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Surviving a Heatwave in Your Handmade Wardrobe

Living in Perth we suffer through at least one heatwave a summer, generally more.

This latest heatwave has been pretty damn hot!  I decided to test out my favourite summer fabrics that I had sewn up and only wear my me made clothes during this 5 day heatwave.

We all have our own personal preference when it comes to keeping cool, we know what works best for us.  For me, my number one is keeping my arms uncovered or more specifically, my arm pits like airflow! In addition to this I like to ensure not too much leg is covered, I generally prefer no longer than knee length when its very hot although I did break this rule one day of the heat wave.  Lastly, I am cooler if my clothes aren't too fitted.

I already have some favourite fabrics for summer that we stock here at Lush.  Light and flowy is what I find most comfortable.  I know many say that if its really hot you should only wear natural fibres, poly doesn't breath and it is too hot.  I feel that this is no longer the case, the modern polyester is not the awful, hot fabric that it might have once been.  Now it comes in so many varieties and has so many positive traits that it can be worn on the hottest of days as I did in this heatwave.

Here is my Heatwave Wardrobe, I hope it can give you some ideas to get through your next heatwave.





Day One

Forecast - 37°C

 

The first day of a heatwave can be hard, you haven't adjusted to the heat yet and it can be a bit of a shock to the system so I kept it very light on the first day with my Dark Plum 200gsm Modal Yours Truly Top by Pattern Emporium. I find a loose fit to generally be cooler than a fitted garment, depending on the fabric of course so this flowy top and my light, store bought shorts were a good option to survive the first day.

 



Day Two

Forecast - 44°C

 

The hottest day of the heatwave and boy did it pack a punch, it was a scorcher!!  The only way to keep cool on a day like this is either stay in the pool all day long or don't move off your couch which is directly under a refrigerated air con vent.

My outfit today had to be light as a feather so Rayon Challis was an obvious choice for me and bonus points if it is a loose, flowy fit.

Today I wore Make Your Move Rayon Challis sewn into an Olive Romper by Untitled Thoughts

 

 

 

Day Three

Forecast - 38°C

It was almost a cool change today with just 38°C, ok not really but it was definitely better than yesterday.
By day 3 of a heat wave everything is hot, our warehouse is full of hot air, anything that isn't constantly under air conditioning just stays hot after a few days of high temps so the cool outfits must continue.

I love wearing Rib Knit in summer, it is light and cool to wear while being soft and comfortable on the skin.  This fabric is 96% polyester so a great example of polyesters not necessarily being hot.

Today I wore Let it Go in Pink Rib Knit sewn into a Tank Dress by Pattern Emporium


Day Four

Forecast - 38°C and humid

I broke a few of my own rules today with my longer length dress and the fitted tie around the waist, as I said earlier, I find a loose fit to be cooler. However, DTY is another of my favourite summer bases so I was confident I would be ok.  It is a lovely, light poly knit, again, it is 96% polyester which I find lovely and cool to wear on a hot day.  This dress does have side splits so that helped with a little ventilation, without those side splits I probably wouldn't have chosen this dress for today purely due to the length.




 

This dress is made using Truly Mine in Black DTY.  The pattern I used is the Brunch Blouse by Patterns for Pirates, dress version with some modifications to get the look I was after ie side splits.


Day Five

Forecast - 40°C

Another 40°C day at this point is a bit meh, been there, done that, we can do it again....if we dress right!

I actually sewed these shorts up especially for today, they are a super quick sew and very comfortable to wear. They are also very cool to wear because they are a swing style there is plenty of airflow.

My tank top is made from DTY which as I said is one of my favourite summer bases.  My whole outfit again is made of 96% polyester and I was perfectly comfortable on this hot day.

My outfit is made of Black DTY and sewn into an Every Me Tank, my shorts are Pay Attention in Black Double Brushed Poly Sashay Shorts, both patterns by Pattern Emporium.

 

I hope this rundown can help you with choosing fabrics to sew for your climate, particularly if it is hot where you are living.

To help even more please visit our You Tube channel where you will find weekly videos on the new fabrics that arrive in store and we also have videos specifically on fabric bases to help you decide if it is the right base for you, some of these are linked below.

As I sew so much I could probably do a months worth of heat wave outfits and there are many other fabric bases that I would have been happy to wear so the fabrics mentioned are not the only fabrics we stock that are a great choice for a hot day.

Happy sewing to you all, stay cool.

T xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 comments

  • Great post. 🥰. I’m also suffering with you in this Perth heatwave. 41 at my place today.
    Thank you for giving a shout out to summer polyester! I couldn’t agree more. As long as the silhouette is loose and flowy modern polyesters mostly breath so well, and any “moisture” (sweat!) just wicks away and you stay nice and dry. Also, no summer ironing! Bonus. 🤓

    Kirsten
  • Great post. 🥰. I’m also suffering with you in this Perth heatwave. 41 at my place today.
    Thank you for giving a shout out to summer polyester! I couldn’t agree more. As long as the silhouette is loose and flowy modern polyesters mostly breath so well, and any “moisture” (sweat!) just wicks away and you stay nice and dry. Also, no summer ironing! Bonus. 🤓

    Kirsten
  • I have purchased the pink broderie anglaise, and, have become “stuck” on pattern choice. The clip has inspired me to move forward and stop the procrastination. Thank you.

    Kath Bennett
  • THAT. IS. INSPIRING.
    Great info and details!
    It’s sooooo hot here too,,
    Thank you

    Anne

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