What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (2024)
Summer is great and all, but it can be tough trying to project a certain look of polish, when the weather starts playing havoc with your sweat glands.
As temperatures soars, yours needn’t. The key to successful looking smart and stylish minus the sweat patches in the current heatwave is possible, and it doesn’t involve stripping off and exposing skin. Rather, it’s all about clever fabric choices that you can lean on when the mercury is rising. Breathable, lightweight fabrics like cotton, linen and satin are great for keeping you cool, while still remaining heavy on style.
Don’t sweat the small (or big) stuff with our guide to the best fabrics for summer.
If you don’t want to give up your denim habit in the heat of the summer, swap out the heavyweight non-stretchy fabric for a lighter alternative. Enter chambray, denim’s more breathable cousin for summer. A lightweight cloth woven with dark shades like indigo, there’s no need to pour yourself into your go-to skinny jeans. Your summer denim sweat days are done.
Cotton Well known for its breathability, there's a reason why so many summer styles are cotton based. One downside to the natural fabric is that it creases easily and is slightly on the casual side. To smarten it up opt for a cotton-polyester blend. The combination means you get a fabric that is both breathable and sweat-resistant.
Linen The quintessential summer cloth, linen gets a bad rep thanks to notions of dishevelment and crinkling. But with new breeds of tighter-weave linens and linen-blends, you can now wear the loose, absorbent ethical fabric slightly less crumple-free.
Seersucker Breathable, fashion and wrinkle-free, a sister fabric of cotton, the puckering effect of seersucker counterbalances the need for ironing while working as an effective heat circulator. It's the go-to for shirts, blazers and shorts that balance laid-back, preppy and polish.
Satin
Lightweight, dressy and adjusting to your body temperatures, the glossy weave of silk works for summer occasion-wear dressing. While it ticks the style boxes, it’s not the most absorbent or breathable fabric, darker hues will help so to avoid visible sweat stains on sticky-days.
Jersey
Flexible, ultra-light and drapey, a stretch jersey fabric straddles elegance and comfort seamlessly making it the ideal for hot weather. Blended with cotton, it is lightweight but hardwearing working for breezy dresses, as well as cover-ups and jumpers for chiller evenings.
Natural fibers like cotton and linen reign supreme in hot weather because they are masters of breathability. These environmentally friendly fibers allow air to circulate freely, which helps to release trapped heat and maintain a cool feeling against the skin.
According to Billy Draddy, EVP and creative director of Summit Golf Brands, one of the best options to wear in hot temperatures — regardless of material — is a light-colored fabric. "Dark colors absorb light from the sun and the heat that comes along with it."
Cotton is effective at repelling heat as it allows air to circulate around your body, helping to keep you cool and dry. Plus, it's easy to care for and can be machine washed and dried, so this is truly a winning fabric if you're prone to overheating.
Cotton is good for dry heat because it's lightweight and breathable. Cotton is a natural fiber that's breathable, lightweight and widely accessible. Air easily passes through cotton fabric, allowing you to feel breezy and cool. It's best for dry heat, since it's absorbent but not moisture-wicking.
Some common examples of cooling fabrics include: Bamboo fabric. Silk (which is known for its ability to regulate body temperature) Fleece (which traps air between layers of fabric)
As a general rule, we recommend you stay away from synthetic fabrics like polyester, acrylic, and nylon in hot and humid weather conditions since these materials tend to trap odors and bacteria. Garments made of synthetic materials cannot breathe and will trap the heat and make you feel warm.
Look for shirts, shorts, pants and hats in white, tan or khaki. Choose UPF-rated clothing: All clothing blocks the sun's rays to a certain extent, but clothing that has a UPF rating has been tested to ensure it provides the rated level of protection.
We should wear cotton clothes and light coloured clothes in summers. Cotton is a good absorber of water. Since we sweat a lot in summers, cotton clothes absorb sweat from our body and exposes the sweat to the atmosphere, making its evaporation faster.
Wool and nylon had the highest temperatures throughout the tests while the control, cotton and silk had lower temperatures. It is best to wear either wool or nylon clothing during cold weather because they will retain a body's heat better than cotton or silk.
Although cotton and linen are light and easy to wear in the heat, synthetic materials like nylon, polyester and even wool blends are generally the top choices for cooling shirts. Another bonus? These types of materials do an excellent job of hiding sweat.
Lighter-colored fabrics with loose weaves reflect the heat and are better choices for hot weather than dark clothes, experts say — with one exception. Darker clothing and a dense, tight construction do a better job of protecting the skin from dangerous rays from the sun that can cause sunburn and aging.
Dr Van Amber recommends choosing natural fibres in the warmer months. "Especially in summer, I prefer to wear something like cotton or linen," she says. Although those fabrics do absorb water, they tend to be less smelly than synthetic fabrics, she says.
Cotton is one of the coolest fabrics for summer and hot weather. Not only is it cheap and hugely available, but it is also great for the heat. Cotton is soft, lightweight, breathable, and soaks up sweat, allowing heat to escape the body and for you to stay cool.
Plant-based fabrics, like cotton, linen, and bamboo, are the most breathable fabrics, making them ideal for clothing and bedding. Animal-based fabrics like silk and wool are also breathable, and all of the above allow for easy air circulation, wick away perspiration, and to help keep the body cool.
"Especially in summer, I prefer to wear something like cotton or linen," she says. Although those fabrics do absorb water, they tend to be less smelly than synthetic fabrics, she says.
Address: Suite 369 9754 Roberts Pines, West Benitaburgh, NM 69180-7958
Phone: +522993866487
Job: Sales Executive
Hobby: Worldbuilding, Shopping, Quilting, Cooking, Homebrewing, Leather crafting, Pet
Introduction: My name is Golda Nolan II, I am a thoughtful, clever, cute, jolly, brave, powerful, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/TZWGAKK7B2EWV36W45VHJG6XFI.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (1)")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CRJALOR6KHYNDIHUP4SHB6J4HA.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (2)")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7Z42MOZHGTRA2KLZ6OLL7QOSSM.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (3)")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/LZER52KHQYCW2XZPYOLXXLXSEQ.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (4)")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/NXDA3NP7R3DDPTMJGLFKNRMZOA.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (5)")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZFY3NLPWC4HCTIB2HCUKJUTJEM.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (6)")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2BAEQBG24IZH4EQG76UAZICAFE.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (7)")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZU7IIT2NEL43D5GMQFN4OXCHHQ.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (8)")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/WNYO35R4FJOHLXBF3XMBWS5NCA.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (9)")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/H6FARBFJH7XUO75NCTQWVOERIM.jpg "What are the best clothes, fabrics to wear to stay cool in the summer heat? (10)")
