Under Armour Seeks to Energize Cotton Consumers
March 23, 2011 To be clear, Under Armour’s problem with cotton was never personal. The performance apparel maker simply had yet to find a type that suited its performance needs. During an analyst call in February, CEO Mark Plank said, “We never hated cotton as much as we had a problem that cotton never performed before.”
As a result, the company decided to create its own version: Charged Cotton.
“We evaluate all fabrics on their performance abilities, and prior to Charged Cotton, there was no cotton t-shirt that helped athletes perform,” Henry Stafford, Under Armour’s senior vice president of apparel, told Cotton International. “We revolutionized ordinary cotton by looking at all the things we love about the fabric – like comfort and softness – and used our own methods to transform it into a performance fabric.”
The company “supercharges” cotton by infusing it with alternating hydrophilic (water attracting) and hydrophobic (water repelling) cotton fibers. Those hydrophobic fibers were given a water-repellent finish, which causes the fibers to push water away and keep wearers dry.
On March 12, the new line of Charged Cotton apparel was due to hit retailer shelves and will consist of various shirts and shorts for men and women starting at about $24.
“Charged Cotton is a natural addition to our product line,” Stafford says. “It is a high-performance collection that keeps athletes cool, light and dry. It provides just the right amount of stretch and recovery athletes need … basically, it helps you move. The specially designed fabric dries five times faster than ordinary cotton, making it the only performance Cotton T on the market. It fits our DNA – and our commitment to making all athletes perform and look their best.”
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