I’m a Big Fat White Guy™ (although I’ve lost 34 pounds in the last six months ), and I’d rather not make everybody else at the lake, pool, ocean, etc. have to look at my gut. If I’m wearing a shirt, the fabric absorbs the water and the shirt becomes uncomfortable and difficult to wear (because it clings to my skin).
What I’d like is a shirt made of the same material as my swimming trunks (which I believe is nylon). That way it would absorb only a small part of the water and shed the rest of it.
Simply put, do they make shirts of the same material? Is there an on-line store that sells this kind of stuff?
There are various athletic wear made of wicking (non-absorbent) fabric. Bicycle jerseys are usually made of lycra, and they dry very fast. Coolmax is another good fabric, and usually less expensive.Sierra Trading Post sells them Coolmax shirts - just do a keyword search.
Also, I hear Wal-Mart sells “Starter” brand shirts for around $10. They are made of a Coolmax imitation called Dri-Star.
Wouldn’t it get full of air and balloon up, though?
I’m going to second scr4’s suggestion of Coolmax. It’ll look more like a normal cotton T-shirt when dry (it won’t cling to you as much as spandex will). In the interests of science, I tried soaking one of my Coolmax socks and a regular cotton sock. The Coolmax sock took longer to get wet, and, when it did get wet, it wasn’t nearly as soggy as the cotton sock. Once wet, it should dry quickly. You’ll probably have even better results with a T-shirt–my socks have cotton in them, too, I think.
Lycra/spandex is what women’s suits are made of, so they’ll work, too–however, they will cling whether they are wet or dry. They just won’t get so heavy.
Surfers wear “rash guards”, which are made from lycra or other stretchy fabric, and are made to go in and out of the water. They are made to fit tightly though, and may not be what you’re looking for.
), and I’d rather not make everybody else at the lake, pool, ocean, etc. have to look at my gut. If I’m wearing a shirt, the fabric absorbs the water and the shirt becomes uncomfortable and difficult to wear (because it clings to my skin).