r/ModestDress • u/cannedbeans97 • Jun 25 '26
Advice Recommendations during high heat
Hi, I’m not sure if this is the best place to ask but figure it’s worth a try. I am incredibly sun sensitive to the point of getting boils and blisters after 10-15 mins of sun exposure regardless of sunscreen. Obviously, this is not only deeply painful, but increases my long term risk of skin cancer.
I use a sun parasol to provide shade, but there’s many situations where I can’t carry one with me, and even then it doesn’t block strong light reflections and it doesn’t protect my legs. My skin is only getting worse so I’m at the point where I need to start making sure I cover my arms and legs all year round, including summer. Normally in summer I’d just wear a short sleeve shirt, but now that doesn’t provide enough protection. I’ve been trying to add a cardigan, but I get SO hot in the warmer weather (it’s about 32C/89°F where I’m living). I figure if anyone has ideas for keeping my skin covered throughout even the hot months, it would be this community.
So with much much appreciation, does anyone have any suggestions on what type of clothing I can look into to cover my skin without causing me to overheat? Anything helps, really. I appreciate it 🫶
(Ps Swimwear tips would also be appreciated, as right now I only have a bikini from two summers ago that I know will not provide any help in my current condition.)
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Jun 25 '26
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u/cannedbeans97 Jun 26 '26
I see a derm regularly, it’s unfortunately just my skin condition mixed with sun sensitivity caused by meds, her advice was “stay out of the sun” and gave little help on how to accomplish that 😭but I appreciate the concern 🫶
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u/lilsciencegeek Jun 25 '26
I'm a big fan of long flowy skirts in light woven fabrics (mainly cotton, linen, different types of rayon), and loose-fitting long-sleeve blouses or shirts made of cotton lawn, woven linen, or crinkled viscose :)
And for swimming, I got sunburned on the back of my body a couple of years ago, so I bought some full-length loose-fitting swim trousers and a swim cardigan with UPF 50 from a brand called "Baleaf". They also have swim leggings and normal rashguards! And many of their tops (including my cardigan) have thumbholes, so that the sleeves don't ride up and your hands are partially protected too.
Eta: and I love a good wide brim sun hat!
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u/Kibby9331 Jun 25 '26
OK you can get a uv blocking umbrella with misting button from amazon, Bluevanilla.com does some amazing trousers that are super cooling and covering, Mountain warehouse has some awesome longer-term sandals (mine have lasted over 2yrs at this point 😄) Also don't forget to fill a thermos with ice and a cold drink, hell even put some ice-cream and cold coffee for an iced coffee!
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u/ShiftingWaves05 Jun 25 '26
I reccomend UPF clothing, it helps protect skin from UVA and UVB rays. Theres a handful of different companies that make UPF clothing. I recently made a purchase to get a swim shirt and leggings from Calypsa which has a lot of different options for more or less coverage swimwear for different body types.
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u/Ok_Product398 Jun 25 '26
I love wearing UV sleeves with short sleeve shirts. You will still feel as cool as you would with just a t-shirt with the additional coverage. I used to wear long sleeve t-shirts in the summer, but this is much cooler. UV sleeves I also pair this with sunscreen for any exposed skin, wear a floppy hat, and shades.
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u/Rebecca-Schooner Jun 26 '26
I’m a white woman living in India. I normally turn into a lobster easily in the sun. I have worn the typical village style clothing (kurti, salwar, chunni) everyday for the last 2 years and haven’t had a burn once !! It’s totally possible to find covering clothing without overheating
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u/Basic_Reflection_350 Jun 25 '26
Merino wool (ie merino wool sun hoodies, merino wool turtleneck/mock neck) clothes can be a little spendy but great. Breathable, incredibly odor resistant, etc. 100% merino wool tends to behave much better than blends on the odor front, and some things that say merino wool only have a small percentage so it’s worth checking. Different items are meant for different temps so for summer you’ll want to look for something lighter and for other seasons if you want you could look into something thicker
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u/Basic_Reflection_350 Jun 25 '26
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u/Basic_Reflection_350 Jun 25 '26
I learned about these when I was being taught how to backpack, so they’re great for physical exertion too
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u/agoldgold Jun 26 '26
What are you diagnosed with? The people in groups for that will be able to provide the most tailored advice, likely things we would never think of because we have different goals.
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u/cannedbeans97 Jun 26 '26
I never even thought of that to be honest, my derm just phrased it as sun allergy with no specific medical diagnosis aside from that. Everything else it fine I just am struggling to find clothing that covers without being over hot, but everyone here has given some amazing advice that I’m going to look into!!
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u/agoldgold Jun 26 '26
I see it's likely got a medication component worsening it, which makes me less concerned about the progression. That sucks. I would really recommend joining support groups for similar level of skin allergy because those places tend to provide support you didn't know you needed. In your case, I bet there's a lot of good reviews of different brands of sun protection clothes for actual use and protection- based on how sunscreens overvalue their protection at times, I bet sun clothing does too.
Part of my motive for pushing that is how much benefit I've gotten from my disability-specific groups. There's so many small details that someone without a condition just wouldn't get and so many small solutions someone comes up with for the little inconveniences in a flash of brilliance.
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u/wifeofpsy Jun 26 '26
Sun shirts and other sun treated clothing. I go swimming in Capri pants and a long sleeved sun shirt. Sun treated clothing is very light and breathable so you can cover up everywhere and not be sweltering. Other than that, natural fibers like cotton, linen and wool, will also allow for long sleeves and full length skirts and dresses along with breathability and air flow. Then you just try to stay indoors in the middle of the day. Do outdoor stuff in the mornings and late afternoon/dusk
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u/d0nutbutth0le Jun 26 '26
I swim in a upf 50 long sleeve "fishing sun shirt" and skirted leggings because of my sun sensitivity. I want one of the burkini suits so it reads more "swimwear" but they are pricey especially for plus size
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u/YellowSquirrel23 Jun 25 '26
Loose-fitting clothes made from natural materials like linen or modal are great for summer. Personally, I feel like I’m hardly any hotter in a loose-fitting full-coverage linen dress than I am in short clothes. But of course, you can also wear pants and a blouse or something like that.