With the increasing popularity of outdoor recreational activities, the market for performance apparel continues to expand. Buyers are willing to pay higher prices for sportswear, high-tech activewear, casualwear, swimwear, and outerwear with advanced features and functional properties. These properties include moisture management, UV protection, antimicrobial, thermo-regulation, and wind/water resistance. Properties come from the garment construction, the fabric and trim specification, and/or fibers and chemical treatments. Performance is truly as much about the materials in the garment as the garment itself. In order to ensure that quality levels are maintained at every stage of production it is necessary to evaluate the performance of outdoor clothing / sportswear in terms of functional properties. This paper will describe some of the basic principles, methods and terminology used in evaluating the functional properties of performance apparel sold as sportswear.
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