ERIN SIMMONS studio

So much of the way we get dressed is shaped by culture.

We learn what’s appropriate, what looks good, and what signals something about who we are. But in that process, we often overlook something much more immediate:

how clothing actually performs in the environment we’re in.

One of the biggest disconnects I see is between clothing and climate.

This Isn’t Just About Hot Weather

Last week, I wrote about my trip to Arizona during an unseasonably hot stretch and what I wore to stay both cool and protected from the sun.

This week, I want to zoom out.

Because this isn’t just about hot weather.

It’s about understanding how different climates require different strategies—and how most people are not dressing with that in mind.

Where This Starts

I grew up in Idaho.

Winters were cold. Spring was often cold and wet. And because I grew up on a sheep ranch, I spent a lot of time outside during some of the most unpredictable weather of the year.

Spring meant lambing season.

It could be warm and sunny one day and snowing the next.

Dressing appropriately wasn’t optional.

It was functional.

Layers Are Not Enough

We’ve all heard that layering is the best way to dress for changing weather.

That’s true.

But it’s incomplete.

Because what your layers are made of matters just as much as the fact that you’re wearing them.

A Simple Example: Cotton

If you’re wearing a cotton t-shirt as your base layer and it gets wet, you’re going to be cold.

It doesn’t matter how many layers you have on top.

Cotton is hydrophilic, which means it absorbs moisture easily. But it also has low thermal retention, meaning it doesn’t hold heat.

So once it’s wet, it pulls heat away from your body—and stays cold.

Compare That to Wool

Wool behaves very differently.

It is also hydrophilic, but its fiber structure pulls moisture away from the skin and allows it to evaporate slowly. At the same time, it has high thermal retention, meaning it holds warmth close to the body.

That combination makes it ideal for cold environments.

Not All Heat Is the Same

There’s a difference between dressing for dry heat and humid heat.

And this is where a lot of people get it wrong.

Cotton in Dry Heat

In a dry climate, like a desert, cotton can work well.

It absorbs sweat, and because the air is dry, that moisture evaporates quickly. That evaporation helps cool the body.

Cotton in Humid Heat

In a humid environment, the situation changes.

Now you have moisture coming from your body and from the air.

Cotton absorbs that moisture, but because the air is already saturated, it can’t evaporate effectively.

The result?

Fabric that stays damp, clings to the body, and makes you feel hotter and more uncomfortable.

This is why a cotton t-shirt that feels fine in Arizona can feel unbearable in the southern United States.

Fabric Is Not a Detail

Most people treat fabric as a secondary consideration.

Color, silhouette, and trend tend to come first.

But in reality, fabric determines:

• How heat is managed
• How moisture moves
• How your body feels over time

If the fabric is wrong for the climate, the outfit doesn’t work.

It doesn’t matter how good it looks.

A Practical Starting Point

If you’re shopping for a trip or trying to build a wardrobe that works in your climate, start with fabric.

Think of this less as a strict list and more as a set of keywords that will lead you in the right direction.

(Note: these are natural and semi-synthetic fibers. Petroleum-based synthetics are intentionally excluded.)

Hot & Dry — search for:

• Cotton
• Linen (Irish linen)
• Lyocell
• Ramie
• Rayon / Viscose
• Cotton lawn
• Raw silk

Hot & Humid — search for:

• Seersucker
• Cotton gauze
• Open weave cotton
• Linen
• Cotton voile
• Lyocell
• Rayon / Viscose

Cold — search for:

• Merino wool
• Cashmere
• Mohair
• Angora
• Silk (base layer)

The Larger Point

Most people think their clothes aren’t working because of how they look.

But more often, they’re not working because of how they function.

When you start paying attention to climate, fabric, and how clothing behaves over time, getting dressed becomes more intuitive.

You’re not guessing.

You’re responding to your environment.