Building on the Base Layer Buzz

摘要

Somehow, a plain, old cotton T-shirt just won't do anymore for athletes and exercise enthusiasts serious about performance and comfort. Specialty athletic apparel manufacturers in recent years have taken the base layer genre to progressively new levels, using high-tech fabrics. Improved garments and fashionable styles have even brought the base layer out into the open as more people use them to "walk around in." Because of their highly technical nature, these products are primarily sold in specialty athletic shops where store personnel have deeper knowledge of this developing field, manufacturers say. Base layer products are keeping athletes drier and either cooler or warmer, depending on the season. Utilizing advanced microfiber constructions of polyester and nylon, mixed with enough spandex for stretch properties, these performance products are gaining ground in a niche which until a few years ago was left to cotton. And more companies are using various methods to produce compression garments that offer support to key muscles and joints.