Best Summer Clothing Colors Posted on June 27, 2022 under Blog. | no comments.
The best summer clothing colors are lighter shades because darker colors get hotter quicker. That makes sense but do you know the science behind it?
We’ve talked about this subject before in our blog, but a recent weather report gave a great example and explanation. Jason Dunning, Meteorologist at NBC-2, demonstrated how hot black, red and white shirts get in the sunlight.
After 20 minutes outside in the sun on a recent 94-degree day, the black shirt was 130 degrees. The black shirt absorbs the light and converts it to heat energy. The red shirt reached 122 degrees. It reflects some of the sun’s rays but absorbs quite a bit.
However, the coolest color was white, rising to 100 degrees, because it reflects the sunlight back out into the atmosphere. It was only 6 degrees warmer than the actual temperature while black was 36 degrees hotter. That’s a big difference!
More on the science
Colors do not absorb the same amounts of heat, only heat from light. For example, a dark colored shirt and a light-colored shirt coming out of the dryer at the same time will be the same temperature.
However, light color clothes reflect more light when a person is outside so the accompanying heat from the sun is reflected as well. Since dark clothes reflect little solar light, they reflect little solar heat and are hotter as a result.
Different wavelengths, or colors of light, have different amounts of energy. Black clothes or other objects absorb all wavelengths of light and converts them into heat energy, warming the object. White reflects all light energy and thereby, heat energy.
Best Summer Clothing Colors
Now that we’ve had our science lesson, it’s easy to see why dark colors get hotter than light colors in the sunlight. That’s a good fact to know when you live in Southwest Florida. With temperatures that can reach the triple digits, sizzling sunny days, and high humidity, it can be stifling.
Do all you can to avoid making it any hotter. Don’t wear black if you’ll be spending much time outside. Instead, reach for the bright white shirts!
