Managing sticky, hot and humid days

As temperatures start to climb, we become faced with a problem only present in hot climates; how do you remain dry in the heat, especially if it's humid?

Yesterday was hot and humid. I took a trip to London travelling on buses, trains and tubes. I felt myself getting sweaty underarm (and on my back). This meant I didn't want to take my suit jacket off, so I spent a meeting uncomfortably hot.

I could have avoided this if I'd worn an undershirt as I realised as I read a customer review that evening: 

Today I put it to the test So I had seen the reviews and brought the undershirt hoping it would live up to it's promise. Today I left home early, the weather was warm and a little close. I travelled into London and across London using a mixture of trains, tubes and walking, I was then in meetings for the rest of the morning before then heading across London to board a train for a client presentation. Normally my shirt would be showing the strains of the heat but the undershirt kept me feeling fresh and looking presentable! I would have no hesitation in recommending and I will be stocking up. – Mark P.

How to manage your sweat on hot sticky days?

As our customer above has said, start by wearing a sweat absorbing undershirt. If you've not considered wearing an undergarment before then think again. Undershirt design has improved.

These days there a handful of good undershirt designers, like us, using modern fabrics (like bamboo viscose*) and smart designs. Intelligent thinking around base layers, which used to be for outdoor activities like winter sports, is now being applied to office wear. However, there is a crucial difference. Unlike sportswear you don't want a sweat-wicking undershirt, you need a sweat absorbing undershirt. This is because you need the garment to trap the moisture, not wick it straight onto your shirt where it shows as sweat and potentially leaves marks when it drys.

Depending on how much you sweat, the simple step of wearing a sweat absorbing undershirt could be enough. Some undershirts claim to be sweatproof, but unless they are made of something like plastic it's unlikely they'll be bulletproof. If the fabric does not breathe, you may end up a sweaty mess inside!

If you are prone to heavy sweating, then take a spare undershirt with you. This is what Robert, designer of our undershirts, does.

I don't know why, but I tend to sweat more in the morning. I wake up, get ready for work, and then I start to heat up. By say 11 am I'll be feeling pretty uncomfortable in the armpit zone. I'm already in better shape than without an undershirt, but even so, I'm damp in the armpits. So here's the thing. I take a break, go to the men's room and change my undershirt. That first undershirt has done its job soaking up my morning heat. I slip on a nice new fresh dry layer, and no-one knows. - Robert Owen Kay

 

You can apply the same principle if you are running a training event or doing a presentation. Take one or two spares with you in your bag. Change your undershirt just before your performance or at a convenient break in the training. No-one will know but you. You'll stay sweat free for longer.

*Why do we use Bamboo Viscose?

We think Viscose fabric is the best fabric we have found for the job of an undershirt so far. Viscose has moisture-absorbing qualities, is lightweight as well as being incredibly soft. The bamboo fabric has a smooth filament, just like silk and is highly breathable, so your skin stays fresh. The fibre is moisture-absorbing, so any sweat (or water vapour) is taken away from your skin and trapped before it can reach your shirt. This helps to prevent sweat marks.

Bamboo viscose never feels scratchy (like synthetics can) and it doesn't get hard with washing (like cotton blends can). It's also lighter to wear than cotton and softer on the skin.