Q. I only moved to Little Rock last year and the summer was hot but nothing like this year. I don’t remember ever being affected by the heat so much as during the last few weeks. Much of my work involves being out or in locations without air conditioning. No clothing seems light enough to keep me cool without looking entirely unprofessional. When I can wear informal clothing, even with sunscreen, I am getting burned. What are appropriate choices?

A. The good news is that summer dressing is always more casual and relaxed than other seasons. However, trying to dress for comfort as well as healthful protection can be complicated. Even though lightweight and loosely-woven fabrics will feel cooler on, still their open weave also means UV radiation can penetrate the fabric and reach your skin. There are various new products designed to protect you from the UV rays of the sun, such as shirts with what is called UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor). These can help reduce your risk of burns. 

That said, different people react quite differently to various fibers. Many are uncomfortable wearing synthetic outside in hot weather; others are big fans of the new treated fabrics – in shirts with UPF or with long sleeves. L.L. Bean, for example, makes their Sunsmart shirts which are 57% polyester and 43% nylon. These are favorites with athletes who like their quick-drying, water-wicking quality. Other companies produce their own brands with different synthetic mixtures. You can even do some of this yourself with a laundry product called SunGuard, which is a powder you add to laundry detergent that coats clothes with sunscreen.

Beyond these (and particularly if you are not comfortable with those above), I still believe in the tried and true approaches to dressing for the heat: 

There is no reason not to use a high SPF, and every reason to do so. Aging skin and the tremendous risk of skin cancer are dramatically reduced with the efforts of simple sun block, and the thought that a light version is a good idea is just naive. I’d rather see a man with a white leather belt than one not caring for his skin . . . And you all know I dislike white belts.

Please send your men’s dress and grooming questions to MALE CALL: Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net

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