I want to buy a gift for someone going to Italy this July; thinking of light weight shirts that can be washed in the sink and which will dry overnight.
SPF protection is a plus--do they work? Tshirts and button downs both needed. Many thanks.

Try REI.

I traveled almost exclusively last summer with light-weight synthetic things. I had one pair of blue jeans with me and I think that was the only natural fiber fabric clothing that I carried. Try washing a pair of blue jeans and letting them air dry - it takes forever.

My t-shirts were either Columbia "Titanium," REI synthetic, or North Face. I travel with 5 in various colors. I also had one REI synthetic collared, buttoned short-sleeved shirt and one Under Armour polo shirt.

Also, I have I long-sleaved shirt done by a company called oobe (I found it on REI), 1 short sleeved dress shirt by the same company, a Nike long-sleaved mock necked thing, and a Marmot Precip water-proof jacket. The idea is to carry light-weight synthetic things that can be layered.

This summer I am spending 6 weeks in Europe and I will take most of this stuff plus two pair of REI convertable slacks. I will take some socks and underwear, of course. All of this fits in a 20" rolling bag.

Last summer I washed something almost every night, given that it was pretty warm. I would rinse in the sink and by the morning everything would be dry.

It's obvious that I am a fan of REI. I am not necessarily a brand name fan but I was very satisfied with the fit and the durability of the things I bought for last summer's trip.

As for your question of SPF clothing. All of the t shirts I have claim an SPF rating. I'm guessing that wearing one of these shirts provides more protection than not wearing a shirt. But that seems somewhat obvious, doesn't it? It seems like a gimmick to me, but maybe someone wiser than I can weigh in.

Thanks so much for the detailed info.

Look into Patagonia.
www.patagonia.com
They have quick drying shirts as well long sleeve shirts that have SPF protection. Here is an example.....
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/prod...61-558&ws=

Andrew

Great advice but...

Try using www.Tinyurl.com next time as really long links stuff up the formatting.

Ta

REI has some great stuff, especially the t-shirts. For our upcoming trip my husband also found some nicer looking shirts at Kohls of all places. They are sort of synthetic sweater-material polos that look much nicer than a t-shirt. They resist wrinkles, and we test washed them and they were dry within a few hours! Those might be a good choice if you want one or two nicer shirts in addition to t-shirts. And they were about 1/3 the price of the shirts he bought at REI.

I'm with Andrew8. Patagonia has great stuff and their workmanship and warranties are excellent

take a look at TIlley.com

Try Travelsmith.com or better yet see if you have a Bass Pro Shop in your area.

www.territoryahead.com

I found some really good deals on name brand travel clothes at www.sierratradingpost.com and www.campmor.com. They may be last year's models but who cares? I can't tell the difference.

Kohls has some great things for men especially. My husband got nice looking synthetic dressy T-shirts and also nice pants. They are very lightweight and are similar to golf pants. I think Haggar makes them. REI also has fantastic clothing. I buy them for myself (anything from their women's synthetic shirts to skirts or undergarments). Campmor.com also has great items. I have also purchased several items from Travelsmith. I generally prefer the natural fiber clothing, but the new synthetics can't be beat for travel and washing them and having them dry in a quick time frame.

DH & I went to REI yesterday (their annual sale ended yesterday) and he picked up 2 pairs of "convertible" pants. These are pants that have a zipper so they can be worn as shorts and as pants.

We haven't tried washing them yet, but they sure look like fast-drying material. The pants come w/labels that says SPF 20.

I know you're only asking for shirts, but I'm sure these convertible pants come in handy for traveling too!