Home → Blog → Resources → 8 of the Best Types of Clothing to Wear in Hot Weather
Dressing for hot weather isn’t as easy as it first seems. Trying to stay stylish while also keeping cool, comfortable, and covered is actually pretty tricky. Throw in the fact that you need outfits that work for a wide variety of settings and events - the office, gym workouts, weekends at the park, and festivals, to name just a few - and you have a bit of a dilemma on your hands. As clothing significantly impacts your comfort and how your body responds to the heat, your choices will determine how much you enjoy yourself in warmer temperatures.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to maximize your comfort and stay cool. With this in mind, we compiled a guide to the best clothing for hot weather. In it, we provide advice on what designs and materials are best suited to warmer temperatures and explore the remarkable recent developments in textile cooling technologies.
Wearing the right clothing for hot weather is essential if you want to stay cool and comfortable. It ensures you:
Choosing clothes made from breathable, moisture-wicking materials ensures your sweat is moved away from the skin and can evaporate quickly and easily. This enhances your personal comfort while also preventing unpleasant body odors from getting trapped in the material and lingering.
If you manage your body temperature effectively and limit sweating, you will stay fresher for longer. That fresh feeling means you don’t have to change your outfit as regularly and get more wear out of your favourite apparel.
Improved personal comfort is one of the single biggest benefits of choosing the right clothing for hot weather. Lightweight, well-ventilated clothing keeps your skin cool, helps regulate your body temperature, and reduces the likelihood of you overheating. In other words, it just makes you feel way more comfortable than you otherwise would.
This is a big one that, thankfully, more and more people are now taking seriously. Choosing the right clothing can help you protect your skin from potentially harmful UV rays. While simply covering the skin will offer some protection, you really want to go for textiles with built-in UV protection if you’re going to be spending long periods out in direct sunlight.
The warm weather can cause all kinds of issues with people’s skin – everything from rashes to acne breakouts and chafing. Clothes that wick moisture away from the skin, minimize bacterial build-up, and work to cool you down will benefit your skin.
Not all clothes perform equally well in warm conditions. Some types of material are likely to trap moisture, while certain designs will retain heat. To ensure you make an informed decision concerning your hot weather clothing, consider the following factors.
Fabrics that allow air to circulate and flow freely should be top of your list in warmer weather. Some natural fibers are inherently breathable – notably cotton and linen – and some synthetic materials can be engineered for enhanced breathability. The key thing here is to ensure that hot air has a way to escape and isn’t trapped beneath your layers.
Just as important as breathability are moisture-wicking capabilities. As you are likely to sweat more in warmer climates, you want materials that will move the moisture away from your skin and allow it to evaporate. This not only has a cooling effect but also ensures you avoid that uncomfortable feeling of having damp clothes clinging to you. Synthetic polyester blends, especially those engineered for performance or activewear, are effective moisture-wicking materials. Some natural fibers, such as merino wool, are also good at transporting sweat away from the skin.
Groundbreaking textile technology solutions are the latest addition to clothing manufacturers’ arsenal. Polygiene® StayCool is an additive solution that brands can integrate into almost any textile. While improving moisture-wicking performance, it also features a unique moisture-activated thermo-reactive polymer matrix that reacts to sweat by cooling the fabric between 2 – 3°C (4.3 – 5.4°F). We’ll discuss the technology in greater detail later on in the article, but, needless to say, it has a significant impact on comfort and textile performance in warmer conditions.
It sounds simple, but one of the most important things to consider for hot weather clothing is the color of the clothes you’re wearing. Black fabrics and darker colors will absorb and retain more heat, making you hotter. Light colors – whites, pastels, and other pale shades – will reflect more of the light and heat, keeping you cooler.
Quick-dry materials ensure sweating isn’t too much of an issue if you’re out in the hot weather for prolonged periods. Similarly, they work well as swimming or beach clothing if you want to stay covered and are really useful when traveling on multi-day trips or excursions.
Tight-fitting clothing will only trap heat, causing your body temperature to rise, increasing the amount you sweat, and making you more uncomfortable. Whenever possible, opt for clothing that hangs slightly off the body, allowing for better airflow and a cooler fit and feel.
Keep an eye out for clothing that features built-in cooling features. For instance, many activewear designs will now incorporate mesh cooling vents in strategic places, such as under the arms or down the sides of the body. These can significantly improve airflow, particularly in synthetic materials that aren’t typically that breathable.
As well as considering all the factors listed above, you also need to understand how different materials perform in certain situations. While linen may be great for casual, everyday wear, it’s not particularly well suited to the gym. To help you make an informed decision, here’s our quick guide to warm-weather clothing materials.
Linen is a popular choice during the summer months for good reason. Made from flax fibers, it is breathable, lightweight, and relatively quick-drying. While it does tend to absorb moisture, this typically isn’t too much of an issue. It does prevent linen from being used in more exercise-oriented apparel, though. Overall, it’s a great hot weather clothing choice for stylish shirts, dresses, and trousers.
Soft, breathable, and one of the most widely available materials in fashion, cotton is a great go-to option for warm-weather T-shirts and dresses. It’s also a good option for sleepwear.
An eco-friendly material that is naturally moisture-wicking and breathable, bamboo benefits from a soft and silky feel. Bamboo fiber is also hypoallergenic, so it’s a great hot weather clothing material for those with sensitive skin.
While you probably want to avoid pure polyester in warmer conditions, polyester blends are an entirely different matter and often perform well when temperatures rise. They are often engineered for enhanced breathability and are excellent at wicking moisture away from the skin. Polyester blend hot weather clothing is even more effective when combined with cooling technologies like Polygiene® StayCool.
Chambray looks very similar to denim but is actually much lighter and airy. It tends to be a good choice if you want that denim look but can’t bear the thought of slipping on those jeans.
Nothing says summer like loose-fitting, breathable linen shirts. Just as well-suited to casual beach trips as they are to more casual summer weddings, linen shirts are an excellent clothing choice in hot weather.
Light and airy cotton dresses guarantee maximum airflow and minimize body contact, ensuring you stay cool.
As long as you’re sticking to the shade or have applied plenty of sun protection, tank tops and other sleeveless designs are a brilliant way to avoid the worst of the heat.
Avoid those skinny jeans and go for the wide-leg pants that hang away from the skin and promote good air flow.
An especially good warm weather clothing choice if you plan to enjoy a little physical activity – whether that’s a long summer walk or a quick pre-work run. Moisture-wicking designs are just as great for everyday wear as well.
Underwear is often overlooked when it comes to temperature management. However, it is pretty important to your comfort. Breathable natural fibers like bamboo and cotton are an excellent choice.
Whenever possible, opt for clothes and accessories with built-in UV protection. This is now fairly common in hats, shirts, and shorts in particular.
Finally, you can’t go wrong with a Polygiene-treated design. While Polygiene® StayCool ensures you get that moisture-activated cool feel on the skin, Polygiene® StayFresh prevents odor-causing bacterial buildup and ensures you smell fresher for longer.
While clothing is super important for staying cool in warm weather, it’s not the only consideration. You also need to think about:
Polygiene® StayCool is a game-changing additive technology that improves moisture-wicking performance and features a thermo-reactive polymer matrix that binds to fabric fibers and delivers cool comfort when activated by moisture. In doing so, it ensures you benefit from a super-cool feel when you need it most.
Polygiene® StayFresh is an advanced antibacterial solution that prevents the growth of odor-causing bacteria on textiles, keeping textiles fresh-smelling for longer. In doing so, it reduces the need for frequent washing, enhancing a product’s environmental footprint by reducing the amount of resources required to maintain it.Both solutions are integrated into materials during manufacturing and provide long-lasting 24/7 protection. Used in combination, they significantly improve product performance and deliver significant value to users, ensuring they stay cool, confident, and fresh-smelling in warmer weather.
EAs brands look for new ways to distinguish their products and create superior garments for customers, Polygiene solutions are becoming increasingly popular. Both Polygiene® StayCool and Polygiene® StayFresh are quick, easy, and cost-effective to integrate into products and offer real benefits to users. Compatible with almost any textile, manufacturers can use them to improve casualwear, sports and outdoor apparel, and workwear products, among others.
Contact our experienced team to learn how you can integrate Polygiene solutions into your warm-weather apparel.
