Fashion with a cause

Fashion with a cause

As the days begin to get longer and hotter and it becomes time for you to reach into your wardrobe for that summer dress that’s been shoved to the back all winter, spare a thought for your health.

Yes it may be very rare – weird in fact – to read a fashion column that says fashion isn’t the most important thing, but having personally watched family members be diagnosed with melanoma I remind you that it isn’t worth your health or your life.

And being sun-smart no longer means that you have to compromise on the look and style of your outfit with new stylish sun-protection wraps now hitting the market.

Designed by the director of Melbourne’s Sample Room, Julia Van Der Sommen, the wraps known as Sha-de are made from merino wool and are designed to protect women from the sun, while leaving them feeling cool.

“I’ve been working with merino wool for a while and it’s highly UV resistant and naturally SPF45+. I thought if I had a garment that I could fold up and carry with me when needed – like, driving or attending a summer wedding or barbecue – it would be so handy,” Ms Van Der Sommen said.

The wraps, which transport sweat away from the skin to leave you feeling cooler, are available in a single sleeve version, which is perfect for driving, and a double sleeve Sha-de for full protection.

Endorsed by founder of the Emily Tapp Melanoma Foundation, Louise White, who lost her daughter Emily Tapp to a melanoma, aged 27, in 2006, the wraps are available via the foundation’s website, http://www.emilysfoundation.org.au, as well as http://www.sha-de.com.

Ms White said: “It’s imperative that others learn from these events. The consequences of non-detection can be disastrous.”

The wraps are available in various colours and prices start from $59.95 which, for the price of your health, is very reasonable and a hell of a lot cheaper then a trip to the doctors.

So if you’re walking along the harbour this summer and that infamous Docklands breeze gives you the opinion that it’s not hot and therefore you won’t get burnt, think again and make sure you slip, slop, slap and perhaps purchase a wrap.

The Emily Tapp Melonoma Foundation’s March for Melonoma will once again take place in Docklands in 2011 on Sunday, March 6.

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