A cool, refreshing feel against the skin can be one of the most noticeable features of a summer activewear top.
Whether developing a fitted tennis shirt, a training top, or a relaxed athleisure T-shirt, designers need to balance lightweight comfort, stretch, quick-drying performance, and fabric texture.
When it comes to fabric selection, the questions become more specific: What is the difference between a 100 gsm and a 120 gsm nylon stretch knit? What does Q-max tell us about cooling performance? And how should designers choose between two fabrics with nearly identical fiber compositions?
Cooling Fabrics in Activewear Design
Take lululemon's Nulux Cropped Tennis Short-Sleeve Shirt as an example.
Made from 84% nylon and 16% Lycra® elastane, the shirt features Nulux™ fabric, which lululemon describes as smooth and cool to the touch, with four-way stretch, quick-drying, sweat-wicking, and breathable properties.
These characteristics work together to support the garment's design.
The fitted, cropped silhouette calls for flexibility during movement. Moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties help address perspiration during tennis, while the smooth, cool-touch surface adds an immediate sensory element to the wearing experience.
A similar approach can be applied to other activewear categories.
For fitted training tops, stretch and fabric behavior under tension are particularly important. Relaxed athleisure T-shirts, meanwhile, offer more room to explore lightweight drape, surface texture, and a casual silhouette.
This creates opportunities to develop cooling fabrics for different styles of activewear, rather than treating cool-touch performance as a standalone feature.
CoolTouch: Two Lightweight Nylon Stretch Knits for Activewear
Regen-tech Fashion's CoolTouch collection focuses on cool-to-touch comfort, combining quick-drying performance with UV protection in selected fabrics.
Two styles, 25D611B7 and 26D401B7, share similar nylon/elastane compositions and single-knit jacquard constructions. Their differences in weight, width, and performance specifications offer distinct options for lightweight activewear development.
| Specification | 26D401B7 | 25D611B7 |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | 89% Nylon / 11% Elastane | 88.8% Nylon / 11.2% Elastane |
| Weight | 100 gsm | 120 gsm |
| Width | 135 cm | 160 cm |
| Construction | Single-knit jacquard | Single-knit jacquard |
| Q-max | 0.17 | 0.19 |
| UV Protection | UPF 30+ | Not specified |
100 gsm: A Lightweight Option for Summer Activewear
Fabric 26D401B7 is made from 89% nylon and 11% elastane, with a weight of 100 gsm and a width of 135 cm.
Its lightweight construction makes it a promising choice for summer training tops, athletic T-shirts, and sleeveless activewear.
The fabric combines a cool-touch feel with quick-drying performance and a Q-max value of 0.17. It also offers UPF 30+ UV protection, making it particularly relevant to outdoor activewear development.
For fitted garments, designers can explore how the jacquard texture changes under stretch, along with the fabric's coverage and appearance during movement.
In relaxed T-shirt designs, the emphasis may shift toward the surface texture and how the lightweight fabric drapes over the body.
120 gsm: A Different Balance of Weight and Cool-Touch Performance
Fabric 25D611B7 combines 88.8% nylon with 11.2% elastane, weighing 120 gsm with a width of 160 cm.
Compared with the 100 gsm option, it has a higher fabric weight and a Q-max value of 0.19, versus 0.17 for 26D401B7.
Q-max measures the rate of heat transfer at the moment of contact. Under comparable testing conditions, a higher value generally indicates a more pronounced initial cooling sensation.
For activewear designs that emphasize cool-touch comfort, 25D611B7 offers another option to explore.
The 20 gsm difference between the two fabrics also provides a useful basis for comparing drape, surface texture, and how the jacquard construction appears in finished garments.
Beyond the wearing experience, fabric width can influence material utilization. At 160 cm, 25D611B7 offers a different cutting and marker-planning option from the 135 cm width of 26D401B7, particularly when developing multiple sizes or silhouettes.
Explore CoolTouch Fabrics for Your Next Activewear Collection
Cool-touch comfort can be combined with lightweight construction, stretch, quick-drying performance, and surface design to create distinctive summer activewear.
Regen-tech Fashion's CoolTouch collection offers two nylon stretch knit options at 100 and 120 gsm, supporting different approaches to lightweight athletic tops, tennis shirts, and everyday activewear.
Developing a new summer activewear collection? Share your target garment style, preferred fabric weight, and performance requirements with our team to explore suitable CoolTouch fabrics and request samples.
Contact Regen-tech Fashion to explore CoolTouch knit fabrics for your next collection.
