Tokyo-headquartered Teijin Frontier has developed a new polyester fabric reproducing the structure of traditional Japanese ‘Sudare’ blinds.

As such, it provides both high breathability and UV protection by allowing breezes to pass through it while blocking out sunlight.

Until now, the company says, breathability and UV protection were considered mutually exclusive in apparel fabrics, but Teijin’s structure with its slit-shaped, highly breathable areas in either warp or weft direction provides both excellent breathability and high UV blocking performance of 85%.

The fabric is based on a percentage of recycled polyester with elastane providing stretch, and an uneven surface caused by differences in thread shrinkage eliminate stickiness.

To achieve this combination of functions, Teijin Frontier developed special high-shrinkage dyeing and finishing technology.

 The company will begin promoting the product for the 2025 Spring and Summer fashion and casual clothing collections in Japan, and is aiming for sales of 250,000 metres in fiscal 2024 and 750,000 metres by fiscal 2027.

www.teijin.com