Hot Weather Footwear

Sandals – One of man’s oldest forms of footwear, they are nonetheless a very informal type of footwear and should be worn accordingly.  Coming in a wide variety of styles, they range in their level of casualness based on the extent they show the feet and from what material they are made (leather being dressier than synthetic materials).  Hence a pair of plastic flip flops are laid back pool-wear, leather flip flops could be worn to a beach party, while strapped leather sandals are fine for a casual summer get-together with good friends. Keep your toenails clipped and clean when out and about in sandals. Wearing socks with one’s sandals is almost universally considered a faux pas and rather defeats the purpose of wearing sandals in the first place.

Hot Weather Clothing; Jeans and Hats

Denim Jeans & Heat
Blue jeans are not my first choice when it comes to lower body wear on a day exceeding 90 degrees.  Although normally made from cotton, their extremely tight weave and treated fabric inhibit much of the positive attributes of the fabric and with no vents they can trap in heat and cause excessive sweating.  The only exception would be very lightweight denim that has been washed extensively.

Hot Weather Clothing; Shorts

Shorts are casual-wear, period.  No matter how you dress them up they are not in the same league as trousers made from a similar fabric.  Outside the US they are not universally accepted as appropriate for wear in public; many still view them as children’s wear or suitable only when worn for sport.  Looking to make a strong first impression? Think twice about wearing shorts.  That being said, shorts are not going anywhere and are accepted as casual weekend and active wear throughout the US.