The Heat is On
Dear Readers, I hope you all are enjoying enjoying the END of the tyranny of winter, and the return of the Sun! As I reside on the East Coast of the United States, this change is a double-edged sword for me; yes, I can go to the beach without needing a parka or a wetsuit! And yet . . . the Eastern Seaboard away from the beach is often insanely hot and sweaty. Now, my Grandmother used to say “horses sweat, men perspire but ladies just glow”. I have been “glowing” like a prize hog these days!
How do we get through these sweaty days and nights, and still look fabulous? I will give you some time-honored tips for staying cool amid the searing waves of heat and humidity.
A cotton sundress keeps you cool.
My first suggestion — Natural Fibers! Cotton, linen. silk and rayon (a semi-synthetic fiber made of wood pulp) are all natural fibers, with a looser weave and nice cooling properties. Polyester and most Spandex® are NOT natural fibers, and they hold in heat and sweat on whatever surfaces they cover. They are also stiff and their weaves do not let the heat and schvitz evaporate from your skin. A generally lovely polyester blouse will quickly turn you into a burning churn of sweaty funk real fast! Instead, consider a floaty silk blouse, or a cotton skirt and top.
Natural fiber dresses are also great — a nicely-fitted silk or rayon dress will just cheerfully skim your curves, allowing perspiration to burn off of you. And under it? I really recommend NO panty hose, as they are like wearing a freakin wetsuit under your clothing! Consider either a garter belt and stockings or the kind of stockings that have elastic to keep them up. BUT! Try wearing the self-stay-up hosiery in private BEFORE you wear them out in public. I neglected to do this once, and one side did NOT stay up — oh no, it puddled around my smart heels. So, road-test these before sashaying out on the town.
Linen pants.
A few pairs of snazzy linen trousers are also a great buy. They are generally of a looser fit, thence to allow air to circulate and cooool you, and linen also “drapes” beautifully, so you will look very smart and put together. A bonus with linen clothing is that it usually looks expensive — pants or a skirt with a well-tailored tank top look like “old money”.
Rayon fabric is actually derived from wood pulp. Those grand old “Hawaiian shirts” were generally made of rayon, and they really skim your form, and feel like you have got on nothing at all. Stupidly comfortable, and very lovely.
Of course, the best cure for giant sweatiness is Air Conditioning! You can wear all the polyester you want with the AC blasting! But if you are venturing outside in summer, or will be in some gawd-awful uncooled environment, do try to stick with natural fibers. Your skin will thank you!
Category: crossdressing, Transgender Fashion
About the Author (Author Profile)
I am a native Californian who has been based in the Philadelphia area since 1984. My first CD fashion creation was a gold lamé dress for the now esteemed editor of this publication. Since then I have made tons of fabulous frocks and other fashion apparel for the crossdressing and transgender community. Contact me for custom clothing or alterations via email: [email protected] Visit my Facebook page, @alterationsbylorraineSubscribe
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