Summer clothing for sunlight-sensitive people

May 14, 2021 11:01 AM

I (43M) take medication that causes sunlight sensitivity. Even though I live in a relatively shady area of the world, I will turn pink and begin to burn after 15-20 minutes of being outside. I need suggestions for dressing in summer weather while staying as covered and/or unburned as possible. Bonus if it's cool temperature clothing, as summertimes can hit 100F in my region.

I live in the USA, so clothing tends to be light or scant during hot summer months. I'm bald, which compounds the sun sensitivity problem. Going to the park or beach currently means resigning myself to a severe sunburn, even with sun block on.

I'd like to stay within relatively normal Western clothing styles (i.e. American/European dress), but I realize long sleeves, some loose tunic, or other clothing is necessary.

posted by jibberish to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

Coolibar has high-quality clothing for those of us who need to be protected from the sun. I’ve only ever gotten stuff from the women’s line but it’s all rated with specific SPF and seems like it’s going to last awhile. Lots of choices in the men’s section!
posted by corey flood at 11:09 AM on May 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

Generally, synthetic fibers are much better protection from sun than natural fibers. Polyester in particular is an excellent UV protector because of its benzene rings, and nylon is okay. Cotton and other natural fibers are poor unless the clothing is thick and dark colored (e.g. jeans). I saw a chart a few years ago that I will have to try to dig up.

Have you tried any UV-protective clothing? They're typically expensive but tend to be pretty light and airy - although they cover your body in clothing, they feel much less heavy and hot than you'd expect it to feel. My parents wear Solumbra UV clothing multiple times a week in a very hot and sunny part of the US to go hiking for several hours (long pants and long-sleeved shirts). They report that the lack of hot sun beaming down on their skin actually makes them feel cooler, in spite of the long sleeves etc. I especially like Solumbra, which is extremely light and airy, but some like Coolibar. I also have some shirts from Patagonia and other outdoor brands. Usually the UV protection lasts the life of the garment, which is nice. If you search for "UPF clothing", you should fine various options.

You can also buy wash-in UV protector. It's a powder, if I remember correctly, and you put it in your washing machine load. It only works on natural fibers (cotton, linen, etc.), and it lasts a certain number of washes (20?). It's actually an optical brightener. It works in clothing to block UV light from penetrating. So if you find clothing that covers your skin that you like, but it's cotton or linen, this is a good option.
posted by ClaireBear at 11:12 AM on May 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

Good recs above - in clothing, the sun protection factor is called "UPF", so just searching for clothes with UPF will give you lots of options. The dedicated sun protection brans do tend to be expensive, but they basically work as advertised. And even, like, Target and Old Navy sell UPF basics nowadays.

If you don't want to go with the officially-UPF types of clothes, basically any clothes that cover your body are better than actual exposure. Even a loose-weave long-sleeve white linen shirt is going to protect you better than leaving your arms naked.

For your head/neck/face you will also want to find a brimmed hat that you like, or learn to love beanies and scarves. Again, something polyester with UPF will be the most effective, but if the only hat you can tolerate is, like, straw with holes in it that's still going to be better than nothing.
posted by mskyle at 11:25 AM on May 14, 2021

I have the women's version of this lightweight parka from Uniqlo and I absolutely love it. It is light enough to feel cool in direct sun, I took it to Costa Rica and used it at the beach and on hikes.
posted by missmobtown at 11:41 AM on May 14, 2021

I shop Columbia, particularly their PFG line made for fishers uncovered on the water. I also wear a lot of long sleeve linen in the summer.
posted by bfranklin at 12:04 PM on May 14, 2021

Uniqlo has a lot of options for lightweight UV protection.
posted by Julnyes at 12:31 PM on May 14, 2021

Patagonia makes a lot of sun-protective clothing, both technical and more regular-looking.
posted by box at 12:41 PM on May 14, 2021

Coolibar mentioned above has SPF clothing. LL Bean has a UPF Sunsmart range and Lands End have some very basic go with everything looking pieces. Pretty much any outdoor hiking or sports store will sell sun protection clothing now a days, often designed specifically for hot climates. The vast majority just look like tshirts or shirts, Columbia and Patagonia both have a range. As an Aussie used to hot weather, sometimes having light, wicking fabric on can be more cooling than being in short sleeves specially if you get something looser fitting than normal as the fabric keeps the direct heat of the sun off your skin.
posted by wwax at 1:03 PM on May 14, 2021

The American Skincancer Society has approved products and clothing that meet certain sun protective / UPF standards listed here - but other brands not listed on this page probably work just as well - they just haven't paid for the certification.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 5:38 PM on May 14, 2021

A very fashionable young friend of mine who had pretty horrifying Mohs surgery on her forehead skin cancer prefers UPF/SPF arm protectors over long-sleeved technical or SPF fabric, for hot weather purposes. If you are fairly slim-armed you can find extremely cute Asian ones but my friend just generally buys white or pastel (so they don't get hot in the sun). Everything else is pretty easy to handle with regular clothing and giant hats, but arms and hands seem to be the hardest part.

Don't forget parasols/umbrellas, it definitely makes a temperature difference when it's especially hot and sunny out.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:08 PM on May 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

See shops that cater to fly fishing persons that need stylish sun protection: Orvis, Patagonia, Simms, Royal Robbins, etc.
posted by artdrectr at 11:09 PM on May 14, 2021

The Crater Lake hoody from Mountain Hardware is the best sun shirt I’ve ever worn. I have three of the women’s version. It’s actually light and breathable enough for summer hikes, has extra-long sleeves with thumb holes to cover the backs of your hands, and a hood to protect your head/neck.

For a less casual style, the Ex Oficio sun shirts are also breathable and comfortable, though I find myself rolling up my sleeves when it’s really hot.

I’ve been searching for long-sleeved hot weather clothing for a long time. Lots of synthetic tops are too thick or too plasticky, but the two above actually work.
posted by ohkay at 2:00 AM on May 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Australian sun protection clothing company Solbari has a US distributor.
posted by fairmettle at 3:41 AM on May 15, 2021

I have several different UV protective clothing items from a few different brands, and my hands-down favorite is this Uniqlo Airism Mesh UV Protective Hoodie. I have four in different colors, and I also got them for my kids to wear as an alternative if they don’t want sunscreen on their arms/back. I also put the hood up on my mostly-bald toddler since she always takes her hat off.

Uniqlo has several different Airism fabrics, and for some odd reason this one seems to only come in women’s and kids sizes - but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work as a men’s hoodie, the cut is pretty basic.
posted by insectosaurus at 10:06 AM on May 15, 2021