As summer approaches, it’s the perfect time to reevaluate your wardrobe and consider losing a layer. But as you refresh your look this season, there’s more to keep in mind than color trendsand what denim is in this season. Which fabrics you choose to wear during the warmer summer months can have a major impact not only on your look but on your comfort level. To help you stay cool in more ways than one, here are the best (and worst) summer fabrics to guide your wardrobe this season.
The Best Summer Fabrics
1. Cotton
Famously breathable, cotton is an excellent choice for everything from blouses to cover-ups topretty summer dresses. It’s also versatile enough to be worn for both daytime and nighttime looks.
Beyond being a good call for summer bedding, linen is one of the best summer fabrics to effortlessly complement your wardrobe. Pairlinen pantswith a crop top or tank for a rooftop party vibe.
If you’re in love with denim but want something more lightweight, chambray is the perfect material for you. This fabric is essentially a linen-finished gingham with a slightly mottled texture.
Technically a member of the cotton family, seersucker is a thin, lightly puckered fabric that’s fantastically lightweight. A mainstay of garden parties and boating attire, this material is also a great choice for summer dresses.
Starry Skies Long Sleeve Cotton Seersucker Maxi Dress
Ganni
Seersucker Stripe Organic Cotton Wrap Top
Lisa Marie Fernandez
Yasmin Belted Seersucker One-Piece Swimsuit
5. Jersey
Drapey and flexible, jersey is one of the all-time best summer fabrics. In addition to breezy dresses and classic tunics, jersey is also a great choice forlightweight cover-upsand beach-ready sweaters.
As a fully synthetic material, nylon is the opposite of breathable. Because it’s designed to repel water and has a low level of absorption, clothing made from nylon tends to trap heat and sweat against the skin.
Acrylic
Much like nylon, acrylic is not a natural fabric. While it often shows up in summer dresses and tops, the material can often be hot and abrasive, making it one of the worst summer fabrics.
Polyester
Another summer fabric that’s best avoided is polyester. This common fabric is travel-friendly and wrinkle-resistant, but it also resists moisture, making it less than ideal for hot summer weather.
Vinyl
The slick wet look of vinyl has its place and time, but with a synthetic profile that’s also waterproof and ideal for upholstery, it’s not exactly a great choice for summer clothing. To get your vinyl fix, opt for vinyl shoes and accessories.
Fleece
It may come as little surprise that a material made to keep the body warm is a poor choice among summer fabrics. While certain variations of wool are okay (articles specifically labeled "summer wool” are a good start), fleece is actually derived from polyester, so it comes with the same issues of trapping moisture and reducing natural ventilation.
This story was published at an earlier date and has been recently updated.
Breathable fabrics made from natural fibers will adjust to your body temperature and help you stay cool in warm weather. Stay away from fabrics that absorb sweat and try to instead opt for plant based and moisture-wicking fibers that make it easier for sweat to evaporate rather than cling to your clothes.
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.
Essentially the trick if you want to be fully covered in summer is to choose lightweight breathable materials (natural fibres are usually better for this like linen and cotton), and also if possible avoid very dark colours like black or navy blue because they just absorb all the heat from the sun.
Synthetic fibres like polyester and nylon are a strict no in the summer, mainly because they are not breathable. Although super light, polyester leaves you with sweat patches since they're water resistant and you tend to feel overheated.
Avoid synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon in the heat; they can trap heat and moisture close to your skin which may cause discomfort or skin irritations.
Linen – Linen fabrics can absorb around 20 to 22% of their total weight in water, which makes it ideal for summer, along with its moisture-wicking properties. It absorbs the sweat from your body but wicks it away, keeping you dry.
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.
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.
Warm, saturated colours, such as bright yellow, and earthy colours with yellow undertones will clash with your natural coolness. Similarly, dark and harsh colours, such as dark purple, black and white, will overpower your soft appearance.
In summer, for example, wool shorts and thin skirts or stylish pants are perfect. Wool is an organic fabric, so it has good breathability and does not need ironing, having a very firm structure.
Cotton. 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.
Avoid heavy dyes and toxic chemicals. Of course, you should also be mindful of the climate and any personal allergies. Look for untreated fabrics or those with natural dyes. Some of the healthiest fabrics include: soft organic cotton, flax linen, hemp linen, silk, or merino wool.
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.
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.
Cotton: The classic choice. Cotton is a sweat-absorbing fabric that is light, soft, and breathable. It is perfect for casual wear and can be a lifesaver on a hot summer day. However, it dries slowly and creases easily.
Woven fabrics or those with some texture, and a looser fit, usually do a good job. Clothing that does cling to your body will soak up sweat and then stay close to your skin, which will amplify the discomfort.
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