What colors not to wear on a hot day?

Author: Brielle Bahringer DDS  |  Last update: Monday, October 6, 2025

Dark colors like black, dark brown, deep navy, and charcoal gray absorb more sunlight and heat than lighter shades. This absorption can make you feel hotter and less comfortable in high temperatures. Dark-colored clothing tends to trap heat close to the body.

What colors should you avoid in hot weather?

Black is known to absorb heat, so best avoided wearing during a heatwave. In fact, black absorbed 86% of the infrared that struck it during the tests, compared to the white polo shirt at only 63%. Other darker colors to avoid wearing include blue, light green, and dark green.

What is the best color to wear on a hot day?

The most cooling color to wear in the summer is typically light colors, particularly white and pastels. These colors reflect sunlight rather than absorb it, helping to keep you cooler. Light shades of blue, green, and yellow can also be good options.

What should you not wear when it's hot?

  • Heavy Fabrics : Materials like wool, velvet, or heavy denim can trap heat and cause discomfort.
  • Dark Colors : Dark colors absorb more heat from the sun.
  • Tight Clothing : Tight-fitting clothes can restrict airflow and increase sweating.
  • Synthetic Materials

What color repels heat the best?

In today's video, we're diving into a fascinating study from the National Institute of Environmental Studies in Japan that reveals the best colors to wear in the heat to keep you cool. The results? White, yellow, and light gray are the shades you need to beat the heat!

Do’s and Dont’s Hot Weather Outfits| Effortless Summer Outfits

What color is best to wear in the sun?

Dark or bright colors

Darker colors, such as blue or black, absorb more UV rays than lighter shades like whites and pastels. This means the UV rays are less likely to reach your skin. But bright colors, like red, can also absorb UV rays.

Which color gets hottest in the sun?

Darker colors absorb more sunlight than lighter colors, which is why darker colors get warmer more quickly in the sunlight than lighter colors. The lighter colors reflect more of the sun's radiant energy, so they remain cooler to touch in the sunlight.

What is best to wear in extreme heat?

Choose light colors: Wearing light colors that reflect the sun's rays rather than absorb them (as dark colors can) helps keep you cool. Look for shirts, shorts, pants and hats in white, tan or khaki.

What not to wear this summer?

Avoid Heavy Fabric

Heavy fabrics such as denim or wool not only make your outfit feel heavy, but can also feel hot and sticky under the heat. You'll end up feeling uncomfortable for the rest of your day. Instead, you can opt for more light and airy fabrics such as cotton and linen.

Can I wear red in the summer?

Summer is perhaps the season that feels most challenged by red. Your softer pinks can feel much safer than going for bold vibrant red, but as long as you choose the right tones, you can take it pretty far into red territory without losing your cool and soft Summer look.

Which color t shirt would be the coolest to wear on a sunny day?

Light-Colored, Loose-Fitting Clothing: Light-colored clothing reflects the sun's rays better than dark colors, which absorb heat. Loose fits allow air circulation, which helps evaporate sweat and cools your body naturally.

Is black bad to wear in the sun?

Black and dark colors absorb more UV rays than other colors, which will ensure they don't hit your skin as much. Essentially, the darker the color, the more sun protection it will offer. Besides black, other dark colors that can provide a level of sun protection include navy, maroon, and dark gray.

What color to wear is most attractive?

Sidhu and colleagues found that black and red clothing produced the highest ratings of body attractiveness and slimmer body size judgments. In contrast, grey and green clothes produced the lowest body attractiveness and highest body size assessments.

What color is best to wear on a hot day?

Color Reflectivity

Light Colors Reflect Sunlight: Opt for colors like white, light blue, and pastels. These colors reflect more sunlight, helping to keep your body temperature lower. Avoid Dark Colors: Dark colors absorb more heat, making you feel warmer.

What colors should warm people avoid?

Colors with undertones that are warm (yellow, peach, or red) will be less attractive for your complexion. People with warm skin tones and complexion will look best in colors with the same undertones. If you have a warm complexion, avoid colors in your clothing and cosmetics that have cool (blue) undertones.

What colors should summers avoid?

Stay away from bright and warm hues as these colours are the direct opposite of the muted and cool summer colours that look best on you. More specifically, avoid warm yellow golds, oranges, beige, camel and peach. These warm colours will overpower and drain your cool colouring.

What colors not to wear in summer?

The National Weather Service in Kansas City has found certain clothing colors can help you feel a little cooler during those high temperatures. Dark colors will attract more heat, so it's best to avoid dark colored clothing like black or maroon.

What to not wear when it's hot?

Avoid cotton, silk, and linen, which absorb moisture, and keep the heat close to your body.

What not to wear to look cheap?

Dresses with elastic waistbands, especially ones made out of cheap material with excess ruffling. It's a way for brands to get away with not having to do precise sizing but it can easily look frumpy. What to wear instead: Form fitting dresses with a lot of attention to detail and hug you in all the right places.

What color shirt keeps you the coolest?

Here's how they all finished, from coolest-to-hottest.
  1. White. If you remember from high school science class, white is the color that absorbs the least light of all colors, and therefore a lot less heat. ...
  2. Yellow. Solid showing for yellow, which finished alone in second. ...
  3. Gray. ...
  4. Red. ...
  5. Purple. ...
  6. Blue. ...
  7. Green. ...
  8. Dark Green.

Is it better to wear pants or shorts in hot weather?

In hot weather, you should prefer light and breathable clothes. Shorts or long pants, it depends on personal preferences. Some people prefer long pants even if it is humid, while others prefer shorts. No matter what dress you wear it is essential to consider the fabric suitable for the weather condition.

What should be avoided in extreme heat?

Protect Yourself from Extreme Heat
  • Check the forecast. ...
  • Never leave pets or people in a car. ...
  • Drink water. ...
  • Find air conditioning. ...
  • Keep your house cool. ...
  • Dress appropriately and wear sunscreen. ...
  • Avoid strenuous activities. ...
  • Check on your family and friends.

What is the best color to wear against the sun?

Of all colours tested, dark blue offered the best levels of UV protection, making it the best colour to wear in the sun. Contrary to the popular belief that they are the coolest colours in the sun, white and yellow were the worst performing colours in terms of UV protection.

What color does not attract the sun?

That's why dark blue, black, and dark red are the best colors for sun protection compared to white or pastel colors of the same fabric.

What colors attract heat?

The specific order from least to greatest amount of heat absorption is: clear, orange, yellow, red, green, purple, and blue. In conclusion, darker colors will warm up more quickly and absorb more heat in sunlight than lighter colors. This knowledge can be useful in everyday life.

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