What Are The Best & Worst Clothing Materials In The Heat?

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❝In the hot weather I try to wear cotton but find I just end up with sweat patches, what’s actually best?❞

Cotton‘s not bad in the first instance! It’s breathable, which helps for keeping cool, but you’re right that once you do start sweating, it can become a problem because cotton doesn’t dry quickly And aside from questions of aesthetics or sensory comfort, that’s a problem because sweat cools us by evaporating, so if it’s not evaporating (because our skin has a layer of wet cotton over it) then it’s not cooling us.

So, what this means in practical terms is that cotton is good to wear in hot weather, but only in places where you don’t meaningfully sweat. Your sweat distribution patterns will depend on you and your hormones (and sometimes other factors), but wherever you get sweat patches, that’s not a place you want cotton.

Silk has similar problems. Yes, it’s very lightweight, and yes it’s breathable, but it also takes a lot longer to dry than you might expect for a fabric that’s usually woven so thin. So, just as with cotton, silk is good to wear in hot weather, but only in places where you don’t meaningfully sweat

Polyester‘s better than a lot of people think, as it’s breathable (less so than cotton, though) and, unlike cotton, it’s moisture-wicking and quick-drying. In other words, it’s excellent at taking sweat away. If you’ve got an extreme sweat situation going on, though, it’s just going to stick to you, and that’s not nice.

There are other reasons you might want to skip polyester, such as: Are You Inhaling Microplastics In Your House?

Bamboo is great! If you haven’t encountered bamboo-based clothing yet, check it out. It’s very breathable, very moisture-wicking, and very quick-drying, as well as being very comfortable (comfort is subjective, but: arguably more comfortable than silk!),. At risk of oversharing, this writer has these bamboo sports thongs from Danish Endurance, and they’re great, and are my go-to if I’m wearing pants rather than a skirt or dress, and thus don’t want a VPL. If, dear reader, you are perchance a man and have different anatomy down there, then what you need is probably not this though, as you won’t want anything tight there.

Linen is a surprisingly good one; its fibers are thicker than most which means linen often has quite a loose weave, which makes it very breathable; It’s also one of the quickest-drying fabrics around. Great for floaty dresses or men’s casualwear.

Wool does not have a reputation for being hot-weather wear, but bear with us here. Yes, it is insulating, which is why it’s normally cold-weather wear, but it’s also one of the most breathable and moisture-wicking fabrics around, which (as well as it being quite odor-resistant too) makes it a great material for socks if you’re going to be wearing sports shoes.

Want to learn more?

For keeping safe in extreme heat, check out:

Stay Safe From Heat Exhaustion & Heatstroke!

Take care!