Our UPF 50+ fabric
SolFusion™
Sun protection you forget you’re wearing. UPF 50+, built into a fine Italian knit that moves like skin and dries in the breeze.
Sun-protective clothing has a reputation: baggy, heavy, made for the beach and nowhere else. SolFusion™ is different. A fine Italian knit, fluid against the skin, with UPF 50+ that is part of the fabric itself. It goes where you go, from the first swim of the morning to the coastal path and the long walk home.
Protection
Built in, not brushed on.
A dense knit of fine microfibres, so close that the sun’s rays can’t find a way through. The UPF 50+ rating is part of the fabric, not a finish added on top, so it never washes out, wears away or needs reapplying. It blocks at least 98% of the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, and it is made to stand up to salt, chlorine and sun cream, season after season.
The testing
Tested, then tested again.
Both weights are tested by the mill and again by an independent laboratory, wet and dry, and rated UPF 50+ under the Australian and New Zealand, American and European standards for sun-protective fabric.
Test reports are available on request.
The construction
Engineered at the level of the fibre.
A patented warp knit
Most stretch jersey is weft-knitted, looping a single thread across the fabric. This is warp-knitted: hundreds of threads interlock along its length at once, building a dense, stable structure that holds its shape, won’t ladder and lies flat against the skin.
Microfibres finer than silk
Highly opaque polyamide microfibres, packed so closely that the sun has no gap to find.
Half the thickness
Around 50% thinner than a traditional warp knit, so the protection comes without the weight.
An open, breathing structure
A fine honeycomb between the fibres lets air circulate and draws moisture away from the skin, so you stay cool and it dries quickly.
Freedom to move
A high share of elastic fibre gives four-way stretch that moves with you all day and springs back into shape.
Made to last
It resists pilling, snagging and creasing, and holds its shape and look through 100 washes.
Nothing to reapply. Nothing to wash out.
The difference
Why not just a shirt?
| A white cotton T-shirt | Sunscreen | SolFusion™ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protection | About UPF 5 | Wears off through the day | UPF 50+ |
| When wet | Can drop to around half | Washes off in the water | Tested wet: UPF 50+ |
| Reapplying | — | Every two hours | Never |
| Drying | Slow and heavy | — | Quick, light |
Two weights, one standard
Contour
Our lighter weight. Soft, fluid and generous in its stretch, it skims the body rather than holding it. 59% polyamide, 41% elastane.
In the Apex Jumpsuit, Apex Romper and Sun Cape.
Structure
Our firmer weight. Denser, with more hold and a clean, sculpted line. 69% polyamide, 31% elastane.
In the Apex Legging, Panthera and Meridian.
The specification
| Contour | Structure | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Patented warp knit | Patented warp knit |
| Composition | 59% polyamide, 41% elastane | 69% polyamide, 31% elastane |
| Weight | 218 g/m² | 275 g/m² |
| Stretch | Four-way | Four-way |
| Sun protection | UPF 50+, wet and dry | UPF 50+, wet and dry |
| Origin | Knitted in Italy | Knitted in Italy |
Kind to skin
Gentle where it matters.
The protection comes from the knit itself, not a chemical coating, so there is nothing to rub off or wear away. Soft, smooth and breathable, it is a natural choice after laser and other skin treatments, when clinics advise keeping skin out of the sun. Always follow your clinic’s own aftercare advice.
Read: post-laser skin and the sunCare
Looking after it
- Rinse in cool fresh water after the sea or pool
- Machine wash at 30°C or below on a delicate cycle
- No fabric softener
- Dry flat, in the shade
- Do not tumble dry, bleach, iron or dry clean
Choose your usual size. Like any fabric, it protects best when it isn’t overstretched.
Questions
Your questions, answered
Will the UPF protection wash out?
No. It is part of the fabric, not a finish on top, so the protection lasts for the life of the piece.
Do I still need sunscreen?
Only on the skin you leave uncovered. Wherever the fabric covers you, you are protected at UPF 50+.
Can I swim in it?
Yes. It is made to be worn wet or dry, in salt water or chlorine, and dries quickly once you are out.
Is it hot to wear in the sun?
No. A fine warp knit lets air move through it, so it stays comfortable on the hottest days.
