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Keep It Cool

When summer comes we want to be as cool and comfortable as possible. Summer in Texas can be brutally hot, so you’ll find us wearing cotton, linen and other natural fibers that breathe whether we’re at home, work or out and about. But if we’re going fishing, birding, hiking or out on a boat, you just might find us wearing technical clothing. This is clothing that protects us from the sun while wicking moisture and drying quickly. At Whole Earth, no matter the activity, you’ll find clothing to help you keep it cool on hot summer days.

Natural Fibers

Cotton and linen are classic summer fabrics. They can be woven into lightweight materials that are airy and cool. Some of our favorite warm weather clothes combine cotton or linen with a loose fit for a breezy feel and good looks. Howler Brothers has some sharp looking cotton clothes for summer 2021.

Howler Brothers Men's San Gabriel Short Sleeve Shirt

The Howler Brothers San Gabriel Short Sleeve Shirt is made of 100% lightweight cotton woven in a Kalaidoscope Dobby pattern. The Dobby weave is often used for geometric patterns, and the San Gabriel is a prime example of the beauty that can be created using that style of weaving. The shirt has a button front flap pocket, shirttail hem, coconut buttons and a microfiber patch at the hem to keep your glasses or sunglasses smudge free.

Howler Brothers Men's Clarksville Walk Shorts

So what are you going to wear with the San Gabriel shirt? We suggest a pair of Clarksville Walk Shorts. They’re made of mostly cotton (98% cotton) with a touch of spandex (2% spandex) to provide a bit of give for added comfort. The front pockets are deep and reinforced, the back pockets have snap closures and there’s a secret snap pocket! Want to look sharp at the next outdoor gathering or when traveling? Pair up the San Gabriel Shirt and the Clarksville Walk Shorts for a look that’s sharp, cool and comfortable.

When it comes to linen, FLAX has got you covered. Their clothing is made of linen that is grown, woven and sewn in Lithuania. The fabrics vary from a lightweight handkerchief to a more substantial medium weight. FLAX offers collections of their linen creations that include sleepwear, classic traveling clothes, and cool clothing for summer in bold beautiful colors.  

FLAX Women's Roadie Top

One of our favorite FLAX pieces for this summer is the Women’s Roadie Top in a Glen Plaid. FLAX uses subtle details like bust darts, a bias cut back with a center seam, a wide hem, and side slits to create a flattering fit in this classic sleeveless top. They also give the top extra room and movement. Made of lightweight linen, it’s breezy on hot days. Wear it with the FLAX Women's South Side Skirt for a long cool elegant look. 

FLAX Women's Sleeveless Bias Top

One of the most flattering pieces that FLAX has ever made is the FLAX Women's Sleeveless Bias Top. The secret is in the bias cut which gives the top a beautiful drape. The shoulder straps are wide for good coverage. This piece looks fabulous with pants, shorts and skirts. Try the Bias Top with a pair of white FLAX Women's Floods Pants for a cool eye-catching combination or kick up the contrast with some of the other bright colors in the FLAX Bold Collection.

Blends

You’re familiar with blends. When you look at the fabric content label in clothes, you’ll often see combinations of natural and manmade fibers. Cotton, linen and hemp are often combined with manmade fibers like Tencel. So what is Tencel? It’s similar to rayon (i.e. viscose) as it’s made of “regenerated cellulose” fibers. Manufacturers take wood pulp, dissolve it in a chemical solvent, then push it through an extruder to form the fibers. Tencel has a good drape, is somewhat wrinkle resistant, is breathable and soft. Companies like Patagonia and prAna use Tencel as it employs a non-toxic solvent in a closed-loop system where none of the solvent ends up in the wastewater.

Patagonia Women's Garden Island Tiered Dress    

Patagonia’s Garden Island Tiered Dress is made a blend of 55% Hemp and 45% Tencel lyocell made of Eucalyptus. As you might expect, this sundress has a beautiful drape and is soft on the skin. The drop waist keeps the dress breezy and gives extra freedom of movement. There are side seam pockets, adjustable straps and a gathered back to give a neat, finished look. Take this dress traveling, or for everyday wear to run errands, shop the farmers’ market, or hang out with friends.

prAna Women's Foundation Slouch Top     

prAna’s Foundation Slouch Top is made of a blend of 95% Tencel Modal made of Beech and 5% Spandex to give extra strength and flexibility to the fabric. Slouch in this instance has nothing to do with posture but with the drop shoulder sleeves. This top gets extra style points for its back yoke, center back seam, and slightly dropped back hem, details that give it a flattering shape. Soft and comfortable, this top looks great with shorts, pants and skirts.

Technical Fabrics

Technical fabrics are constructed with manmade fibers that wick moisture away from the body and then dry quickly. They often include UPF protection and sometimes even bug protection that is applied either to the fibers or to the finished fabric before the garment is sewn.

ExOfficio Men's BugsAway Halo Long Sleeve Shirt

ExOfficio’s BugsAway Halo Long Sleeve Shirt is made of nylon, which doesn’t sound cool, but it’s a shirt made for outdoor adventures in the bright hot sun. The material wicks moisture away from the body and then quickly dries while the mesh back vent keeps air circulating. The shirt provides UPF 45 sun protection and has the BugsAway Insect shield that repels mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and flies. The fibers of the fabric are treated with Permethrin which lasts for up to 70 washes.

ExOfficio Men's BugsAway Mojave Convertible Pants

The ExOfficio BugsAway Mojave Convertible Pants are also made of nylon but with a touch (3%) of Elastane to give the pants some stretch for added mobility along with the inseam gusset. Like the Halo Shirt, these pants come with BugsAway protection against mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and flies. The fibers of the fabric are treated with Permethrin which lasts for up to 70 washes. The pants can be converted to shorts with a quick zip, and the pants also have ankle zippers on the seam so you can take the pants off without having to remove your shoes.

So as you can see, it takes all kinds of fabrics to keep cool in the summer. From natural fibers like cotton, linen and hemp, to blends and technical fabrics, we’ll help you find the right clothing to keep cool on your summer adventures or for everyday at Whole Earth.