Hopefully, you read my recent blog on cooling vests and neck bands that keep your dog cool in the heat of summer. And today I’m going to tell you about the summer shirt that can keep you cool in the heat of summer!
Wear the right top to keep you cool
Over the years of walking my dog and my clients’ dogs, I always wore various shirts that were comfortable but never kept me cool in 30c+ weather. So I kept searching for tops that were designed to keep people cool in any summer outdoor activity.
My go-to store:
As you may recall in my winter attire blog, I introduced you to the great winter coat that I bought from Green Hawk Equestrian Store in 2018. Since I was so pleased with the functionality and quality of this product, I have returned to Green Hawk on a regular basis to see what other clothing solutions they might offer. As spring approached in 2019, I dropped in and asked the associate if they carried tops that keep their riders cool in hot weather.
As expected the associate could immediately point to several brands of summer shirts!
The brands of summer shirts designed to keep you cool!
The woman showed me shirts in their own label called Tempo . Other brands she presented were the Elation Platinum Marilyn Wrap Collar Show Shirt and the KASTEL DENMARK Charlotte Sunshirt. All are designed to be breathable and cooling. Plus, the Tempo and Kastel Denmark brands provide an important additional benefit, UV protection!
Sunshirts designed with UV protection!
I was so excited to find something that promised to keep me cool and protect my body from the sun! The UV protection allows me to dispense with sunscreen at least on my arms since it irritates my skin! But of course I still have to apply sunscreen to any other exposed skin.
I Tried The store brand label “tempo”
I initially purchased Gold Hawk’s store brand summer shirt, Tempo, since their Tempo winter coat performed so amazingly well in winter conditions! It was also helpful that the Tempo brand was less expensive at $60 CDN than the two other brands. I also purchased an Elation Platinum Marilyn Wrap Collar Show Shirt at $80 CDN because I wanted to have two shirts to start with, and both were less expensive than the Kastel Denmark Brand at $95 CDN.
The features of the Tempo brand sunshirt:
- UV40 Protection
- Lightweight
- Breathable
- Mesh Underarm
- Collar
- Quarter Zip
- Contrast Colour Zipper
This top offered excellent features for the price! I liked that it provided UV40 protection, plus it was lightweight and breathable!
And although it fit well as a loose fitting style to allow air flow, it did NOT keep me cool while walking dogs in 30c weather. I actually found this shirt made me feel hotter!
I Tried the Elation Platinum Marilyn Wrap Collar Show Shirt Brand top
I liked the sleek style of this shirt. So I was thrilled that I could wear a shirt that was stylish and functional to keep me cool!
The features of the THE ELATION PLATINUM MARiLYN WRAP COLLAR SHOW SHIRt:
- Wrap collar
- Patterned inside collar and sleeves
- Stretch mesh side panels
- Cotton twill front
This top featured only the stretchy mesh side panels to keep me cool without the additional functional features of the other two brands. But I thought if horse back riders wear this shirt in the heat of summer, then it should be true to its promise! But unfortunately it was not. While wearing this shirt, I actually felt extremely hot in over 30C humid weather!
As disappointed as I was in these first two shirts, I was now willing to believe the store associate when she told me that the most expensive product was also their ultimate cooling top. In addition to the cooling effect, she said the fabric was super soft to the touch but very durable and allowed for ease of movement.
i Tried THE KASTEL DENMARK CHaRLOTTE SUNSHIRT
So I went back to the Green Hawk Equestrian Store to buy the Kastel Denmark Charlotte Sunshirt. I only bought one Kastel Denmark Sunshirt to test during my dog walks because it’s somewhat expensive at $95 CDN.
THE FEATURES OF THE THE KASTEL DENMARK CHARLOTTE SUNSHIRT:
- UPF 30
- Breathable lightweight fabric of 88% nylon/12% spandex
- Quarter zip neckline
- Antibacterial odour reduction
- Cooling mesh inner sleeves
- Fitted wrist
This top offered excellent features! And even though it has a slightly lower UPF protection than the Tempo brand, a standout virtue is the antibacterial odour reduction! Also this top has my preferred fitted silhouette rather than the loose fitting designs of both the Tempo and Elation brands.
The Kastel Denmark ChArlotte Sunshirt passed the test with flying colours!
So when I wore this top for the first time walking dogs in 30C+ temperatures, I most definitely felt cooler! It was amazing! I had never felt as cool in any T-shirt as I felt wearing this sunshirt! Plus, it was super comfortable and looked great on me with its fitted cut!
I was thrilled with the Kastel Denmark Sunshirt! So I returned to the Green Hawk store and bought five more to rotate throughout the week.
I also wear this top on weekend outings. And I love this sunshirt so much that I make sure to pack it when I travel to hot places for vacation!
The Kastel Denmark Charlotte Sunshirt is also super easy to clean and is made of a durable fabric!
To clean the Kastel Denmark Charlotte Sunshirt, you simple toss it into the washing machine and wash it on the delicate cycle in cold water with a mild detergent. Then hang the top to dry. And do NOT place this shirt in the dryer because the Green Hawk Equestrian store staff said that the heat can fray the mesh cooling fabric along the arms.
I have worn the Kastel Denmark Charlotte Sunshirt during dog walks on hot days last summer and this summer. And I can honestly say that these tops have never worn out or lost their fit. And they have never even ripped from dogs pawing at my arms with their nails or from the daily usage! Plus, I find that these sunshirts allow me to bend and twist with 100% ease of movement!
The only wear-and-tear that I have noticed is the colour of the collars have faded a bit, likely due to the sun itself and the sunscreen I have to put around my neck. And I also noticed that the collar material has become slightly scuffed. But the integrity of the material is still as strong as it was when I bought them. And they still look great!
I pack the Kastel Denmark Charlotte Sunshirt when I travel
On vacation with my husband in Lugano, Switzerland, wearing my favourite brand of sunshirt! (2019)
As already mentioned, I pack the Kastel Denmark Charlotte Sunshirt whenever I travel to a hot destination! I always take 3 or 4 of these tops with me so that I can feel comfortable, cool, and protected from the sun as I enjoy the scenery and culture wherever we go. They are light, wrinkle free, take up a fraction of the suitcase, and I know that I can simply hand wash them, then hang them to dry, ready for our next day’s adventure.
Yours in better dog care, Judy.
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