The summer heat is upon us, and dressing for success can be a challenge. These days, many of us opt for functional fabrics. New technologies have produced synthetic fabrics with cooling, sweat-wicking, and quick-drying properties, and Taiwan is the world’s No. 1 producer.

Clothes shoppers peruse summer items. The weather’s heating up, and functional fabrics are a necessity.

Member of public
Summer is really hot, so I want to choose some thin or cool, light-feeling clothes to wear.

Member of public
Taiwan is really hot, the weather lately has been really sticky and humid, and I sweat a lot. So I usually go for functional fabrics.

In recent years, more and more brands have turned to new technologies to suit their clothes to the heat. There’s a wide array of functional fabrics, with cooling, sweat-wicking, quick-drying, and odor-neutralizing properties. And styles are no longer confined to sportswear or loungewear. You can get fashionable tops, trousers, dresses and even face masks to cool you down.

Teng Wan-jung
Brand owner
Within Taiwan, we have observed a growing demand for functional fabrics, because of the global pandemic and also climate change.

Taiwan occupies 70% of the global functional fabrics industry, and is the world’s primary supplier of man-made fibers. Overall, the fabrics industry is worth a staggering NT$300 billion a year.

Taiwan’s textile giants include Far Eastern New Century, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, Formosa Advanced Technologies, Eclat, and Makalot, all offering items in functional fabrics. The Industrial Development Bureau says it will continue to use the country’s superior fabrics to develop smart, eco-friendly and eye-catching exports.