Dressed to Chill

Apart from wearing less and choosing light colours, you can stay fashionably cool by picking the right type of fabrics. . These airy and lightweight fabrics can go a long way to help you keep your cool when the heat is on.

1. Come in Cotton

Say cotton and you think of tee-shirts but there is so much more to this fabric than casual wear. This material is one of the oldest and is sweat absorbent, leaving you nice and dry. Lightweight, breathable, and comfortable, it is also the airiest of fabrics and does not retain heat.

On the down side, it wrinkles easily and shows up stains more readily. But good ironing skills and a little care will easily address this.

2. Line Up Your Linen

Another lightweight material, linen is made from the flax plant. It is breathable, thanks to the porous weave that allows heat to escape, making it sweat absorbent and fast-drying. People love linen because it softly skims the body and is very comfortable to wear. It also comes in more formal styles – there are entire suits in linen - so you can go to work in linen.

Again, this fabric wrinkles easily but this is expected so the creases are quite acceptable.

3. Soft as Silk

Silk is lightweight, breathable and exudes femininity. Good at absorbing moisture to keep you dry, this luxurious cloth is also very thin so you will not feel weighed down when you wear it. A downside is that it can be quite fragile and high maintenance. Most silk fabrics need to be professionally dry-cleaned.

4. Relax in Rayon

Rayon is made from natural cellulose that has been chemically processed to produce fibres. It was invented as a more cost effective alternative to silk so, like silk, its fibres are thin and it breathes well. Cool, comfortable and more absorbent than linen and cotton, it is also a good conductor of heat, making it great for summer clothing.

The only con is that it is not very durable and needs to be dry-cleaned.

Choose Chambray

Chambray is a light cotton very similar to denim but thinner. Originating from a French town called Cambrai, this fabric lets you have that rugged denim look with slightly more comfort in the oppressive heat.

6. Stay Stylish in Seersucker

Seersucker comes from the Persian words “milk” and “sugar” and is a type of cotton woven with varying tension that makes the texture uneven so that when it is worn, less of the fabric comes into contact with the skin. This makes it comfortable, light and breathable – making it an ideal summer fabric.

Living in the tropics means having to deal with the warmth and humidity. Knowing what types of fabrics to pick will help you dress in style while staying cool. While others dress to kill, you can dress to chill!

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