Australian brand Frankly combines wool and cotton in a fabric they call Neobi. The idea is that wool (on the inside) picks up moisture and pushes it to the cotton (outside) where it evaporates. However, both wool and cotton wick and absorb moisture, hanging on to it with a vice-like grip. Cotton will spread the sweat over a large surface area but won’t dry quickly. I have worn this top more often than any other in this test – but only once out hillwalking. At the end of a day’s exertion the top and I felt so wet that I immediately booked it into the Apres-Hike wardrobe. The crew neck is wide so, apart from fl aunting the straps of most sports bras, it clashes with the shoulder harness on my backpacking sack. Clever panelling avoids seams down the sides, over the shoulders or under the arms. The construction and cut (apart from the neck) would work well with technical fabric. However, no matter how organic the cotton, this combo of fi bres will never perform well enough for hillwalkers.
Frankly Women’s Crew Tee Long Sleeve
Overview
Pros: Odour resistance, feel against skin
Cons: Retains moisture, neck cut
Manufacturer:
Judy Armstrong tries on the best close-to-the-skin clothing
Specifications
Details
FABRIC: Neobi (70% organic cotton, 30% merino) WEIGHT: 160g CUT: relaxed SIZES: S-L (men S-XXL) PONG FACTOR: 0 PRICE: Ј59 WEBSITE: www.franklyfrankly.com