Confession: I sweat a lot.
Whether it’s scorching hot, freezing cold or a relatively comfortable room temperature, at least one part of my body is sweating”whether it’s my underarms, palms, back… you get the picture.
And it’s not necessarily that I’m always hot (on the contrary, I am usually cold), but my body temperature has a hard time regulating itself, going from overheated for a hot (ha!) second to being cold once again. And after the sweat has kicked in and I’ve cooled down (usually too much), I’m left cold and wet. So sexy, right?
As you can imagine, the winter is almost worse than summer. Layers = more body heat and sweat, even though my body is cold on the outside (not to mention overheating on packed subways and streetcars). And once I peel off those layers, well, I’m left with a drenched tank or tee upon arriving home. It’s for this reason I wish I had lived in Uniqlo’s AIRism throughout the season.
I’m not gonna lie”I turned a blind eye to the line of innerwear this winter, especially since I was so hyped up over the HEATTECH line. My reasoning? I’m always cold, so I want a shirt that’ll keep me warm, not cool. Boy, was I wrong. I recently tried an AIRism T-shirt, and believe me when I said it changed my life. It was a particularly chilly day outside, but I layered it underneath another cotton tee and hoodie, and let me tell you…my body was finally a comfortable temperature. No overheating, no wet layers, and best of all, no embarrassing sweat stains.
So how does this magical innerwear work? It uses Cupro, a micro-fibre made exclusively by Japanese chemical company, Asahi Kasei. The material is repurposed from leftover cotton linters and is smooth and silky to touch. But the key point is this: it has the rare ability to rapidly absorb and release moisture, allowing the body to breathe and diffuse the heat from underneath our clothes.
In addition to keeping you cool and comfortable, 2017’s women’s AIRism products have an anti-odour function that’s blended into the yarn, meaning it’ll last through up to 50 washes. This improvement, along with the more lightweight fabric, all came from customer feedback collected by Uniqlo.
Every season and every day we collect the customer’s complaints or evaluation¦and we analyze the comment of the customer¦that is a treasury for us, says Yoshihiro Kunii, Group Executive Vice President, Supply Chain, Production, Strategic Material Development for Fast Retailing. Day by day, season by season, we improve the product¦via item or theme¦and we discuss and develop the new technology.
Of AIRism, Kunii describes it as the “perfect no season product,” especially for people with warmer body temperatures or who are constantly sweaty (like me). “For [those people], AIRism is better than HEATTECH, I think.”
He also says it’s suitable for exercise, and that golfer Adam Scott is “loving” the product, as it reduces friction underneath his polo shirts.
Currently, AIRism for women is available in sleeveless tops and camisoles (both available with and without built-in bras and in seamless versions), scoop neck tees, racerneck built-in bra tops, a seamless bra, leggings, short leggings, zip-up hoodies and two jogger-style pants. Prices range from $15 to $30 (seriously, a bargain!!).
As for expansions to the line, Kunii says there are plans to “enhance” AIRism, though he couldn’t reveal anything yet.
In the meantime, I know I’ll be stocking up on everything and living in them year-round.
Images courtesy of Uniqlo
