Under Armour Inc. — a Baltimore-based developer and supplier of sports performance apparel,
footwear and accessories — has launched the Under Armour® Charged Cotton™ collection of men’s and
women’s shirts and shorts and women’s capri tights. The garments contain alternating hydrophilic
and hydrophobic cotton yarns that transport perspiration when it comes into contact with the
fabric, spreading moisture across the surface area and thereby accelerating evaporation. Under
Armour reports the soft, comfortable fabric dries five times faster than conventional cotton and
offers good stretch and recovery.
“This is truly one of the most exciting product releases in the history of Under Armour, as
Charged Cotton is the ultimate marriage of innovation and performance,” said Kevin Plank, founder
and CEO, Under Armour. “It has long been our mission to make all athletes better, and that’s
exactly what we’ve done with one of nature’s most beloved materials.”
According to Cotton Incorporated – the Cary, N.C.-based research and marketing company
supported by U.S. upland cotton growers and cotton and cotton textile importers — consumers have
long preferred cotton fabrics to those containing man-made materials, but cotton’s absorbent
characteristic has hindered its use in performance athletic and outdoor apparel.
“Several years [ago] Cotton Incorporated recognized the growing athletic apparel category and
the fact that it was dominated by synthetics, even though the majority of consumers preferred
cotton,” said J. Berrye Worsham, president and CEO, Cotton Incorporated. “As a result, we
challenged ourselves to develop an integrated research and marketing program to help introduce new
cotton products into the athletic and outdoor apparel marketplace.”
February 8, 2011
