By Fred Garth
When Guy Harvey first put his art on a t-shirt, no one knew he’d strike a nerve in fishermen far and wide. Those simple cotton t-shirts have become iconic. These days, the art has found its way beyond cotton and onto high-tech fabrics that provide sun protection and help keep us cool on blazing hot August days.
I’ve recently been wearing two of those space-age shirts. One is the Champion Sailfish Long Sleeve T-Shirt, or as we call it…the Double Dry, and is as cool as the other side of the pillow. I was skeptical at first because nothing is as comfy as a soft t-shirt. But this shirt is so light and the wind filters through it so well, it actually feels like you’re wearing nothing. Fortunately, for many reasons, there is an advanced fabric between your skin and the great ball of fire in the sky. In fact, the Double Dry has an SPF of 30+. And, as the day heats up, you can almost feel the little sweat suckers wicking the moisture from your skin to keep you cool. The long sleeves offer protection down to the wrist which I love because after 50 years in the sun my forearms are beginning to look like cow hide.
The Double Dry still shows off Guy’s art nicely but it also provides a super-comfortable sports shirt that tames the sun’s rays and cools the body and soul. I’ve been wearing the Double Dry so much that it made my wife mad. She had a choice, hide it from me or buy me another one. She chose wisely.
The other shirt I’ve been sporting is versatile in that it’s great for fishing and, believe it or not, for dressing up and going out on the town. Its called the Guy Harvey Plaid Tech Fishing Shirt. The only way I can describe the material is that it feels like you’re wearing a very sheer sheet, which reminds me of a bikini party one night at the old Sigma Nu house. But I digress. For years fishing shirts have been made mostly out of 100% nylon or 100% cotton. This shirt still has a lot of nylon – 88% – but it’s the blend of the 12% polyester that creates a silkiness unlike anything I’ve worn…even in college. It’s non-restrictive so my manic fly fishing motion, which looks like I’m swatting at hornets buzzing around my head, is unimpeded. Best of all, this is one good-looking shirt to the point of making Ralph Lauren jealous. Suitable for business attire or a cocktail event and for guys who think ironing was invented by the devil, this shirt represents a new age in fishing fashion. (Regarding ironing, It will take a cool iron if necessary but it comes out of the dryer virtually wrinkle free.)
Think of it this way: you have an all-day fishing tournament and the award’s dinner that night. As long as you don’t get fish guts on your shirt – and, after all, that’s what first mates are for – you can do well and look stylish, all in the same shirt.
We all know that t-shirts and Guy Harvey go together like Ballyhoo and blue marlin. These days, wearing Guy Harvey is more than just showing off the incredible art, it’s also about being UV-smart and looking sharp. I’m just waiting for the day when Joan Rivers asks Johnny Depp who he’s wearing and he says, “Guy Harvey, of course.”
More Details About The Champion Sailfish Long Sleeve T-Shirt;
With the same sun protection performance now so popular, this new product line also includes beautifully back printed Guy Harvey art done in a special sublimation print process to insure both detail and a soft hand.
100% polyester fabric.
UPF 30+ Sun Protection.
Wicking fabric to keep you cool.
Contrast stitching.
More Details About the Guy Harvey Plaid Tech Fishing Shirt;
Very cool Guy Harvey “reflective” logos front and back.
Quick drying 88/12 nylon/poly blend.
UPF 30 plus sun protection rating.
Vented back to create air circulation.
Features include two large front bellows pockets and rod holding flap.
Roll up sleeves.
Resists wrinkling and makes for a great travel shirt.
Sun protection for your face is no longer a simple matter of applying some sun screen. In today’s skin cancer concerned world, fishermen need more. The Guy Harvey sun mask can be worn in several different ways to protect different parts of your head, face and neck when you are out on the water and shade is nowhere to be found.
100% quick-dry polyester.
50+ UPF rating.
Anti-microbial treatment.
