unique business is the outdoor clothing company, Melanzana. Continue reading Made in America: Melanzana Outdoor Clothing

Bollé Storms the Water

With summer just around the corner, you may be gathering and preparing all of your gear to hit the water for some fun. Whether your are an angler, sailor or just enjoy spending time on the water, you may be in the market for some sunglasses to help cut down on that annoying glare. Bollé, one of the many names that Bushnell Outdoor Products of Overland Park, Kansas produces under, has announced the expansion of their Marine line of sunglasses to now include 15 models.

Up to 2011, Bollé already had been offer nine different styles of glasses in their Maine Collection. The Bollé Marine Collection features two specialized mirrored lens hues – Inland Gold for low light conditions and Offshore Blue for the harsher light of open water. Both lenses are polarized to eliminate distracting glare while enabling the wearer to see below the water’s surface. Bollé Marine lenses also block distracting blue light to minimize eye fatigue in their unique water environments. Continue reading Bollé Storms the Water

Próis Offers Feminine Cut Vest

Female shooters don’t have to wear ill-fitting or bulky shooting attire any longer. Próis Hunting and Field Apparel recognizes that most shooting clothing is designed for more masculine shooters, and has addressed with it with its new Próis Competitor Shooters Vest.

The sleek-looking Próis Competitor Shooters Vest is constructed with a feminine cut, so it falls and fits perfectly. Also adding to the comfort and function of this vest are adjustable cam straps and a buckle at the waistline. It also doesn’t cut back on the features with this new cut. It boasts unique bilateral shoulder padding tailored to protect both sides whether you’re a left or right dominant shooter.

Additionally, interior pockets behind the padding allow shooters to insert recoil pads. Front expandable cargo pockets with magnetic closures makes holding and accessing shells a snap. Plus, the rear mesh pouch is great for housing spent hulls, while an embedded zipper releases them with a quick and simple ‘pull’.

The vest will be available in both black and khaki this summer for athletic female shooter!

Próis Hunting and Field Apparel Official Website

Serious Post Work Cool Down

There is no denying that if you workout hard there is a chance you can over do it. A lot of times that means changing from your fitness attire and grabbing the ice pack, but in many cases people don’t ice post workout as they get down to other things.

The folks at 110% Play Harder solved this problem by creating compression clothing that helps during your workout, and by letting you add the element of ice after you’re down. This attire features sleeves that allow you to slide pre-chilled ice sheets and seriously cool down after your workout.

The sports compression clothing is available as Transformer Shorts, Juggler Knickers, Sleeves and even Crew Neck Ts. There is even a tote bag that keeps the ice sheets chilled for six hours. So you can even workout and cool down before you head home.

110% Play Harder Official Website
[Via BeSportier: Sports Compression Wear : 110% Play Harder Transformer Shorts]

Hands On: Hi-Tech Wool Socks

“Wool is warm and stays warm even when it is even wet.” At least this is the type of statement that we heard throughout high school while participating in a Lifetime Activities outdoor program. Instead of playing baseball and football as our sports; we would bike, hike, canoe, go spelunking and rock climb all around Western Pennsylvania, the East Coast and sometimes out even West.

It was often cold and sometimes damp during these activities which is why our instructors insisted on a wool wardrobe for each of us. We would use old wool button down shirts and wool Army surplus pants along with heavy calf-high wool hiking socks. These garments would certainly keep us warm, even when wet, but there was one major drawback – they were itchy! Continue reading Hands On: Hi-Tech Wool Socks

Evidence of How Apparel Can Help Performance

The jury may still be out on whether certain “rocker” shoes actually improve fitness, or whether any of those gimmicky infomercial machines actually do any good. But then there is EBA – or Evidence Based Apparel – a play on the traditional Evidence Based Medicine, a term used in medicine meaning to apply the best available evidence gained from scientific methods to clinical decision making.

The EBA clothing from Alignmed was five years in development, and it has the promise to improve performance, help wearer’s heal faster from shoulder injuries, prevent standard shoulder injuries that were once difficult to avoid and improve posture and balance, two essential components to performance excellence.

Among the new products from Alignmed is the Posture Shirt, which features a base material that has a specific four way stretch material, containing a combination of Nylon, Polyester, and Lycra. Sewn into this 4-way stretch material are strategically placed strips of non-stretch material called Neuro-bands.

This combines actually does improve posture, while helping take the excess load weight and stress off the cervical and lumbar spine, and at the same time increasing lung expansion for greater capacity for oxygen. This allows wearers to participate longer and with less fatigue.

Alignmed Evidence Based Apparel Official Website

Zumbawear Collection Goes From Gym to Street

Is the just back from the gym look going to be big this year? Could be, at least if Zumba Fitness has its way. The company, which is the creator of the Zumba fitness-party workout, has announced that it has expanded its lifestyle brand with the launch of the 2011 Zumbawear Wonderland collection, which includes apparel, shoes and accessores for both women and men. The new line of attire is inspired by the exotic, high-energy music and choreography found in a live Zumba class.

“When you’re in a Zumba class, you are transformed – you feel energized, bold and sexy,” said Zumbawear Creative Director Melanie Canevaro. “We want our instructors and Zumba fans to enjoy these feel-good vibes all day – hanging out at home, shopping at the mall or partying at a Zumba class in a nightclub.”

Upcoming products will include the Z1 sneaker, a lightweight cardio dance shoe that will let users cut a rug or bust a move on the dance floor, as well as relaxed tees, hoodies and drawstring shorts. All of the clothing is designed to move and breathe while still retaining style that suggests the runway as much as the gym.

Zumba Shop

Helmet Mohawks Cool, But Cautionary

There’s a new trend in modding bike helmets to give the headgear a Mohawk. Craftzine has a great post on this activity. We applaud the individuality. We don’t mean to be nervous nellies either, but before you attach a ridge of spikes to your helmet, you should think about a few guidelines.

A few bodies including the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and SNELL regulate helmets. Manufacturers follow these guidelines for safety. Modifications can potentially change a helmet so it won’t perform its function of protecting your head in the unfortunate event of a crash.

If you attach fabric or materials without changing the structure of the helmet, then go for it. We’re certainly not one to stand in the way of individuality and creativity. But don’t do anything that could reduce the effectiveness of the helmet.

Continue reading Helmet Mohawks Cool, But Cautionary

Antigua Brings Fashion to the Fairway

Fashion on the fairway this fall will be about a lot more than just plaid. And while it might be hard to consider that the fall golf season is just around the corner – especially given that for a lot of us it still feels like winter – it is never too early to think fashion forward.

We’re hearing about Antigua’s fall based outerwear, which is created to function in various climates and will incorporate the trend that focuses on layering. As the weather changes – and do we know it can change – clothing needs to be able to be taken off or put on, to adjust to comfort and function. This year Antigua is layering up beginning with base layers that can be combined with wind resistant or water resistant wind shirts and jackets as well as worn with fuller weight outerwear pieces to function against more inclement weather, and feature a proprietary Desert Dry moisture management technology. These are constructed with a hyper-micro poly fleeced backing against a super soft interlock face which has enough weight to be worn alone and is light enough that it layers remarkably well. Continue reading Antigua Brings Fashion to the Fairway