This is one of the hottest summers we’ve seen in the UK. Temperatures have gone up to the high 30s and fan sales have spiked with it as people across the country try to keep themselves cool. And with our houses being built to trap heat PLUS the humidity, it’s even more rough. The struggle to stay chilled is REAL, but there is something else that’s making the heat feel heavier: this might be the coolest summer we see for the next century.
We are now experiencing the effects of climate change in real time, and these more extreme temperatures are set to become the new normal. Interestingly, the fashion industry is closely linked both to how we got here and what we need to do now to cope. According to a study by the BBC, the fashion industry is the second-largest industrial polluter and accounts for around 10% of global carbon emissions. This goes hand in hand with the rapid rise of fast fashion, overproduction and overconsumption that we have seen in the last 20 years alone. With the new norm now being to buy something cheap for a summer holiday or night out, so many people are only wearing an item a couple of times before chucking it away. With all of these factors at play, the cycle of fashion waste is worse than ever.
However, fashion and clothing still plays a big part in our mission to stay cool. And we need it; fabrics that pull moisture away from the skin and allow for a good amount of air flow are going to help make hot days more bearable. But this goes beyond our outfit choices. If we choose to consume fashion more consciously, we could prevent these extreme temperatures from getting worse, both for our bodies and the environment.
The Logic Behind “Cool” Clothes
“Cool” fabrics help your body lose heat. but that being said, not everything that looks or feels cool is actually going to help you through these heat waves.
What is really going to make the difference are fabrics with a feature called moisture-wicking (or evaporative cooling if you want to get scientific). The cooling feel comes from the sweat being pulled away from your body by the fabric. They help spread out moisture by absorbing it across your body and are usually quite thin and breathable which helps speed up evaporation.
Here are some fabrics to keep an eye out for if you need saving from the heat:
Linen
Linen is a staple summer fabric and is well known for its breathable, lightweight quality. It’s a great example of a moisture-wicking fabric and has always been a top performer when it comes to spreading out heat.
The V&A named linen “the original sustainable material,” as it is the first fabric we know of to have been cultivated from natural materials. In Ancient Egypt linen was woven from flax and worn as a sign of wealth and taste. Funnily enough, it was also the material that was used to bind mummies.
It’s pretty affordable and easy to find in the UK and Europe where flax grows in large quantities. In fact, it produces zero waste when grown in this region because it doesn’t need any pesticides or irrigation. Linen is therefore in a lot of ways the ideal cooling fabric, helping the body stay chilled and not contributing to the processes that are making our planet warm.
Lyocell
Lyocell is a newer semi-synthetic material made from processed wood pulp. It’s made up of very fine fibres that create a smooth surface and then help absorb and spread out heat. It’s also smooth and almost satin-like to the touch which can give it that instant cooling feel.
Lyocell is biodegradable and renewable as long as eucalyptus trees keep growing, making it a pretty sustainable choice. However, there are problem areas. If the wood is not responsibly sourced, is processed in ways that rely on non-renewable energy, or uses crazy amount of water in its production, it is not sustainable. Look for B Corps and Fair Trade certified companies before purchasing anything made of lyocell.
Cotton
Organic cotton is a relatively easy material to source and it has some moisture-wicking properties, earning it a spot on this list. It’s one of the most absorbent fabrics out there and can hold up to 27 times its weight in moisture which can help pull sweat away from our bodies. However, it takes a while to dry so can end up feeling damp and even sticky if we’re out in hot weather for a long time.
The other thing to be mindful about when it comes to cotton is how it is manufactured and processed. To be sold cheaply, it uses a lot of water. One cotton T-Shirt could use over 5000 litres of water in its production, which is a HUGE amount for a small garment. Always look for organic cotton which is manufactured with fewer chemicals to work towards reducing waste.
Problematic Polyester
Polyester is a cheap synthetic material that we most likely all have in our wardrobes. The production process is relies on heavy chemicals because it’s made of petroleum, - a non-renewable fossil fuel. The amount of fossil fuels it needs in production then grows even more when we look at factory operations which release billions of tons of greenhouse gas every year.
The environmental impacts don’t end here though. The dying process requires toxic chemicals and large amounts of water which are released into local waterways after being used. This can have dangerous consequences for not only the environment, but nearby citizens as well as these chemicals can increase the chances of cancer. Polyester is also a plastic-based material and is nearly impossible to break down completely. When it touches water, little plastic fibres are released and can easily damage aquatic ecosystems.
When it comes to our own temperature, polyester is one of the worst performers. It’s bad with moisture absorption and tends to trap heat rather than spread it out. Now it’s so popular that it’s become even more difficult for us to regulate heat on both a personal and global scale.
Breaking The Cycle
Polyester has become the backbone of the fast fashion industry and allows companies to produce millions of low quality garments at a rapid pace. It costs half the price of cotton and labour can be outsourced to factories that pay their workers next to nothing. These poor working conditions add an ethical element to the impacts of polyester, making it even more important that we change our consumption habits and read the fine print before we purchase.
The growth of fast fashion brands such as SH**N and T*MU along with the sped-up trend cycles has led to a consumer mindset that values quantity over quality. Why would you buy one shirt from a reputable brand when you could buy five from a fast fashion site?
The harsh truth is this; quality is now a second thought to most consumers, and with cheap clothes being more likely to shrink, tear, and warp, they are often only worn once or twice before being thrown away. This keeps the cycle of never-ending waste going, as we end up buying more clothes to fill the empty space in our wardrobe.
If we continue to consume in this way, temperatures will only become more extreme. Polyester manufacturing factories will release higher emissions and our waterways will fill up with more microplastics. We will end up feeling hotter and like we still need to purchase a new summer wardrobe to cope with the heat.
There is no better time than now to break the cycle. If your clothes are making you feel too hot, have a look at some responsibly-sourced lyocell shirts rather than going for the polyester Am*zon T-Shirt. Investing in the right fabrics will help your wardrobe last longer and make it easier to reduce how much you purchase, as well as feeling better for your body.
WORDS BY POPPY GORDON-SHUTE