All about 'hot' days and 'cool' wears…  

Enjoying the summer break? No more heavy bags, homework and school uniforms. Wait! Did you just wrinkle your nose and shudder at the thought of putting on that tie that is too snug? Or the nylon socks which make your feet sweat, or the shirt fabric which makes you feel all hot and bothered? Clothes are a very essential part of our daily life and it impacts our daily productivity to a great extent. Wearing comfortable clothes can really push up our energy levels. Summer is the season where you are bound to sweat constantly! Hence there are many factors that need to be considered about summer clothes. Comfort is the keyword out here. And clothes need to be picked with proper planning. When it comes to shopping due consideration must be given to the fabric. There is superb range of fabrics available in the market for summers. In summers, the best texture is one that soaks sweat and helps your skin to breathe. But while shopping one should be careful as some people are allergic to a particular type of fibers like synthetic while there are other kinds that are very skin friendly like cotton.

  Airy fares  

Cotton is no doubt the best deal, being light and water resistant. Linen can also be opted for as it is light and airy. But it creases very easily, and hence not a suitable travel wear. If you are looking out for some real cheap pocket friendly stuff, then you can try out polyester.

Parents should be cautious while buying summer clothes for their children. Most of the children complain that their school uniforms are very uncomfortable especially during summer season. Besides having potential benefits of school uniforms there are associated problems as well. During hot summer days many kids say that they feel very hot in their uniforms. Change in school uniform fabric should take place according to the weather and climate. The great debate continues about should students have to wear school uniforms? There is no definite answer as it entirely depends upon the persons beliefs. Though parents may support school uniforms are they are less expensive, compared to designer outfits, and also for its durability

Silk, wools and synthetic material like nylon are an absolute no during the summer in India. Also avoid materials that have more glimmer and shine. Rather opt for natural fabrics like cotton, linen or similar sheer materials.

Now that we are officially in summer, we have started wearing summer clothing again. Here are few eco-friendly and energy saving tips for keeping those clothes looking crisp.

Adding ½ cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle of a medium load of whites will lightly bleach the clothing. This technique is especially effective on clothes that are then hung to dry on the line.

The minerals in hard water can grey clothes. If you have very hard water, add ½ cup of vinegar to your rinse water.

A dryer uses lots of energy and is expensive to operate. Fresh air and sunshine are completely free of charge. If you have the facility to hang up laundry outside, let the Sun do the drying for you.

Washing in cold water saves on energy bill and keeps clothes from fading. Most of the energy used to wash laundry is used to heat the water for your load.

• Cotton is one of the most used natural fibers in existence today, with consumers from all classes and nations wearing and using cotton in a variety of applications. Cotton is a soft, fluffy, staple fiber that grows in a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile.
• Nylon is a synthetically-produced fabric. It was first developed as a substitute for imported silk. Women’s stockings were the first commercial use of nylon. Because it has strong fibers which are also stretchy, nylon is used to make many different things including clothing, upholstery and carpet, rope, tents and fishing line.
• Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather.
• Polyester is lightweight and durable synthetic fabrics with easy care, wrinkle resistance, stretch resistance and shrink resistance. Polyester is also faster drying, easier to dye and scratch resistant.
• Muslin is a type of closely-woven unbleached or white cloth, produced from corded cotton yarn. Muslin breathes well, and is a good choice of material for clothing meant for hot, dry climates.