How to Beat the Heat in Frills?

Although Yorkshire seems to have decided that a week of summer was too tiring and gone back to cooler temperatures, I see plenty of Lolitas post on Closet of Frills things like „Sorry for no blouse, it’s too hot” or „It’s too hot to wear Lolita, so here’s an old coord”. Also, Lolita Blog Carnival is back again, so as part of this let me share some of my ideas on beating the heat in frills. Not that I’m the most reliable source, considering how my heat tolerance threshold is comparatively low, but maybe you’ll pick up something from this that you didn’t think of before.

For the sake of clarity and organisation, I decided to divide my tips into three broad categories: clothes, cosmetics and other. I won’t go into climate-specific things because you know best what the weather’s like where you live and how your body reacts to it – so although something may be more of a hot-and-humid summer solution, it could still work for people elsewhere and vice versa.

Clothes

• Wear a main piece that’s easy to wash. Doesn’t matter if it’s a skirt, a JSK or an OP, if you’re outside in your frills during a hot summer, you risk sweating on your clothes. This will very likely mean cotton pieces, which is a bonus as cotton is a very breathable material, but as long as you can throw it in the washing machine afterwards without having to worry, you can look good and not have to spend money on dry cleaners to make your brand fresh again.
• Wear as little as possible. Having said that, the fewer layers you wear the cooler you will be. In that sense OPs are probably the best, as it’s just one item of clothing covering you all, but skirts are good too as you’re not double-layering yourself around your torso, as you would with a JSK. This is also where investing in a good petticoat comes in handy, as one should be enough and you won’t cook underneath your frills either.
• …and as light as possible. Go for thinner, lighter materials, but also learn what happens when you wear different fabrics. Your cotton short-sleeve blouse may be cuter and easy to wash, but a short-sleeve chiffon bolero thrown over your JSK may keep you cooler. How to solve this dilemma? Find out if any of your clothes seem to hold on to unpleasant smells more than others and then act accordingly, either by avoiding those items or by fighting back with some of the further tips.
• Make accessories your friends. To put it very simply: natural hair over wigs, ankle socks or lace tights over OTKs, clips/barettes/straw hats over headbows and bonnets, and bracelets over wrist cuffs. I suggest limiting the amount of fabric that sits close to your skin, because that can get unpleasant pretty quickly, although if you really can’t bear to go out without a wig, then either go for a short style or maybe try smaller pieces like clip on fringes or ponytails. And you definitely can’t go wrong with a parasol, though if you don’t live in a hot and sunny area, think how much you’d really use it before purchasing.

Cosmetics

• Body spray. It will both cool you down and keep you smelling fresh throughout the day. I’ve seen some very cute sweet smelling ones in H&M or Asda, so they won’t break your budget, but can be life saviours.
• Make-up fixing spray. If you’re confident enough to go out without make-up, then go for it! But for all those who want to put something on, a make-up fixing spray will prevent it all washing off and streaking. High street brands have started doing those for decent money; mine’s Superdrug’s own brand, it cost me a fiver and I honestly swear by it.
• Sweat pads. I know, the idea of them is kind of awful, because you’re admitting to yourself that you need them, but as long as you’re not wearing them on sheer blouses, only you will know. You basically stick them onto your clothes, creating a layer between your underarm and the fabric of your clothes, and it will absorb any moisture and unpleasant smells. Japan sells them almost everywhere in the summer, but you can get some disposable ones on eBay for a few pounds – they may end up saving you money on stain removing things.
• Tried and trusted antiperspirant. Whatever works for you, I say cover your most problematic areas before putting any of your frills on. Some antiperspirants and deodorants even come with cooling properties, making hot temperatures feel that little bit more bearable. However, now may not be the best time to experiment with new products, so choose one that you know will work on you.
• Last but not least: sunblock! Stay safe as well as fresh and cute, you don’t want to come back sunburnt.

Other

• Carry a little towel in your bag. They barely take up any space, but it is good to be able to pat yourself dry. Baby wipes would do too, however, bear in mind that you could take off your make-up if you’re not careful.
• Stay hydrated. This is a health tip as well as a staying cool one. Drinking plenty of water will help in battling the heat, and it’ll decrease your chances of getting a heatstroke or fainting from dehydration – not a fun thing to do. You could even invest in a cute water bottle if you don’t want an ugly plastic one to detract from your beautiful coord. Weird tip: Some people, especially older generations, swear by drinking hot tea on hot days. It helps not by cooling you down, but by getting your body temperature up to match the temperature around you, so you don’t feel the heat so acutely. Personally, maybe it does work, but cold drinks on a hot day feel a lot nicer.
• Get a hand fan. You’ll inevitably make some people in your comm jealous that they haven’t thought of that, plus bonus points to elegance. Unless you’re looking for a breathtakingly beautiful vintage one, you can pick them up for a pound in places like Poundland or Chinese accessory shops (if you have those nearby). If you’re posh/desperate enough, go for a battery-operated electric one for extra cool feeling.
• Maintain good personal hygiene. It may be a little obvious, and yet it bears repeating. Nasty bodily odours come from bacteria, not necessarily from sweat itself. Pay particular attention to places like underarms, feet and pubic area when you shower before getting ready. Extend this to your outfit too –you’d much rather that your clothes (and wig, if you’re wearing one) were genuinely fresh rather than pretend they are with a bottle of Febreeze.

Finally remember that you can still wear Lolita indoors, just for your own satisfaction. That way you don’t have to put yourself on the mercy of the weather and can enjoy whatever clothes you want to wear and all heat-fighting appliances, foods and techniques that you own (unless, like me, you live in Yorkshire, where every year everyone is surprised that it can be hot during the summer, nowhere has an AC, and only a few prepared wise ones have electric fans).

Have I missed out something very obvious on that list? Or maybe I mentioned something you didn’t even know existed? Let me know in the comments and don’t forget to check out what other people have said on their blogs!

Queen and Commander