New Purple High-Tech Fabric Cools 4.2 Degrees Better Than White Cotton

White clothing has long been the usual choice for staying cool in hot weather because it reflects more sunlight than dark colors. Passive-cooling fabrics have therefore generally been bright white.

Now, an international research team from China and Australia says strong purple can work too. The new textile uses violet pigments and reportedly cools 4.2 degrees Celsius better than white cotton.

The development came too late for this year’s summer season. But the researchers’ work could mean more purple clothing appears next summer, offering a more colorful approach to cooling during increasingly frequent heatwaves.