Hypercolor Tees That Change Color With Sweat: What Was That All About?

What could be more attractive than your clothes changing color every time you sweat? That was a hot look – literally – for millions of kids and teenagers in 1991, when Hypercolor t-shirts were officially all the rage – but it wasn’t much funnier than it looked in the TV commercials.

It was the era of Bart Simpson releasing music, MC Hammer Big pants are rocking and everyone is embracing the most eye-catching fashion. The bright, colorful palette of the ’80s mixed dangerously with some confused visions of the future as we all got overexcited about the approach of the 21st century — at least, until grunge took hold and the excitement became unpopular.

Hypercolor launched to much, well, hype in 1991, selling $50 million worth of color-changing swag worldwide (in fact, it was actually known as “Global Hypercolor” outside the US), before they just flop the next year because they can’t keep up with the demand for their changing color changing clothes. Yes, we certainly snapped up those silly things. What was that about?

For a year or two, t-shirts, which used (here’s the science bit!) Thermochromic dye to change in response to temperature changes, were a must-have for the generation now looking back. Gilmore Girls fourth, googling perimenopause symptoms and mindlessly reposting false information about the Instagram data breach.

The brand released a few other items as well, like Hypercolor shorts and baseball caps, but it was really all about the tee (not because who wants a color-changing crotch?). In theory, the idea of ​​wearing a dress that changes before your eyes is revolutionary. Who wouldn’t want their clothes to reflect the changing weather, or the fact that someone with a slapped palm just slapped you on the back?

The problem was, if you tend to have sweaty pits or the dreaded back-drip, it wasn’t a flattering look at all. And there were plenty of things to make you sweat in 1991. Your teacher went public with your story saying. The Red Book in front of your crush. Your mother calling you by your full name, instead of your nickname, in front of friends. Joey McIntyre suddenly you’re staring at the camera as you watch music videos with your dad in the same room. Yes, life was reliably sad, and your hypercolor tee (pink and purple, natch) was only used to highlight every last embarrassing moment for everyone to see and giggle.

Until it was. Because after a few washes, that pink and purple color turned disappointingly brown. No one has the patience to wash a t-shirt by hand, so after a while, the technology could not withstand the heat of the water, and you are left with a sad, ugly, useless fabric.

For a (hot) moment there, however, it felt like Hypercolor was the ultimate combination of style and science. It just so happened that science became a middle school chemistry project Vogue the cover. But if you somehow feel nostalgic for that strange and brief period of fashion history when our clothes were willing to expose us for the hotness that it was, a quick search on the Internet can turn up one at your chosen marketplace of choice.

Will it still work? We don’t know anything. But if it does, you could be one fury or fury away from getting your kids to look on YouTube for a second to marvel at the amazing, timeless technology in front of them.