New bug-repelling clothing not exactly flying off the shelves.

Byline: Scott Maben The Register-Guard

In the great outdoors, "dress for success" requires a meticulous balance between hot and cold, tight and loose, wet and dry.

And now: repulsive or inviting.

There's a new buzz in the back-to-nature clothing market: Several makers of outdoor wear have introduced lines of shirts, pants and accessories that have insect repellent bonded to the fibers.

Ex Officio of Tukwila, Wash., south of Seattle, is selling apparel treated with permethrin, a synthetic version of a repellent that occurs naturally in a certain type of chrysanthemum plant. It rebuffs mosquitoes, ticks and biting bugs.

"We've designed the apparel to accommodate a barbecue or a hike through the backwoods or a camping excursion for the family," said Janine Robertson, the company's marketing manager.

Orvis and Bass Pro have introduced similar clothing. All three companies use a patent-pending bonding process developed by Buzz Off Insect Shield of Greensboro, N.C.

Ex Officio's Buzz Off clothing is available in Eugene at McKenzie Outfitters, REI and GI Joe's. Customers are just starting to discover the clothing, and sales are slow so far, the stores report.

"I know the active ingredient being used works very well. I think it's the only bug repellent material that can be added to clothing," said Marc Lancy, assistant manager at McKenzie Outfitters in downtown Eugene. "For people who are traveling, I think it's a great idea. But it does have a certain life span to it."

The potency of the permethrin fades with each washing, and after 25 washes, it's gone, Ex Officio says. It could remain effective six months or several years, depending on the wearer's activity level.

The chemical bonding process, which happens at Buzz Off in North Carolina, adds $12 to $15 to the cost of each article of clothing. Lancy said convertible pants retail for $79, a long-sleeved shirt or canvass pants cost $69 and a cotton T-shirt is $39.

Sales are a little above what Ex Officio expected this year, Robertson said.

"I think a lot of people are testing out the accessories," she said. "They start out buying a hat or bandana or socks to see how it works."

The product may have special appeal to anyone worried about West Nile virus, which mosquitoes transfer to humans.

"It's definitely another method of trying to protect yourself from insect-borne diseases out there," Robertson said.

The clothing also doubles as sun block, with UV protection up to 30-plus, she said.

Permethrin-treated clothing offers consumers an alternative to putting repellent directly on their skin, according to Buzz Off Insect Shield, said Gail Howell, spokeswoman for the company.

"The insect repellent is in the garment and is designed to stay in the garment, not transfer to the skin of the wearer," Howell said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says permethrin poses slight risk of acute toxicity to humans. At high doses, it can affect the nervous system, the agency says.

But the EPA registered Buzz Off apparel a year ago after seven years of testing to ensure the product would pass its standards. Regulatory agencies in all 50 states have registered it as well, and the U.S. Military Academy and Marine Corps use its insect-repellent uniforms.

A statement from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, "There appears to be little potential for toxicity from permethrin-treated clothing."

CAPTION(S):

Buzz Off apparel is available at McKenzie Outfitters, REI and GI Joe's.