Do Hypercolor shirts still exist?
Robert Miller
Published Feb 11, 2026
Do Hypercolor shirts still exist?
Today, Generra Co. is a contemporary women’s and men’s apparel brand headquartered in New York City. In the early 2000s, the technique was revived by a number of apparel brands. In mid-2020, the color-changing clothing trend was revived yet again by several online retailers selling color-changing swim trunks.
When were Hypercolor shirts popular?
The early ’90s trend of clothes that change color with heat is making a comeback. The ’80s have been mined so thoroughly, so deeply, that it’s come to this: Hypercolor is back. Generra Sportswear created the craze in 1991, with heat-sensitive T-shirts that changed colors like magic.
How are Hypercolor shirts made?
The shirts are manufactured with two dyes: one regular dye that provides the constant “true” color of the fabric, and a thermochromic dye enclosed in microcapsules bound to the fabric’s fibers.
When did Hypercolor clothing come out?
January 1991
The marketing assault created heavy anticipation for the official debut of Hypercolor in January 1991.
Who created Hypercolor shirts?
Generra Sportswear
THE ’80s have been mined so thoroughly, so deeply, it’s come to this: Hypercolor is back. Generra Sportswear created the craze in ’91, with heat-sensitive T-shirts that changed colors like magic.
How do color change shirts work?
While sun or light-sensitive shirts use photochromic dyes and respond solely to sunlight / ultraviolet (UV) light, not heat. To be more specific, thermochromic inks or dyes are temperature-sensitive compounds that temporarily change color with exposure to heat. They come in two forms, liquid crystals and leuco dyes.
How do you dye fabric with thermochromic pigments?
Put a piece of parchment or greaseproof paper on top of the fabric and iron with a hot iron for a short time. “Thermochromic dyes are most effective when used over another lighter colour, so you could use the orange on top of yellow, or the blue on top of light green.”
How do you wash a Hypercolor shirt?
Machine wash with cold or warm water, inside out, with other white clothing. Do not use chlorine bleach. Tumble dry medium heat.
What does Hypercolor putty do?
Hypercolor Thinking Putty is thermochromic — just a touch from your hands or a warm coffee mug will reveal a new, “hot” color. Allow it to cool off or, stick it in the fridge! The “cool” color will be restored. Try painting this Thinking Putty with hot or cold.
Is it better to wear light or dark colors under the heat of the sun?
Darker colors absorb more UV than lighter colors like whites and pastels. This means the UV rays are less likely to reach your skin. But bright colors such as red can also absorb UV rays. The more vivid the color, the greater the protection—a bright yellow shirt is more protective than a pale one.
How does del Sol work?
Del Sol’s Spectrachrome® crystals, used in its color-change technology, reveals color upon irradiation by ultraviolet waves; i.e., sunlight. A Spectrachrome® crystal is similar in that an energy-shift occurs causing the color of the dye to become visible to the human eye.
How do you change the color of a heat sensitive T-shirt?
Thermowear Heat Sensitive T-Shirt This heat sensitive T-shirt changes colors like a chameleon. All you have to do is apply heatto the area you want to change colors and, in just a few seconds, you’ll see the results. Depending on your body temperature some areas of the T-shirt will be green and other areas will be yellow.
What is the difference between heat-sensitive and sun-sensitive shirts?
The reality is that Hypercolor or heat-sensitive shirts use thermochromic dyes and respond solely to heat, not light. While sun or light-sensitive shirts use photochromic dyes and respond solely to sunlight / ultraviolet (UV) light, not heat.
What is Hypercolor clothing?
Hypercolor was a line of clothing, mainly T-shirts and shorts that changed color with heat. They were manufactured by Generra Sportswear Company of Seattle and marketed in the United States as Generra Hypercolor. They contained a thermochromic (temperature sensitive) pigment that changed between two colors – one when cold, one when warm.
How does the thermowear T-shirt change color?
To thwart such doubt, the Thermowear shirt changes color upon physical contact with anything warm. Just don’t go to your friends with paw prints all over your shirt and claiming that you were just hugged by the hot blonde across the room. This heat sensitive T-shirt changes colors like a chameleon.