Who We Are Angeline Lacy Co-founder, mother, businesswoman, designer, builder, athlete, connoisseur, gardener. Continued Not One Sunburn! What does UPF mean? Ultraviolet Protection Factor, the accepted world standard for rating the UV transmittance and absorbance of fabrics. The higher the UPF the better the sun protection – 40 - 50 UPF is the maximum for an “excellent” rating! Continued Send Us your Prize Winning Photo Send us a photo with a Sunday Afternoons hat in it, and each month we’ll choose our favorite! The winner will receive a FREE Sunday Afternoons hat (Sport Hat/Large/Tan-Spruce, or Bucket Hat/Medium/Cream-Sage). Continued Sunday Afternoons 716 S. Pacific Highway Talent, OR 97540 1-888-874-2642 www.sundayafternoons.com << Front Page Not One Sunburn! What does UPF mean? Ultraviolet Protection Factor, the accepted world standard for rating the UV transmittance and absorbance of fabrics. The higher the UPF the better the sun protection – 40 - 50 UPF is the maximum for an “excellent” rating! What Makes a Good Sun Protective Garment Type of fabric - Different materials such as cotton, polyester and nylon have different natural UV diffusing properties. Weave density - Less UV passes through tightly woven or knitted fabrics. The smaller the spacing between the individual fiber strands, the higher the protection. Tension - Stretching a fabric may cause a decrease in the UPF rating. This is common in knitted or elasticised fabrics. Color - Many dyes absorb UV. Darker colors of the same fabric type (black, navy, dark red) will absorb UV more strongly than light pastel shades (white, sky blue, light green) and consequently will have a higher UPF rating. Weight - Heavier weight fabrics generally have a higher UPF rating than lighter materials of the same type. Moisture - Many fabrics have lower UPF ratings when wet. The drop in UPF rating depends on the type of fabric and the amount of moisture it absorbs when wet. Design - As well as considerations of fashion and comfort, selecting garments that are sensibly designed for sun protection can make a large difference to your overall UV exposure. A shirt with long sleeves and a high collar offers more protection than a short sleeve shirt without a collar. Loose fitting garments give better protection than garments that are worn close to the skin and also may be more comfortable to wear on hot days. A rear-veil style cap protects the ears and back of the neck. A broad-brimmed hat shades the face and neck. UV diffusing fabric finish - Some fabrics are treated to improve the UPF rating. Treatment with a UV diffusing fabric finish, generally during manufacture, can result in a fabric with a higher UPF rating that still retains the comfort properties of the original fabric. Typical diffusing fabric finishes last for the life-time of the garment.