Sunwear Explained: Why It’s Not Just a Fishing Shirt

For a long time, sun protection clothing has lived in very specific lanes. Rashies for swimming. Fishing shirts for boats and long days on the water. Regular clothes for everything else. Each serves a purpose, but none quite fit everyday life outdoors, especially for families.

Sunwear exists in that in-between space.

It’s not swimwear, not sportin gear, and not just another long-sleeve shirt. Sunwear is a new way of approaching sun protection. One that’s designed to feel good, fit well and look like something you’d actually choose to wear, even if sun protection wasn’t the goal.

The gap between function and real life

Rashies are brilliant in the water. They’re streamlined, stretchy and made to perform when you’re swimming or surfing. But out of the water, they can feel restrictive, clingy and a little out of place. Not something most people want to wear all day.

Fishing shirts, on the other hand, are designed for sun exposure over long periods. They prioritise coverage and airflow, which is exactly what they’re meant to do. But they’re often boxy, unisex and sporty in appearance. Great for fishing, less so for everyday family life.

Then there are regular clothes. Linen shirts, cotton tees, light layers that feel nice to wear. But most standard clothing isn’t designed with sun protection in mind. Fabrics can be loosely woven, thin or become less protective when wet or stretched.

Sunwear sits between all three.

It takes the protection of purpose-built sun clothing, the comfort of everyday wear and the consideration of good design, and brings them together into something new.

Designed to be worn, not tolerated

One of the biggest shifts with sunwear is intention. Instead of asking people to compromise comfort or style for protection, sunwear assumes protection should be part of clothing you already want to wear.

That means fabrics that feel soft against the skin, not stiff or plasticky. It means breathability and movement, especially in warm, humid conditions. It means silhouettes that are relaxed but considered, designed to flatter without clinging and allow room to move.

When clothing feels good, you reach for it more often. And when you reach for it more often, protection becomes consistent, not something you remember only when it’s already too late.

Fit matters, especially for women and kids

A lot of sun protection clothing has historically been designed around unisex sizing. While that works in some contexts, it doesn’t always suit real bodies or real movement.

Sunwear takes fit seriously. It recognises that women want clothing that’s shaped thoughtfully, not oversized by default. It recognises that kids need room to play, climb, run and grow, without feeling restricted or overheated.

Good fit isn’t about looking dressed up. It’s about comfort, confidence and ease. When clothing fits well, it disappears into the background, which is exactly what sun protection should do.

A quieter approach to sun safety

Sunwear doesn’t replace sunscreen entirely, but it changes the dynamic. Instead of sun protection being something you actively manage all day, it becomes something that’s quietly built in.

Clothing with UPF protection blocks a significant amount of UV radiation the moment it’s put on. It doesn’t wash off, sweat off or need reapplying. For families, that means fewer interruptions, fewer negotiations and less mental load.

Sun protection becomes automatic. You get dressed, you go outside, you stay protected.

Style as part of the solution

Style isn’t a bonus. It’s part of why sunwear works.

If something feels uncomfortable, too sporty or too far removed from your personal style, it won’t become a staple. Sunwear is designed to blend into everyday wardrobes, with timeless colours, thoughtful prints and a sense of ease.

It’s clothing that works at the beach, at the park, on school runs or at lunch after a swim. It doesn’t announce itself as “sun protection clothing”, but it does the job quietly in the background.

That’s what makes it wearable beyond a single activity.

Creating a new category for the Australian sun

Australia’s sun is unique. High UV levels, long outdoor days and a culture built around being outside demand a different approach to protection. One that supports real life rather than interrupting it.

Sunwear is about acknowledging that reality and designing for it. It’s about moving beyond the idea that sun protection has to look a certain way or feel a certain way.

By carving out space between fishing shirts, rashies and everyday clothing, sunwear creates a category that feels more aligned with how families actually live.

It’s sun protection that feels considered, comfortable and quietly confident. Something you put on in the morning and forget about, knowing it’s doing its job while you get on with enjoying the day.

And that’s the point. Sun protection shouldn’t take centre stage. Life outside should.

- Sun protection, made easy ☀️