I have lived through more than 30 summers and – thanks in part to failed climate policy – countless record-breaking heatwaves. I should know by now how to dress when it’s hot outside. And yet, every year, when the temperature starts to climb, I look in my closet and my mind sizzles into blankness. What does one wear when it’s scorchingly, miserably hot outside?
“This exact question comes up constantly,” says Sophie Strauss, a self-described “stylist for regular people” in Los Angeles. “Everybody struggles with dressing when it’s hot out.”
Generally, two of the biggest concerns for warm-weather dressing are a) maximizing comfort and b) masking sweat so one doesn’t look like a sentient pile of wet laundry.
We asked experts for advice.
Opt for the bearable lightness of (most) natural fibers
When dressing for warmer weather, look for clothes that move heat and moisture away from your body. Generally, experts recommend wearing cotton and linen, which are natural fibers. Besides that, fit and form mostly come down to personal preference.
“The majority of people tend to like something a bit looser and more flowy,” says Strauss.
Linen is “one of the coolest fabrics for summer”, says Dr Saetbyul Park, assistant professor of apparel and textile design at Michigan State University, because it is breathable and absorbs moisture. It’s also lightweight and stiff, which means it won’t cling to your skin when it gets wet, Park explains.
Park also recommends cotton because “it’s absorbent, breathable, easy to care for and durable”. But cotton has its drawbacks. “It can absorb moisture and get heavy if you sweat a lot,” Park says. And heavier cotton fabrics, like denim, can trap heat. Instead, she recommends opting for a chambray, which looks similar to denim, but is much lighter.
While silk is a natural fiber, it’s probably best to avoid. “Silk fiber is pretty insulating,” says Strauss. “If you have a lot of your body covered in silk, you might feel hot.”
Synthetics stink
Synthetic fabrics, like polyester, nylon or acrylic, are more of a mixed bag. Materials like polyester and nylon have moisture-wicking properties, meaning they absorb the sweat on your body and move it away from your skin, but they may be less comfortable in extreme heat, according to Park. Generally, they’re more tightly woven and less breathable, and they tend to trap heat against the body. This can impede the body’s ability to regulate its temperature and can sometimes lead to heat rash, says Dr Doris Day, a board-certified dermatologist, and associate professor of dermatology at the New York University Langone Medical Center.
Polyester can also get stinky, Strauss says. A 2014 study found that polyester attracted odor-causing bacteria, while cotton did not, and that it smelled significantly “more strong, more sweaty, and more sour”.
Another reason to avoid such fabrics is the environmental impact. In 2020, an exclusive Guardian report revealed that 4,000 metric tons of microfibers from synthetic clothing had been released into California’s natural environment.
While it’s easy to spot synthetic fabrics in exercise gear, Strauss says they’re more widespread than one might think. “People don’t realize how much [clothing] is polyester now, or a poly blend,” she says.
Don’t hang out in sweaty clothes
According to Day, if you sweat in your clothes, you should change them soon after. If you keep them on for too long, she says, “it can cause a heat rash, acne or fungal acne breakouts” – an infection of the hair follicle that causes small, red, itchy bumps on the skin.
Consider the color
When it comes to masking sweat, some colors are more forgiving than others. “Your worst enemy is a heathered grey,” says Strauss. Because it has black undertones, it looks black when it gets wet, and the contrast between its dry color and wet color are severe.
Generally, she says, darker colors that aren’t grey-based, like navy or dark green, hide sweat better because they don’t look as different when they’re wet.
The downside to dark colors is that they absorb more heat than lighter colors, meaning they’ll make you feel warmer. But dark colors also offer more sun protection. A black T-shirt shields your skin from significantly more harmful sun rays than a white T-shirt.
Strauss says a big pattern can be more effective for hiding sweat stains than any one color.
“It’s sort of like having a busy tablecloth. It just covers more sins,” says Strauss.
Remember: sweating is healthy
A couple of years ago, I went to a music festival in Austin, Texas, a city that regularly enjoys the same balmy temperatures as the surface of the sun. I wore a loose, red linen jumpsuit that made me look like an adult baby but seemed like it would keep me cool. An hour into the event, the jumpsuit was mostly a deep burgundy, and sweat had pooled on my stomach, making me look like a Teletubby.
But as much as we may yearn to avoid unsightly sweat patches, they are a sign that our body is doing exactly what it’s supposed to.
“Sweating is a healthy process and should not be entirely eliminated,” says Day.
She notes that more people are using neuromodulators like Botox to prevent sweating. But this can be dangerous if it prevents the body from balancing its temperature as needed.
Instead, Day says, try other ways of cooling down, like taking a cool shower.
And avoid music festivals when it’s 100F outside.