Vice President, Annette Lu suggested men wear island-wear shirts, based on cultural characteristics and save the environment.
Majority of working-men have experienced a nasty suffering, by wearing a heavy formal Western-style suit as outerwear in the summer. Excluding cool regions, the average temperature in Taiwan is nearly 24 degrees Celsius. In summer, during June to September, the average temperature increases up to 28 degrees.
Because of the convention of wearing Western-style suits at work, most buildings set their air-conditioning quite low in summer to maintain a cool working environment.
The island-wear shirts are designed with the idea that the cooler clothes mean air-conditioners can be set a little higher, thereby saving energy.
Lu recommended 48 different styles of the shirts for working men, which are designed to give a "summer of elegance." All are made from local fabrics.
According to Lu, in a bid to respond to global calls to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve energy, the government has collaborated with the textile industry, research scientists and clothing design circles.
"We hope to take advantage of outstanding technologies, further creating a well-known world brand with a distinct Taiwanese flavor," Lu said.
The show organizer invited amateur models, actually workers employed in a variety of professions to demonstrate the comfort and convenience offered by the shirts. The audience then selected their 20 favorite styles from the collection. A national-level selection of the nation's island wear shirts will be held in March.
