Abstract: A ventilated garment including a selectively openable air inlet section adaptable to facilitate the entry of ambient air into an interior space of the ventilated garment to thereby cool the body by natural convection, a selectively openable air outlet section adaptable to facilitate the removal of warm air from the interior space of the ventilated garment, and a protective shield layer positioned adjacent to at least one of the air inlet section and the air outlet section for protecting exposed areas of the wearer's skin against sunlight, wind, snow and rain.

Abstract: A ventilated garment system is described that removes heat and moisture from a wearer's skin during hot weather while furnishing protection from direct sunlight. The system includes a pair of air outlet shoulder seams, a pair of air inlet side seams, and selectively at least one back seam, each shoulder seam including a zipper slide and a zipper tape, attached along welts to the fabric of the garment, and an underlying panel of stretchable mesh fabric, having a pleat therein, whereby movement of the zipper slides in the seams causes them to open and expose the panels of mesh fabric. Ambient air then enters the side and back seams into ventilation spaces between the garment and the skin of a wearer, moves convectively upwardly within the ventilation spaces toward the shoulder seams while receiving heat and moisture from the wearer's skin, and passes through the shoulder seams, thereby exiting the garment system and carrying away the heat and moisture.