Hi! As heatwave scorches Europe, the second problem I’m a little afraid of (especially as someone without any melanin in my skin) is the sun. I’ve seen someone mentioning a sun shirt but trying to find real information online is very confusing, especially with EU in mind ( I see US has something called UPF) and if you are not looking for ads. Maybe someone knows something about it?
Surprised that no one’s talking about linen, which is one of the most solarpunk materials I can think of.
I am also extremely pale and burn very easily, and my family has a history of skin cancer so that’s fun too! Don’t worry about UPF ratings or special sun shirts or anything like that. Your goals are, 1, keep the sun from touching your skin, and 2, stay cool so you don’t overheat during the heatwave. Linen fabric will do both.
Get yourself a long sleeve linen button-up - mine are from the thrift store to avoid buying new, but if you have to buy new then you have to. You can wear it over your normal tank top or shirt. This will keep the sun off your arms and it’ll keep you cool. Forget polyester anything. Linen fibers are long and moisture wicking due to the properties of the plant its made from and you’ll literally feel a very light cooling effect just by touching it. Even better option is to moisten your shirt with water when you’re outside, if you can, because the water evaporating + the linen fibers will keep you so unbelievably cool it’ll be like upper body air-con.
Skip shorts, even though it’s tempting to expose more skin to keep cool. Go for long linen pants, something loose and flowy if possible. As the fabric moves around while you walk, it’ll cool you even further. Lightweight cotton is also a good option.
Linen blends are okay - I’d skip linen-polyester, personally, because there is nothing that traps heat like polyester fabric (it’s just plastic), but your mileage will vary. My favorite is linen-rayon because it moves and drapes very nicely, and linen-cotton is quite nice too c:
Lastly, get yourself a wide brimmed hat to protect your scalp and face from sun, or you can wrap a lightweight scarf over your head and drape it around your neck and then just wear a lot of sunscreen on your face. Remember to reapply every two hours if you’re out in the sun. Sunscreen on your hands too. Cotton socks and cotton underwear will prevent any fungal issues (if you’re going to be in hot weather, I recommend packing an extra pair of each to switch into partway through the day). And lastly… my best trick, taught to me by my partner: scrap of linen cloth or a linen scarf soaked in water and draped around your neck. Trust me. It feels HEAVENLY. A cotton rag will also work if that’s all you’ve got!
TL;DR: dress in long layers made of linen which will keep the sun from touching your skin and naturally cool you off c: