The worst part about buying clothing is knowing that, after only a few wears, you’ll probably get some awful substance on it that will refuse to come out. Well, your troubles are over; a new shirt that’s already been funded on KickStarter promises to keep itself clean, even if you spill an entire pitcher of coffee all over yourself.
Fast Company’s got the dirt on this hydrophobic shirt that will repel anything from soda to an entire jar of mustard.
This almost zany-level of stain protection is thanks to a nanotech coating of hydrophobic material. You’ve probably seen videos of such materials on YouTube. They work by disrupting the hydrogen bond that binds together water molecules. Water has to push away from the material’s surface to keep its structural integrity. The result is waterproofing at the molecular level.
The question, of course, is whether the shirt’s comfortable or not. Because why bother with miracle clothing if it’s going to feel like a thousand scratchy yak hairs against your smooth and delicate skin?
The magic material uses liquid-repelling fibers that are 100,000 times smaller than a grain of sand, applied to fabric through a bathing and curing process. These fibers sit on top of otherwise normal silk and cotton textiles. The material, the company claims, can reject liquids for years, but retains a fabric’s natural breathability. So you can perspire, and the shirt won’t slide around your sweaty body as if it’s on stinky ball bearings.
A shirt that won’t slide around on a hot day and lasts up to 10 years? Sign me right the hell up, no matter the cost (including my first-born). The original shirt is for women, but can a men’s version be far behind?
(Via Jezebel)