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If you are a curious person, you might have asked yourself or someone else why astronauts wear white. You might have thought the same about brides and if you are too curious, about Tom Wolfe. Is there anything in common? We don’t think so, but the matter that we wanted to bring to the front using this example is this: light-colored clothes or a suit allow you to stay cool by fighting the heat and the light. The lighter the clothes are the cooler you will be and the darker the clothes the hotter you will be. That is the age-old myth that is rampant in society even today. Whether you shop at a brick and mortar store or an online fashion store, you have these things at the back of your mind. There might have been a dress that you liked a lot but didn’t buy it because of this assumption.
Is there any truth to it? Let’s find out.
The Assumption
This is what we assume about our clothes. If we wear dark fabrics, they will absorb a great amount of heat and this will cause you to feel all hot and bothered. But if you wear white or light-colored clothes, then the heat will bounce right off of them and you will be extremely comfortable even on a hot day. Some people even believe that brides wear white on their wedding day due to this reason.
Well, we are here to tell you that everything is not as it seems in this theory. There are other major factors that greatly affect the working of heat on your clothes. The story is not as simple as it seems. Some scientists who were really curious about this phenomenon thought about actually doing some research about it. The results that they got, stated that the color of the clothes that you wear doesn’t matter. In 1980, a group of scientists tried to find out why Bedouins who live in the desert wear black robes? Now the desert is where it is the hottest and according to our heat absorption and reflection theory, they should have been wearing white, pink or lilac, or some other light shade.
The Findings
What the researchers’ findings had them as bewildered as we are when they found that the Bedouins of the Sinai desert always wear black instead of light-colored fabrics in the oppressive heat of the desert. They set out to find the truth and even recruited a volunteer who they asked to stand in the heat in the middle of the desert so that they can record the temperature. They asked him to stand in four different types of dressings and found that the effects of heat on the body were the same in all types of clothing. They found that black clothes absorb more heat but it didn’t go any farther than the fabric. In simple terms, it can be said that although black fabric absorbs more heat, it is lost before it gets a chance to transfer into the body. A factor that they found kept the guy cool was that he wore robes that were loose and billowing. This allowed air to pass through the clothes and keep the body cool.
Another thing that plays an important role in the whole “light clothes reflects heat” theory is the person who is actually wearing the clothes. It stands to reason that if light colored clothes reflect the heat of the sun back into the atmosphere, they will also reflect the heat being radiated from the body back towards the body. This is a key factor that no one discusses. Although it is still a theory, there has been some research done on birds and their white plumage.
Results
So, at the end of the day, whether you wear black or white in hot weather or cold, it doesn’t matter a lot. What matters is that in hot weather you should wear loose and billowing clothes to keep you cool.
Wear Colors According to Your Skin Tone
Now that we know we can wear any color that we want, how do we choose which color to wear and how? We should not be choosing the colors to wear according to the seasons, we should be doing so according to our skin tones. When you wear the right colors, it helps you attract others and people see you in a more flattering way. Wearing the right colors can either enhance your looks and brighten you up or it can go against your natural color and make you look flawed and tired. What determines whether you should wear dark colors or light are your skin tone, hair color, and eye color. This is how you can easily decide what colors and shades to wear.
Skin Tone and Shades of Color
Whether you want to rock dark colors or light colors, always choose the color based on your hair and eyes. And choose the shade of the color based on your skin tone. If you are a redhead, don’t go for red, instead, go for blue. The shade of blue that you want to wear will depend on your skin tone. Similarly, if you are a brunette who has medium skin, you know you would look amazing in red. But depending on your skin tone you should choose the shade of red carefully.
Determine Your Skin’s Undertone
When we talk about skin tone, we are not just talking about the topmost layer. We are also talking about undertone. Some women have beige undertones, while others might have a pink or bluish undertone. Others still, might have a peach or warm yellow or golden undertone. If you are from the rare group of people who have a neutral undertone then you should let your hair and eye color decide the shades that you can wear. If you want to find out the undertone of your skin, look at the part of your skin that doesn’t expose to sun.
Simple Test for Finding out Your Skin Tone
One way to find out your skin tone is to use a simple white piece of paper. Hold the paper against your face and compare how your skin looks against the paper. People who have warm skin tones will have skin that looks yellowish or light brown against the paper. If your skin compares against the paper and looks blue, rosy, or even pink then you have what is called a cool skin tone. Similarly, people with skin that looks ashen or gray against a white piece of paper have neutral skin tones. This simple test can actually help to choose the right color of clothes as per your skin tones.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
Depending on your skin tone and undertone, you can choose any color that you want to wear in the cold or in the heat. Just make sure that if it is hot, then you should probably choose dresses that are billowing and loose so that the heat doesn’t get trapped inside.
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