Every morning, thousands of construction workers in Qatar start their day by soaking their uniforms in water. The two-minute ritual kickstarts an important process: When the workers are toiling outside ¡ª often at summer temperatures above 48 Celsius ¡ª their uniforms can cool skin temperature by as much as 8 C, for up to seven hours.
The uniforms are made by British startup Techniche International, which brands them as StayQool suits. Constructed from an outer layer of specially designed mesh, plus a waterproof inside layer, the suits absorb and remove heat through evaporation. They¡¯re also adjustable: Workers can add or remove a cooling collar or wrist cuff as needed.
Techniche isn¡¯t alone in seeing opportunity in apparel designed to beat the heat. With 2023 on track to be the hottest year on record, a number of startups are exploring new technologies and textiles for keeping people cool. In the U.S., work is underway to commercialize wearable technology that mimics air-conditioning, while scientists in China are working on highly reflective fabric. With more heat and more heat waves expected in the years ahead, cooling is becoming a holy grail for garment-makers.
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