Plus-sized, work-appropriate, UV protective clothing?
September 1, 2010 6:31 PM Subscribe
Where can I find work-appropriate plus-sized UV protection (at least SPF 30) clothing?
Mom's about to start going through radiation for breast cancer. She's a size 24W to 28W depending. She's been told that she needs to wear UV-protective clothing for the entire time she's being radiated and possible for 4-5 months afterwards. She works in a business casual environment and I'd like to help her find at least a few options to use but my searching around isn't finding anything much. Anyone else have any ideas?
Mom's about to start going through radiation for breast cancer. She's a size 24W to 28W depending. She's been told that she needs to wear UV-protective clothing for the entire time she's being radiated and possible for 4-5 months afterwards. She works in a business casual environment and I'd like to help her find at least a few options to use but my searching around isn't finding anything much. Anyone else have any ideas?
Response by poster: Those are good questions. She works indoors, so really only needs protection coming and going. The doctor said she's going to be sun sensitive enough that a parasol won't be enough protection, but a coat could work...
Also, this is in the US.
posted by eleanna at 7:15 PM on September 1, 2010
Also, this is in the US.
posted by eleanna at 7:15 PM on September 1, 2010
Best answer: Almost all of the UV-protective clothing, whether it is from Solumbra or Coolibar, has a distinctly jaunty, outdoor feel — think "yacht." Definitely not very business-y but she could get away with some casual wear.
You might then think about a long underwear like solution, but Solumbra has nothing to offer like that; their material is unsuitable for that application is not very stretchy. Coolibar's sizing chart for women suggests that their plus-size 2x is a size 24 and plus-size 3x is a size 26. She could get away with perhaps wearing some of this under clothing. Not a lot to choose from, unfortunately.
Big sunhats are good (and far more acceptable for women than for men) on the way to and from work, between the car and the door. She'll have to be very careful about driving, however. Window glass does not filter all UV, unfortunately. That means a good thick coat of sunscreen. She can check her local laws, but you can get a nearly-clear UV protective tint applied to your windshield, down to a certain height, with medical permission in certain states. Huper Optik makes a nice film, 99.4% of UVA and UVB. I cannot quickly find the spectrographs on the other film on the market. Flesh colored gloves (gauntlet-like) are good for protection and, you know, not looking weird. A double-layer denim lap blanket will protect her lap while driving.
posted by adipocere at 7:21 PM on September 1, 2010
You might then think about a long underwear like solution, but Solumbra has nothing to offer like that; their material is unsuitable for that application is not very stretchy. Coolibar's sizing chart for women suggests that their plus-size 2x is a size 24 and plus-size 3x is a size 26. She could get away with perhaps wearing some of this under clothing. Not a lot to choose from, unfortunately.
Big sunhats are good (and far more acceptable for women than for men) on the way to and from work, between the car and the door. She'll have to be very careful about driving, however. Window glass does not filter all UV, unfortunately. That means a good thick coat of sunscreen. She can check her local laws, but you can get a nearly-clear UV protective tint applied to your windshield, down to a certain height, with medical permission in certain states. Huper Optik makes a nice film, 99.4% of UVA and UVB. I cannot quickly find the spectrographs on the other film on the market. Flesh colored gloves (gauntlet-like) are good for protection and, you know, not looking weird. A double-layer denim lap blanket will protect her lap while driving.
posted by adipocere at 7:21 PM on September 1, 2010
Best answer: In case you're just looking for a jacket that she could wear to wear to and from work, Junonia has a UV protective jacket that looks all right, though it is quite casual.
Another option would be to use wash-in UV protectant on her regular clothes -- she could then make sure her entire body is covered. I have never used it personally, but apparently it provides SPF 30 protection for 20 washes. At Amazon.
Here are a very few basic options from SunGrubbies.com.
Best of luck to you on your search, and I hope your mom makes a speedy and full recovery.
posted by redfishbluefish at 7:45 PM on September 1, 2010
Another option would be to use wash-in UV protectant on her regular clothes -- she could then make sure her entire body is covered. I have never used it personally, but apparently it provides SPF 30 protection for 20 washes. At Amazon.
Here are a very few basic options from SunGrubbies.com.
Best of luck to you on your search, and I hope your mom makes a speedy and full recovery.
posted by redfishbluefish at 7:45 PM on September 1, 2010
I have a Lands' End rash guard that has UPF 50 protection. It is close-fitting, long-sleeved, light, and not too hot, and you could probably wear it under other clothing. I haven't worn it in the pool yet, but it sounds like your mother is not looking for something to wear in the water. I have the white one but it looks like the orangey-red is the only color they have in the 2X or 3X sizes now. Not sure if it would be suitable, but maybe searching for the string "rash guard" will be helpful to you?
posted by marble at 7:47 PM on September 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by marble at 7:47 PM on September 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Rit Sun Guard will UV-protect clothing for 20 washes. It does not work on anything that's 100% polyester or 100% acrylic. However if you track what you washed in it and how many times, you should do fine.
Denim also blocks all UV, but probably isn't work-appropriate.
To top it off, Marks and Spencer online will have some men's fedora or trilby hats with a UPF of 40 or more, excellent for going to and from work in.
It is also possible to get car windows UV-treated, although it's very expensive.
posted by tel3path at 3:48 PM on September 2, 2010
Denim also blocks all UV, but probably isn't work-appropriate.
To top it off, Marks and Spencer online will have some men's fedora or trilby hats with a UPF of 40 or more, excellent for going to and from work in.
It is also possible to get car windows UV-treated, although it's very expensive.
posted by tel3path at 3:48 PM on September 2, 2010
Response by poster: These are helpful. Thank you. The whole process of finding the right stuff has been depressing her so it's good to have options.
posted by eleanna at 5:14 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by eleanna at 5:14 PM on September 2, 2010
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posted by BlahLaLa at 6:56 PM on September 1, 2010