He burns even in the shade. Sun clothing suggestions, please.

January 1, 2020 11:48 AM

Are there any reasonably priced long-sleeved shirts that will definitely protect my husband from the sun? He has been known to get somewhat burned while sitting under a tree on a grassy lawn (in Canada).

Sunscreen is a help, but we are planning a trip to Punta Cana in February, and even the SPF30 isn't going to do the job. I doubt he'll go in the water much, but photography is his hobby, so sun exposure is inevitable. We are particularly looking for loose, cool, long-sleeved shirts and light pants. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

posted by Enid Lareg to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

Coolibar has a wide selection of sun-protective clothing, including pants, shirts, and hats. There are compromise in the feel and hang of the fabrics due to their sun-protective qualities, but overall I've been pleased with them.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 11:55 AM on January 1, 2020 [3 favorites]

My partner also burns in the shade. Any outdoors store will have quick dry, light, breathable button up shirts that are rated UPF 50 but in reality are probably way higher. Anything like this would work well. You can get pants made from similar fabric too.

Don't forget a wide brimmed hat, and make sure your sunscreen is water resistant so it doesn't sweat off. A lightweight buff around his neck will help protect from the sun too. For swimming, consider a long sleeve rash vest, with knee length boardshorts and take a hat that can get wet.
posted by cholly at 12:04 PM on January 1, 2020 [3 favorites]

This kind of thing? It will be cooler than a standard cotton shirt, and he can go in the water in it.

And the usual advice about staying out of the sun between 11-3pm (plan to go indoors, or under a proper solid awning not just a tree).
posted by tinkletown at 12:30 PM on January 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

Best answer: And also, Factor 30 is not particularly effective sunscreen in my (redhead) experience. I use a kids’ long lasting waterproof Factor 50, even out of the water (waterproof formulations don’t sweat off so easily).

I personally buy a UK brand (Soltan) because Canadian brands are a lot more expensive for a lot lower-spec. But a brand like Banana Boat or Nivea Kids should do fine.
posted by tinkletown at 12:45 PM on January 1, 2020 [6 favorites]

The shirts tinkletown linked to are brilliant-- every boat captain wears something like down here.

I'm not much of a wide brimmed hat kinda guy, so I tend to wear a ballcap, then if I know I'm out for a heavy day in the sun, I'll pair that with a buff and I'm bomb-proof. Throughout the day I'll just occasionally wet the buff to cool me off and gradually use it to cover up more and more of my face.

Then that just leaves hands, legs, and feet-- I'm a big fan of spray-on-SPF for hairy legs, quick and effective. Pick the biggest SPF on the store shelf and reapply often, the Neutrogena sheer stuff is amazingly good. The main thing is, if he's not used to the sun is forgetting to reapply it-- so ensure he sets some alarms every hour or so.
posted by Static Vagabond at 12:58 PM on January 1, 2020

You might be interested in SunGuard.
posted by teremala at 2:36 PM on January 1, 2020

I have a Patagonia shirt that has worked well for me. It has a hood, which i really like. I picked up my gear (the shirt, hats, buff) at West Marine.
posted by Horselover Fat at 3:16 PM on January 1, 2020

Lands End and LL Bean have options, and generally are at a lower price point than Coolibar. Search "upf" and filter for men's clothing. Caveat: I'm not sure whether shipping to Canada is possible/prohibitively expensive.
posted by smokyjoe at 4:47 PM on January 1, 2020

Best answer: I have a few of these that I like, upf 50, "Columbia Men’s PFG Terminal Tackle Long Sleeve Tee"

If I were he, I'd schedule a few sessions at the tanning booth to build up a bit of a tan.
posted by at at 5:42 AM on January 2, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Look for clothing with a upf rating. MEC will have a lot of options. I burn easily, and I like to have rash guard to wear over my swimsuit - and so I don't have to put sunscreen on my back - as well as shirts to wear when I am not swimming. I would not go to the Caribbean without a rash guard.
posted by ice-cream forever at 6:14 AM on January 2, 2020 [1 favorite]

Depends what "reasonably priced" means to you, but I wore Patagonia's long-sleeved Capilene shirts in Thailand and stayed pasty and not too hot.
posted by sugarbomb at 1:43 PM on January 2, 2020 [1 favorite]