Do Threadsmiths cotton shirts really have the ability to repel stains?

THE biggest problem with wearing a white shirt is the fear of stains, but what if we told you there was a way to fix that problem for less than $100?

IF I had a dollar for every time I had woken up after a huge night on the Bundy Rum and cokes only to realise my brand new white shirt was dirtier than a crime scene, I would likely have around $73.

And this doesn’t even take into account my lack of ability to wear a grey T-shirt for fear of embarrassment from two epic sweat patches near my underarms.

I like to think we’ve all been there and if you are like me, your wardrobe is probably jam-packed with a plethora of black and dark blue shirts as a result.

But what if there was a way you could wear any colour you liked, without having to worry about stains?

Well, an Australian-based apparel company claims to have discovered a solution by pioneering cotton shirts that have the ability to repel stains.

Threadsmiths said the key to its products design was the use of “hydrophobic” materials — basically it uses a microscopic coating that sits closer together than water molecules meaning no liquids can stick to the fibres of the clothing.

I was able to try the $63 Cavalier T-shirt, the $76 Game polo shirt and $114 Grind dress shirt — all of which were very comfortable and had a premium design and feel.

Sure, I was impressed with the quality of the shirt, but none of that really matter if it didn’t live up to the stain-resistant qualities it boasted. Naturally we decided to test it out.

On its website, Threadsmiths show the shirt having soft drink, soy sauce and tomato sauce poured over the clothing, with the messy substances rolling harmlessly off the fabric.

The shirts are very comfortable and a great fit.

The dress shirt is perfect for those "long lunches"

After a quick visit to Woolies, we were ready to test the claims of the clothing with the help from strangers on the street — see the video at the top of this yarn.

We found the soft drink worked just like the advertisement had suggested, with the fizzy drink rolling off my shirt like raindrops on a car window.

The soy sauce and tomato sauce did not have the same luck, with both leaving a mild stain on the shirt — this is because they are oil-based, not water-based.

While it wasn’t as impressive as the video, I must admit it was still better than what a normal shirt would look like under the same circumstances.

It’s worth noting that in the Threadsmiths tests, the company uses a bottle of water to wash off the sauce with better results than we had just trying to brush it off, however how often are you realistically going to have access to water when you spill something on your shirt.

Once you put it through the wash, those stains do come out pretty well — so I guess you can say the shirt lives up to its promise.

And as for those pesky “pit” stains caused from underarm sweat, let’s just say I was able to wear a grey shirt without fear of embarrassment.

The clothing label said people can expect between 50 and 80 washes until the stain-resistant properties start to disappear, which isn’t bad considering the cost — and you will still be left with a shirt.

Is the technology flawless? Definitely not. Is it still worth your money? I will be buying some more for sure.

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