People still wear cotton t-shirts everyday, whether they are going to the local restaurant or heading to the lake or simply going for a walk; t-shirts are being worn by people everywhere. Cotton t-shirts have been the norm, because they are usually cheap, have hundreds or different colors and styles and are what we know. There just isn’t much performance in a cotton t-shirt, when you are wearing one and you sweat, the t-shirt can become heavy because the material absorbs the sweat.

Over the past several years, there has been a dramatic change in material and usage. This first started with athletes that wanted to wear something underneath their equipment that would keep them protected, comfortable and cool. Under Armour and Nike where two of the first companies to introduce this technology and came out with their own product. Nike launched Dri-Fit, which is typically more expensive then a t-shirt, it works by high-performance, microfiber, polyester fabric wicks sweat away from the body and moves it to the fabric surface, where it evaporates. As a result, Dri-FIT fabric helps you stay dry and comfortable. The material is made from 62 percent cotton, 34 percent polyester and 4 percent spandex. Under Armour offers HeatGear, which is the same thinking in technology, but is made with Polyester and Elastane. Adidas and Reebok have their own types of performance wear as well.

If you are a runner or athlete, or just want to stay cool on a warm summer day, give one of these performance shirts a try. Ill be honest, it took me a while to finally make the switch, mainly because I have so many cotton t-shirts, but I’m glad I did. You can pick one up at a local sporting goods store, they usually range from $20 up to $55 for the t-shirt style.