What to Wear When It Is Hot Outside

Heat in summer creates two specific problems. The walk to the studio is uncomfortable. The twenty minutes afterward, in damp clothes, is worse. During the class itself the studio is usually air conditioned, which is often the easiest part.

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Carry a dry change

This is the single highest-value summer habit. Keep a dry top and a dry pair of shorts or leggings in the bag, change after class, and put the damp ones in a sealed bag. It costs you one extra garment set and it removes the entire post-class discomfort problem.

Fabric for a hot studio

• Under 180 grams per square meter for a genuinely warm room
• Unbrushed smooth knit only
• Looser rise, because a high rise traps heat at the waist
• Shorts if the room is genuinely hot

Fabric for a cool studio in summer

Many studios air condition aggressively and the room drops to 22 degrees by the second half of class. This is where a mid-weight brushed legging becomes the correct answer even in July.

The answer is a mid-weight layer you can remove, rather than committing to a single weight and being wrong for half the class.

The transit problem

Walking in summer heat with a bag is worse than walking in winter cold, because you cannot solve it by adding a layer. What works:

1. 01Walk at the shaded side of the street
2. 02Carry water and drink on the way, not only at the studio
3. 03Wear a top that can be carried over the arm rather than worn
4. 04Go earlier or later if your schedule allows; evening heat is worse

Sun exposure on the way

If you walk or cycle, a hat and a light long sleeve cover the two areas that get significant sun: the top of the head and the shoulders. This is separate from the practice clothing entirely.

The heat problem lives outside the studio. Solving the class and ignoring the walk is solving the easy half.

What to check before you buy for what wear when it is hot outside

Two pieces can look identical on the hanger and behave differently in what wear when it is hot outside. The checks below are the ones that catch it early. California Blue Mini Cable High-Waist Sweater Short is the piece we would test them against first.

• Sit and stand: the leg opening should not ride up past mid-thigh.
• Check the rise against your hip — a low rise folds when you sit.
• The liner, if there is one, should not shift when you move.

The wet garment storage problem

In summer the damp-garment-in-a-bag problem gets worse, not better, because humidity is higher. Sealed bags, full change, and never storing a warm damp garment folded into fabric are the whole protocol.