The folks at Gramicci sent a sample of their Corawood Performance t-shirt for me to abuse during July's Badwater 135-mile ultramarathon -- and abuse I did.
(The men's comparable shirt is this one)
I lived in this shirt for almost 48 hours in vastly different conditions: a day of California's harsh 115-degree highs in Death Valley and a night of Mount Whitney's (feels like freezing) 60-degree lows. I even ran in it. The Corawood magically performed like three different shirts -- and stayed dry -- eliminating the need to change clothes.
I credit the versatility of this shirt to Gramicci's Natural Performance Technology. According to their website that means "a pesticide/herbicide-free, certified organic and hemp blended endurance knit that naturally produces higher levels of moisture management, breathability and body temperature regulation than synthetics and the new chemically treated performance cottons."
This is not a shirt I'd normally consider for wear while running (I generally prefer synthetic fabrics to natural fibers in the summer) but it was surprisingly cool during the spontaneous miles I ran somewhere around Mile 120 and in 100-degree heat. The flat-lock seams were unnoticeable and the fit was loose and comfortable.
The fit is advertised as "sculpted" -- I'd have to disagree, and call it "boxy" instead. According to the size chart I am a small, though if I were to order this again I'd drop down a size. Its roomy fit tends to grow as you wear it, so by the end of the day -- or two -- it's a bit baggy.
The company doesn't add chemical treatments, so there aren't any coatings that will fade or wear out as you wash. Even without extra treatments, the shirts are advertised with to have a UPF -- ultraviolet protection factor -- rating of 20. I was in the sun for a solid day, and though I was mindful of my pale, pale skin, I never felt like I needed to reapply sunscreen to my back or shoulders.
The Corawood is made from 55 percent hemp and 45 percent certified organic cotton. Because it's made from antimicrobial fabrics, it shouldn't smell (as badly) as regular fabrics. I can't say with certainty that I didn't smell at the time -- since I was surrounded by others who hadn't showered in days -- but the shirt itself has stayed funk-free after several washings and wearings. Some of my synthetic technical shirts smell even when they're clean, but this shirt doesn't seem to hold onto trapped stank like the others.
The care for this shirt is simple, which is good because the last thing I want to do is spend time slogging through a meticulous -- literal -- laundry list of washing instructions. I don't hand wash, I don't sort and I don't care what the label says -- I'm not reshaping garments and laying them flat to dry. Who has time for that? This shirt goes in the washer and dryer like an old favorite and it comes out of the dryer looking just like it did when it went in. Because it is a hemp/cotton blend, I expect it to show some wear eventually, but for now, it looks good as new.
This shirt -- despite being annoyingly pink -- has become my go-to top for all-day wear when volunteering in the woods or as a spare after a soaking long run. It also looks good enough that you could pull off wearing it to something casual and un-outdoorsy.
Sara Davidson is an ultrarunner and our resident women's gear destroyer.
