Because they dry fast, they’re also great for swimming. They’ve replaced traditional rash guards for a lot of people. I wear mine to the beach and into the pool. When I go on vacation, I take three or four sun hoodies with me and often end up doing laundry in town when I no longer have any sun hoodies that aren’t salty from sweat and/or the waves of the ocean in Maine.
On a hot, sunny day, they’re also often cooler than bare skin. Yes, long-sleeve sun hoodies do bundle you up, but because the fabric is so light and breathable—and I wear mine just a little baggy—they block sunlight and shed heat so well that I find them more comfortable than any other clothing or no clothing.
What to Wear
Here are four favorites from my sun hoodie collection—I have a few more that I wouldn’t recommend or that are now past season and out of production.
Heavy Rotation: The sun hoodie I wear the most is the EMS Sunguard Overhead Hoodie. It’s very soft and comfortable with a generous cut that wicks sweat away. I wear it in the city pool, and after a few minutes sitting back on the lounge chair, it’s dry enough to wear into a grocery store without it dripping everywhere.
Heavy Duty: The heaviest sun hoodie I have, and the one I’d wear up a mountain, is The North Face Summit Series Direct Sun Hoodie. This is a slightly thicker hoodie, though it’s still light and very breathable. Because it has a zipper, you can also get more ventilation if you need it, so the weight is never an issue. When zipped all the way up, the shirt also has a collar to protect your neck and jaw from wind or sun. There is a proprietary finish applied to the fabric of The North Face’s SPF-rated clothing, which varies by garment.
More Discreet: “Day-to-night” garments that transition seamlessly from the office to a casual dinner and a night out are something of a cliche in women’s fashion. But sometimes you really do want something that can pull double duty. When I’m going to be wearing a sun hoodie into a bar or restaurant, I reach for the Blackstrap Brackish Sun Hoodie, which looks more like a regular shirt than any other arrow in my quiver. I have it in the shark tooth jory, a red and black pattern that looks like something I’d wear even if I was not trying to keep the sun off my back. I also really like that it’s safe to wipe lenses off on—I’ve scratched up too many pairs of eyeglasses and am extremely careful about what I’ll wipe them with.
Totally Natural: I tested an earlier version of the Free Fly Bamboo Lightweight Performance Hoodie and really like it. Bamboo is supersoft and is naturally odor-resistant, though less than wool. This hoodie wears a little on the warmer side and only offers SPF 20 protection, but it dries relatively quickly, and the loose cut is excellent.
And What About Your Legs?
Hoodies with shorts are a little controversial in some quarters, but I am happy that our colleagues at GQ have blessed the look—repeatedly. The single best way to wear a sun hoodie is with swim trunks. You may think swim trunks are just for the pool or the beach, but I would submit that they have the potential to become the male equivalent of yoga pants, which you can wear everywhere in the summer (again, GQ agrees). Luckily, I’ve also been testing some of those.
Eye-Catching: These Minnow Boardies in a red-and-white striped pattern called Gondola have a Venetian flair. They’re on the short side (6-inch inseam) but are stretchy and soft. They’re advertised as comfortable enough for all-day wear, and I can confirm they are—into the pool, out of the pool, off to happy hour. They are showstoppers, but you’ll need a dark and neutral-colored sun hoodie to pair with them.
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