Trendy smart summer
By Chidinma Promise
Hello Fashionable! In today’s article, we’ll be balancing out how to stick with the trend and stay weather friendly.
Kick starting our agenda, we have got to acknowledge the fact that it’s been a very hot couple of months, since we waltzed into 2021 and staying stylish and sweat free has been one of the biggest challenges yet (with or without deodorants): trying to keep up with recent trends like wrap dresses/top, three piece suit and your typical Monday through Friday corporate look has become quite draining (especially if the organization you work with has no air conditioner or you have to go through the day to day hustles of boarding a bus or several buses to get to your work place). Borrowing words from the scriptures, “say ye unto this mountain, be ye removed” as we go through various fabrics and styles that’ll keep you trendy, less sweaty and probably totally sweat free this hot season.
Ladies and Gentlemen, First and most suitable for the summer is
Cotton: This has got to be one of the best fabrics in existence, as it not only gives you a cozy and comfortable feeling but also soaks up sweat and allows heat to escape the body. Cotton fabrics can be made into shirts, formal dresses, suits and so on. All ye need do is ask, next time you go cloth shopping in the market or any boutique of your choice, depending on your financial budget.
Note: Cotton is identifiable through touch; it is soft and lightweight.
Rayon: This is a man-made fabric blended from cotton, wood pull and other natural/synthetic fibers. It has very thin fibers that makes it more breathable compared to other fabrics and gives it lightness that prevents it from sticking to a body in hot weather. It is also a very good fabric for the creation of sportswear but it shrinks in hot/warm water so while using, avoid washing in hot or warm water.
Silk: This is a shiny lightweight fabric. It is for its’ lightweight nature, an advisable fabric for the summer. Although it retains sweat marks, mostly when used as a lower body garment; skirt/trouser, silk is a very breezy, cozy, classy and ever trending fabric for formal tops or upper body attire.
Word of advice; when purchasing your clothing item in silk, make sure to not purchase it as a lower body garment.
Chambray: This is a plain weave fabric. It is made of colored yarn in the wrap (a basic component used in weaving to turn thread or yarn. The wrap is found in the longitudinal dimension of a woven fabric) and a white yarn in the weft (This is the transverse(likened to the width area) part of the woven fabric. Threads drawn through and inserted over and under the wrap). Its woven nature makes it air accessible and breathable. It is similar looking to denim but lighter and very breathable.
Jersey: A knit fabric originally made of wool. It is soft, comfortable and airy. This fabric can be used to make lower body garments like trouser, skirt and so on.
Ankara: Yes, our very own native fabric, Ankara is made of cotton and this makes it a very summer friendly fabric. For formal wears, you can make this fabric into wrap dresses, top, pencil skirt, trouser and so on.
Chiffon: This is an airy lightweight fabric with a sheer; semitransparent and magical luster (Wikipeadia) This fabric can be used to make formal shirts and shirt dresses.
Crochet fabric: This type of fabric is made out of wool. Though largely overlooked, this is one trendy piece of fabric. It is made up of several holes as a result of its hand-woven nature. Although very informal in nature, this fabric can be made into beach wear, leisure wear, summer inclined dinner dresses and tops (for male and female)
For leisure, items like caftan, bubu, floral dresses/tops are also advisable for the hot weather.
Fabrics to avoid this hot weather include; Nylon, Acrylic, Polyester, Vinyl, Denim, Fleece and the likes are terrible for the summer as they stick to the body when sweaty and unable to absorb water.
Hold on to this knowledge and have a less sweaty experience through the hot weather.
Stay fashionably smart!
