Cott-‘in’ the act
Paying the price for a logo (part two of a three-part series)
WHETHER YOU’RE AN athlete looking for the right apparel to wear come game time or you’re simply looking to buy a pair of sneakers, the choice of available products is often overwhelming. Shoes that look and feel the same are only differentiated, it seems, by the logos marked on them. As a consumer looking for the best quality of sports gear on the market, discovering the ‘perfect’ good becomes more and more difficult as new brands are introduced into the industry.
Companies such as Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and Lululemon have all conquered the industry in terms of quality in the consumer’s eyes. But the one thing that seems to sneak by the average consumer is the label found on the inside of the shirt—the same white square that is always ignored until after the item’s colour has leeched into other clothing after being washed and the thought of “I should have read the label!” comes to mind.
“Not just cotton [should be used for workout gear] at the end of the day,” said Sarah Murray, store manager at Kunstadt Sports (1583 Bank St.). “Polyester, spandex, [and] some wools are really good too because they don’t hold the smell [and] they wick the moisture away.”
The accompanying chart provides some information in regard to what can be found on the label (other than the price). As shown, most athletic wear uses similar materials. Lululemon has a fabric known as the “Luon” fabric. A recent Canadian Business article revealed that founder Chip Wilson worked for two years with fabric developers to create the “Luon” fabric, which consists of nylon and spandex.
“To a certain extent, spandex is nice and stretchy, and it’s comfortable,” said Murray. “It’s not necessarily the best [sweat] wicker, so you [have] to be careful with that. The other thing is the weave [of the product]. It’s hard to tell when you pull a piece of material but you can feel [a difference with] nicer material. Different weaves of the material make a huge difference on how it works.”
Polyester is the main fabric used for athletic wear because of its ability to stay light and dry, whereas cotton tends to carry and display the sweat. But some people do prefer the original cotton tees to the newer and trendier polyester and spandex mixes.
“What cotton does is it holds the moisture in the material,” said Murray. “Polyester [and] wool don’t hold the moisture, [but] they wick it away from the body and out into the atmosphere.”
Regardless of which brands are making the clothing, consumers should always be aware that the products are more similar than the price tag indicates.
