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TechnographSummer fashion keeps population looking, feeling cool
By DIONNE WALKER, The Associated Press
Posted: 6/24/08 Section: Diversions
It's one of summer's cruel ironies: The season for sassy sandals, spaghetti strap tops and flirty dresses is also the season for soaring temperatures, sweaty pits and sticky clothes.
It's hard to bring sexy back with a sweaty back.
Standbys like lighter fabrics and looser clothes, combined with a few creatively employed drug store items, can keep you looking and feeling cool, even as the mercury skyrockets.
Maintaining up to the minute - and comfortable - summer style is as much about anticipating the heat as packing provisions for the unexpected, says Suze Yalof Schwartz, fashion editor at large at Glamour.
One of the most obvious ways to keep cool is sticking to breathable fabrics like 100 percent cotton, and choosing less body-hugging fashions that let in air.
"Loose-fitting clothing in a light color cotton definitely keeps you much cooler than synthetics," says Schwartz, who named satin, silk and even cotton jersey among the worst choices.
If you're stuck with heavier fabrics, Schwartz says to look for answers in your medicine cabinet or under your sink.
Baby wipes, for one, are multipurpose summer savers: They can clean up sticky underarms, dab a glowing neck or back and even wipe grime from your feet after a day walking around in sandals.
"Throw them in the freezer, put them in your bag, use them on your face and throw them in the garbage," she says.
Another keep-cool tool may already be tucked in your purse - pantyliners.
"If you're wearing something that's tighter, a lot of people actually put really thin pads in the armpits" to absorb sweat, she says. Men who can overcome their squeamishness may also avoid sweat rings in the office this way.
Blotting powder is a must for melting makeup, Schwartz says; try Sephora for Nars' Perfecting Powder Sheets or Benefit Cosmetics' Get Even double-duty blotting powder.
Schwartz says a small misting bottle of plain water - oils or fragrances can stain - or even a little battery operated fan can also give a subtle blast of cool.
It's hard to bring sexy back with a sweaty back.
Standbys like lighter fabrics and looser clothes, combined with a few creatively employed drug store items, can keep you looking and feeling cool, even as the mercury skyrockets.
Maintaining up to the minute - and comfortable - summer style is as much about anticipating the heat as packing provisions for the unexpected, says Suze Yalof Schwartz, fashion editor at large at Glamour.
One of the most obvious ways to keep cool is sticking to breathable fabrics like 100 percent cotton, and choosing less body-hugging fashions that let in air.
"Loose-fitting clothing in a light color cotton definitely keeps you much cooler than synthetics," says Schwartz, who named satin, silk and even cotton jersey among the worst choices.
If you're stuck with heavier fabrics, Schwartz says to look for answers in your medicine cabinet or under your sink.
Baby wipes, for one, are multipurpose summer savers: They can clean up sticky underarms, dab a glowing neck or back and even wipe grime from your feet after a day walking around in sandals.
"Throw them in the freezer, put them in your bag, use them on your face and throw them in the garbage," she says.
Another keep-cool tool may already be tucked in your purse - pantyliners.
"If you're wearing something that's tighter, a lot of people actually put really thin pads in the armpits" to absorb sweat, she says. Men who can overcome their squeamishness may also avoid sweat rings in the office this way.
Blotting powder is a must for melting makeup, Schwartz says; try Sephora for Nars' Perfecting Powder Sheets or Benefit Cosmetics' Get Even double-duty blotting powder.
Schwartz says a small misting bottle of plain water - oils or fragrances can stain - or even a little battery operated fan can also give a subtle blast of cool.
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