An apparel item configured to reduce the perception of cling is provided herein. The apparel item comprises a first set of outwardly-projecting nodes on a first portion of the apparel item, a second set of outwardly-projecting nodes on a second portion of the apparel item, and a third set of inwardly-projecting nodes on a third portion of the apparel item, where the third set of nodes is positioned between the first set of nodes and the second set of nodes. The first and second sets of outwardly-projecting nodes comprise apertures that provide a communication passage from an outer surface of the apparel item to an inner surface of the apparel item. Besides reducing the surface area of the apparel item that comes into contact with a wearer's skin surface, the nodes also facilitate cooling the wearer and speed up drying times of the apparel item when being worn.

A wetsuit for aquatic activities may include a wetsuit material having a first surface and an opposite second surface. The wetsuit has a portion comprising one or more paddling assist members that may be configured to lay flat while inserting the portion into water and extend outward from the surface of the wetsuit when the portion is drawn backward during a paddling stroke movement to provide greater resistance to the movement, increasing thrust provided by the movement.

A low drag garment has a plurality of zones including a first zone A, a second zone B and a third zone C, which are defined in relation to a forward direction of travel M of a person wearing the garment. The first zone A is located generally in an inner front region of the garment, the second zone B is located in an outer front region of the garment and the third zone C is located in a rear region of the garment. The garment is made from a fabric having a textured outer surface with a texture height H, wherein in first zone A the fabric has a mean texture height H.sub.A in the range 0-200 m, in the second zone B the fabric has a mean texture height H.sub.B that is greater than H.sub.A and preferably in the range of 100-500 m, and in the third zone C the fabric has a mean texture height H.sub.e that is greater than H.sub.B and preferably greater than 200 m.

An article of clothing is provided and includes a substrate material including an inner surface and an outer surface disposed on an opposite side of the substrate material than the inner surface. The substrate material forming a body-receiving portion and a limb-receiving portion extending from the body-receiving portion, whereby the body-receiving portion includes a first opening sized for circumscribing a neck of the wearer and the limb-receiving portion includes a second opening sized for circumscribing a limb of the wearer. A flocking material is arranged adjacent the inner surface of the substrate material proximate at least one of the first opening and the second opening.

A suit wearable by a human user includes a torso section, two arm sections extending from an upper portion of the torso section, and two leg sections extending from a lower portion of the torso section. At least one of an arm section and a leg section includes at least one exterior surface region that is uneven and having at least one of a different surface friction property and a different surface roughness property in relation to at least one exterior surface region of the torso section.

A suit wearable by a human user includes a torso section, an arm section extending from an upper portion of the torso section, and a leg section extending from a lower portion of the torso section. An exterior surface region of the suit is uneven and has at least one of a different surface friction property and a different surface roughness property in relation to another exterior surface region of the suit.

A system for adjusting the fit of an article of clothing and to provide other benefits including, but not limited to, reduction and/or elimination of wind drag, reduction of loose clothing that can get caught or cause obstruction, regulation of blood circulation, movement, and swelling of the wearer of the article of clothing, adjustment of ventilation, general enhancement of the clothing for a desired activity, and general comfort and/or desired appearance. The system comprises one or more closures at various locations of the article of clothing to enable the wearer to adjust the fit of the clothing when desired.

A suit wearable by a human user includes a torso section, an arm section extending from an upper portion of the torso section, and a leg section extending from a lower portion of the torso section. An exterior surface region of the suit is uneven and has at least one of a different surface friction property and a different surface roughness property in relation to another exterior surface region of the suit.

Embodiments can provide an article of technical swimwear, having an outside with: an abdominal area bounded by one or more lines of abdominal compression taping; a chest area bounded by one or more lines of chest compression taping; a plurality of shoulder straps; a rear area; and two leg areas, each having a front and a back, bounded by one or more lines of leg compression taping; wherein each of the abdominal area, the chest area, the rear area, and the two leg areas are made of variable compressive fabric; wherein each of the lines of abdominal compression taping, chest compression taping, and leg compression taping prevent an expansion of the variable compressive fabric; and an inside with: a chest liner; a pelvic liner; and a rear liner; wherein each of the chest liner, pelvic liner, and rear liner are made of a hyperlight liner.

Swimsuits are provided which include an outer shell made of a flexible stretchable fabric, locally reinforced regions in which an additional inner layer of a flexible stretchable fabric is attached from inside to the outer shell so that the locally reinforced regions have a greater tensile stiffness than a tensile stiffness of said outer shell alone, non-reinforced regions formed by said outer shell alone and having only the tensile stiffness of said outer shell alone, wherein the stretchable fabric of the outer shell and the stretchable fabric of the only locally applied inner layer include both woven-in carbon fiber reinforcement, and the stretchable fabric of the outer shell has bi-directionally woven-in carbon fiber reinforcement and anisotropic stretch properties. Methods for making such swimsuits are also provided.