Move over Coppertone Girl, casual clothing makers have seized on protection from the sun’s cancer-causing rays as their next big product enhancement.
Unlike SPF lotion ratings, UPF, or Ultraviolet Protection Factor, is a sunblock rating for clothing. It’s spreading fast from premium-priced, specialty outdoor gear — fishing, camping, diving and surf shops — to moderately priced retailers selling what doubles as kick-around-the-house grubbies.
Coaxed on by tests in kids clothes and women’s swimwear last summer, stores this spring branched into new UPF lines for men, women and children.
