Millie’s Guide to Dealing with Summer

So, we’re mid-heatwave here in Eastern Canada, and my sympathies to Winnipeg! (Apparently it was almost 50 with humidity yesterday, which is just ludicrous, and makes me glad I didn’t take that summer job there years ago.) Couple that with the fact that I am reliant on public transit (which is not air conditioned here, and so is basically rolling greenhouses filled with sweaty people), and I’ve got a lot of bits and tricks to deal with summer heat. I’ve tried all of these, and they work for me to varying degrees, but, of course, your mileage may vary.

The Standard advice:

• Wear natural fibres. It’s unfathomable to me why anyone would wear polyester in the summer, but it’s one of those things that has to be on the list. I am a big fan of linen, and it stands up well to heat. Cotton is good too.
• Wear light, floaty clothes. Self explanatory.
• Stay hydrated. Everything feels worse when you’re thirsty.
• Leave the cardigan at home. See Katie’s post about this.
• Commuting shoes are great. Switching your shoes at the office/school/etc gives your feet a chance to air out briefly and not be stuck in sweaty shoes all day.
• Relatedly, insoles are your friend.

The Slightly Bizarre But Still Sensible:

• Put your jewelry on at your destination, or leave it off entirely. I always carry my necklace/bracelet/etc in my school bag until I get to school — it’s surprising how much this helps.
• Chill your jewelry just before you head out. If you must wear it, make it cold first. Cold water or the freezer both work, depending on the material.[EDITED TO ADD: Be careful about the freezer, since some set stones may pop loose as their settings contract. Opals should never go in the freezer. I've only done this with glass and plain metal chains, and not for long amounts of time.]
• Don’t underestimate the comfort of a clean pair of underwear. Seriously.
• Slip a strip of cotton under the underwire of your bra. This helps absorb the dreaded underboob sweat, and I find it helps prevent it a bit too. My skin is much more agreeable to having cotton next to it than synthetic bra material.
• Go braless, if possible. It makes a world of difference, and no-one is judging you. I have a few sundresses that are fitted in enough through the top that they give me support, but have a floaty skirt that’s not constricting.
• Use a fan. Sarah when to Spain once, marveled at how the women there would regularly whip fans out of their purse and fan themselves, and kindly brought me back a fan. I figure if it’s good enough for Spanish ladies, it’s good enough for me, even if I’m the only one here who uses one and I’m not nearly elegant enough to pull it off.

The Mystifyingly Effective:

• Shower in the evenings. I have no idea why this works, but it’s incredible how much more easily my body deals with heat and sweat (ie, it doesn’t sweat nearly so much or as quickly) when I shower in the evenings as opposed to first thing in the morning. Maybe it’s something about all the humidity built up by the shower? I don’t know, but it works astoundingly well throughout the day (which is the really bizarre bit — it’s not just in the mornings I notice a difference), and plus it lets me sleep in more. Win win!

Did I miss anything? How do you deal with dressing for summer heat and/or public transit?

Millie’s Words of Wisdom for a Monday Evening

There is little in life that is not substantially improved by wearing international orange coloured underpants.

Millie Daily Happy — Thrift Stores and A Plaid Coat

I know it’s sort of officially A Thing to like thrifting, but I find it much, much more fun and fruitful than shopping in conventional stores (and I’ve been going it for years before it was A Thing, or at least before I was aware it was A Thing). The city I live in has a lot of thrift stores, and I’ve found a couple in particular that I really like. I decided to blow off school work this afternoon and go shopping (ah, the perks of being a grad student), and I found quite a few fantastic items! No pictures today, but I will tell you about the gorgeous old plaid spring weight coat which I’m pretty sure was made for me. It needs a few small repairs and a good airing out, but oh my heavens it’s fabulous. Cream base, brown and green plaid, wide collar, double breasted, knee length, full rain coat yoke, huge patch pockets, kick pleat in the back… I swoon! It fits perfectly except that the sleeves could stand to be an inch or two longer, but there’s enough of a hem on the sleeves that I may be able to lengthen them. I wasn’t looking for a coat, but sometimes things leap off the rack at you. Even since the $30 emerald velvet coat I didn’t try on years and years ago for fear that I would buy it (I cannot, for the life of me, remember why I was so adamant that I could not buy this coat, because it was GORGEOUS, and I was kicking myself by the time I got home), I’ve tried on every coat that leap off the rack at me, and I’ve never been let down.