Whether you are summering in the city or heading to the white sandy beaches of faraway lands, the sweltering heat of high summer can sometimes compromise your chic look.
Sweat patches and sticky clothes can quickly descend a laid back lunch under the palm trees into an uncomfortable rush to return to the air conditioning and your comfortable jogging pants. What’s even worse is the urban heat of August, rushing from one meeting to another, hot sweaty feet and unsuitable clothing causing unnecessary stress and odd looks from passers by.
One of our top tips to dressing well, no matter the time of year, is dressing smartly. Choosing smart materials for the weather will mean that you are never too hot, never too cold, and always dressed suitably for the occasion. Comfort is just as important as styling, when both are considered in tandem.
Summer fabric choices should consider the need to avoid sweat marks, layering (especially when moving from hot and sweaty underground trains to air conditioned offices in the summer), and wet bikini bottoms!
Here is our guide to the best (and worst!) fabrics to wear in summer...
Summer Fabric Dos
Cotton
A great fabric to wear in the summer, cotton is a natural fibre. It is breathable and light, allowing air to circulate around your body. This will keep you cool and help to dry off any sweat patches.
Cotton is also good for the summer because it comes in many different colours and styles, from t-shirts to dresses. At SKIIM we also only produce clothes with the finest Organic Cotton, meaning that when you buy our pieces you are helping to fight fast fashion and support sustainable supply chains.
The SKIIM Paris Cotton Edit
This is a selection of some of the team’s favourite SKIIM Cotton pieces to wear in the summer.
Hemp
Another natural fabric, hemp has a unique structure which means it is very breathable. Keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, it is a year round fabric that is a great staple to have in your wardrobe. We love wearing it on summer nights.
Silk
Silk is a lightweight luxurious material which will keep you cool in the summer. We love it for its gorgeous look and texture. However, be careful, it is not as absorbent as cotton so sweat marks can definitely show!
Linen
Arguably one of the best fabrics to wear in summer, linen is a natural, loosely woven fabric that will keep you cool from noon to night in the sweltering sun. It is also more absorbent than silk, for example, and quickly dries. A sustainable fabric, it also gets better with time as it becomes softer.
We love it so much in fact, that it formed a major part of our SS21 collection in all the natural hues of the season - think golden sands! A win-win to keeping you cool.
The SKIIM Paris Linen Edit
Summer Fabric Don’ts
Nylon
Nylon is a synthetic fabric that although is often used in workout gear, it is water repellent and not very breathable. We say stay away and choose natural fabrics that are good for the planet, as well as your summer look!
Denim
Whilst denim is a top fabric in our opinion, due to how it can be recycled and styled throughout the year, those girls in denim shorts aren’t actually not as smart as they look! A super-absorbent material, it takes a long time to dry and can become very sticky and uncomfortable - wet bikinis are a no-no underneath and hot sweaty tube seats are also not on the cards for us! We say save your denim for transitional seasons.
Polyester
A man-made fabric, polyester is water resistant which means it is really bad at absorbing any kind of moisture, trapping sweat between your body and clothing. It is a sweaty nightmare in the heat and we would not recommend it! We much prefer investing in fabrics that will last and look after us and the planet!
Is leather good to wear in the summer?
We love wearing leather so much in the summer, our SS21 collection is the place to go for undeniably chic clothing that will keep you cool. Check out our Leather Summer Styling tips here!
The SKIIM Paris Summer Leather Edit
Madelaine shorts and Coco Jacket
