Clothing to protect yourself

Clothing is one of the most important forms of sun protection. It can provide excellent protection to the majority of the skin and can be worn with well designed hats, sunglasses and sunscreen for complete sun protection.

To protect skin from ultraviolet radiation (UVR), clothing needs to:

• cover the majority of the body (shirts with a collar and long sleeves, long pants and long skirt are recommended)
• be made from a fabric with a tight weave (such as a close weave cotton which does not allow the ultraviolet radiation to penetrate through it)
• be dark in colour (dark orange, red, green, blue and black are recommended)
• have a ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of at least 30+. UPF 50+ is recommended.

Ultraviolet protection factor (UPF)

Clothing and swimwear can be tested to identify its ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating. The UPF rating is a measure of the protection provided by clothing fabrics. The UPF can be reduced in clothing if the fabric is stretched, wet or over time due to wear.

The Australian/ New Zealand Standard for Sun Protective Clothing describes standard laboratory procedures for measuring the UPF of fabrics and for labelling UPF rated clothing. Fabrics are assigned a UPF rating number and a protection category depending on how much UV radiation they block out. This table shows the UPF rating system developed by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).

This rating is from testing in a scientific laboratory and relates to:

• composition of the yarns (cotton, polyester, etc)
• tightness of the weave or knit (tighter improves the rating)
• colour (darker colours are generally better)
• stretch (more stretch lowers the rating)
• moisture (many fabrics have lower ratings when wet)
• condition (worn and faded garments may have reduced ratings)
• finishing (some fabrics are treated with UV absorbing chemicals).

UPF ratings and protection categories

The Standard states that the highest UPF rating garments may be labelled with is 50. Garments made from fabrics with ratings higher than 50 are labelled as UPF 50+. Garments with a UPF rating of 30+ are recommended.

To help consumers, all garments made from fabrics tested in ARPANSA recognised laboratories are labelled with a tag showing the garment's UPF rating.

School uniforms

When choosing a fabric for a school uniform it should:

• be durable and kid-proof
• be cool and comfortable
• have a tight weave (such as a densely woven cotton)
• be dark in colour (dark orange, red, green, blue and black are recommended)
• have a 30+ ultraviolet protection factor (UPF).

To assist you further, the following information is provided by Cancer Council Queensland:

• SunSmart Uniforms: Clothing and Hats for Schools and Early Childhood settings (Cancer Council Queensland) PDF, 1.08 MB

Shirts

• Loose fitting clothing is comfortable and cool.
• A collar is necessary to prevent burning of the neck.
• Avoid having a V-neck shirt. Use a zip or buttons instead and encourage students to button or zip the shirt up to the collar.
• Three quarter length sleeves are great, but of course, full length sleeves are better.

Skirts and shorts

• Lengthen shorts and skirts to just above the knee. This will increase the amount of sun protection for the legs.
• Loose fitting shorts are comfortable and cool.
• Unisex shorts for sporting activities are a good idea.

Shoes

• Closed-in shoes will give better protection from the sun.
• Long socks may also be incorporated into the formal school uniform to increase sun protection.

Other sun protection

As well as wearing sun protective clothing, use other forms of sun protection practices:

• stay out of the sun during peak UVR times
• seek shade when outdoors
• wear sun protective hats and sunglasses
• use sunscreen.