Simon from our Exeter store gives us the lowdown on his new favourite T-shirt for everything from mountain days to trips down to the pub on summer days.
The Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Shirt has to be one of my favourite shirts that I have owned and I’m going to explain to you why that is. Firstly, a bit of background on Patagonia. Founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard initially selling climbing gear and moving on to outdoor apparel, Patagonia has always had sustainability at heart. Patagonia has always been a brand that I have admired due to its ongoing efforts to help the environment and treat its employees fairly. The brand has always been open about how the clothing industry has affected the environment and has shown ways in which this can be changed. Yvon Chouinard has just recently transferred Patagonia’s ownership to a specially designed trust and a non-profit organisation called Holdfast Collective.
Since 2002 they have founded environmental projects such as; 1% For The Planet, Patagonia Action Works, Tin Shed Ventures and, more recently, Home Planet Fund. Patagonia-owned stores, offices and factories are also now at 100% renewable energy and 95% of their products in the 2024 Spring collection are made from recycled materials. Alongside all of this, Patagonia also have a Worn Wear program which makes it as easy as possible to repair your gear to keep it going for longer – saving yourself money, while also saving the environment.
Now onto the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Shirt. First and foremost I’m going to start with the materials used because this leads to what makes the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Shirt so incredible. The shirt is made from 50-100% recycled polyester stretch fabric which has built-in HeiQ Mint odour control as well as a moisture-wicking finish making it the perfect layer for a multitude of activities such as climbing, trekking, water sports, running and even everyday wear for going around cities and hitting the local stores and pubs. HeiQ Mint odour control is a plant-based deodoriser which regenerates with every wash meaning you’ll never have to worry about any nasty body odours during high-intensity activities and warmer days out and about.
Secondly, the fit of the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Shirt is regular and true to size. The regular fit allows free movement with no restrictions making it the perfect all-round base layer. The shirt also has minimal seams and stitching which helps to reduce chaffing making it especially good for running and other fast-paced activities.
I have used the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Shirt for a variety of activities. The first time I tried out this shirt and knew it was the one for me was during the work training trip walking the North to South of Dartmoor. The shirt was my main base layer throughout the whole trip and I added additional layers as and when I needed them. During the use of the shirt, I found no issues with chaffing and it was extremely good at wicking the moisture away, even when I had a backpack on which was an impressive surprise to me.
Another thing that impressed me was how well the HeiQ Mint odour control worked. Having worn the shirt for three days straight there was minimal smell coming off me so this gives me a lot of confidence in the shirt. Other uses for the shirt include going out for wildlife photography which for me includes a reasonable amount of walking.
Again, I can’t fault the shirt, it performed to its maximum potential due to its regenerative HeiQ Mint odour control. Other uses mainly include generic wear around towns which generally ends at a pub. It’s what we like to call; technical pub wear.
To come to a conclusion, the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Graphic Shirt is the perfect item of clothing for anyone regardless of the activity. The shirt is perfect for hotter days out due to its wicking finish and odour control. It is relatively thin so if it is worn during the winter you may need an additional layer for some added warmth.
