The phrase ‘sun-protective clothing’ has historically conjured images of nylon zip-up jackets sold at outdoor supply stores, garments designed for function rather than form, their aesthetic ambitions limited to whatever can be achieved in beige. That stereotype, however persistent, is increasingly outdated. A cohort of brands — led by the New York-based label Claudent — is reimagining UPF-rated clothing as a legitimate category of fashion, embedding sun protection into design without allowing the functional requirement to dictate the silhouette.
The technical challenges are significant. Achieving UPF 50+ certification requires fabrics to be woven or treated to specific densities and weights, which can conflict with the lightness and breathability that consumers expect from summer clothing. Claudent’s solution involves a combination of fiber selection — Tencel and organic cotton blends that naturally offer higher UV absorption — and weave density, achieved without resorting to chemical UV absorbers that can wash out over time. The result is a garment that protects without feeling like protective gear, an engineering achievement that the brand’s customers may never consciously register but that manifests in the garment’s ease of wear.
Claudent, founded by designer Teddy Zee, has positioned itself at the intersection of sun safety and style with collections that use proprietary fabric blends offering UPF 50+ protection without the stiff hand feel or chemical odor that has historically characterized performance sunwear. The brand’s signature pieces — wide-leg trousers in breathable linen blends, relaxed blazers with built-in collar guards, oversized poplin shirts — look like the kind of elevated basics one might find at a contemporary boutique in Williamsburg or Silver Lake. That they also block 98 percent of UV radiation is, from the wearer’s perspective, incidental. From the designer’s perspective, it is the central premise.
The broader implication for the fashion industry is that functional clothing is no longer a separate category from fashionable clothing. The same consumer who demands style from their activewear, their outerwear, and their footwear is now extending that expectation to sun protection. For brands like Claudent, this represents an opportunity to carve a niche that did not previously exist. For legacy UPF manufacturers, it represents an existential challenge: adapt to a market that values aesthetics as much as protection, or risk being relegated to the same aisle as insect repellent and camping stoves. In the contest between function and style, the consumer has decided that the question is not ‘either-or’ but ‘how well can you do both.’
The market timing is favorable. Consumer awareness of sun protection has risen dramatically over the past five years, driven by the skincare industry’s success in normalizing daily SPF use. The same consumer who applies sunscreen every morning is increasingly receptive to the idea that their clothing should offer similar protection, particularly for activities — commuting, outdoor dining, urban walking — that involve prolonged sun exposure without the infrastructure of a beach or pool. Vogue Business recently featured the trend under the headline ‘Can Sun-Protective Clothing Ever Be Chic?’ — the very framing of the question indicates how far the category has come.
