If you live in Texas, it’s essential to dress for summer weather. Otherwise, you’ll end up maxing out your air conditioner, paying Texas electric providers more than necessary, and sweating through your clothes before lunchtime hits. Luckily, knowing more about cooling clothes and dressing in the right fabrics can get you through the sweltering season.
What fabrics make the best cooling clothes?
To beat the heat and stay comfortable, wear summer-friendly fabrics such as:
Cotton and linen
Both of these natural fabrics are breathable, let air flow, and ideal for any climate all year round.
Chambray and bamboo
These specialty fabrics make for effective cooling clothes, too. Chambray is lightweight and breezy, while bamboo is exceptionally good at absorbing moisture. Bonus: bamboo is an all-natural fabric, making it an eco-conscious option.
Rayon
This synthetic fabric has quick-drying properties and is best in dry heat.
Lyocell
Green Mountain Energy, one of the most planet-friendly Texas electric providers, recommends clothing made from lyocell. According to their website, lyocell is a “plant-based fiber made from semi-synthetic regenerated cellulose fiber and is manufactured from wood pulp.” Not only is it breathable and moisture-wicking, it’s also durable, soft, and sustainable.
How do fabrics cool you down?
You can also choose to wear clothing made from fabrics with special cooling technology built in. According to the experts at How Stuff Works, fabric cooling technology is usually either temperature balance and temperature abatement. Here’s how they work:
Temperature balance
Temperature-balanced fabrics wick sweat away from the body and spread it across the surface of the fabric, so it evaporates faster. These fabrics are usually treated with a polymer (a long chain of organic molecules formed by many smaller molecules called monomers). Heat and humidity from your body activates the polymer, which wicks the sweat away and it evaporates.
Most apparel uses this type of cooling technology.
Temperature abatement
This type of cooling tech makes the textile feel cool to the touch, even though it isn’t. The feeling comes from the fabric’s yarn itself. It’s highly conductive polyethylene (PE), which gives it the ability to quickly transfer heat away from the fabric’s surface.
How else can I dress in summer to stay cool?
In addition to the material you wear, don’t forget about these other factors that can keep you cool throughout summer:
- Light colors — You probably know that dark colors absorb heat, so opt for white or other light colors that reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat.
- Loose styles — Tight clothes trap heat, so wearing loose clothing will allow air to circulate and let your body breathe.
- Cooling accessories — Wearing sunglasses, lightweight scarves, and sun hats can shade and protect you from the sun. And don’t forget the ultimate summer accessory: a big bottle of ice-cold water to keep you hydrated and cool.
- Cooling bed sheets — Investing in bedding that cools you off can increase your comfort on hot nights and help you rely less on your air conditioner to fall asleep.
Armed with this new knowledge, you can stay cool and comfortable all summer long — and give your air conditioner some much-needed rest!
Find Texas electric providers you can count on during the dog days of summer
Shopping for electricity doesn’t have to be difficult. Use Everything Energy’s free site to search some of the most trusted Texas electricity providers and their plans to find the one that work best for your family. Stay cool, friends!