Friday Fashion Lab: Black vs White
Two summers ago, after Creationfest, I proved scientifically that a black shirt is up to 11 degrees hotter in the sun than a white shirt. Read on …
Why Superchick
I am so sorry I couldn’t get more pictures of well-dressed music festival goers. As the event wore on, the outfits seemed to get worse. Since when is ordinary beige bra + spaghetti strap top acceptable to wear in public?
Almost without exception, they violated my sense of propriety on one or more of three points:
- Visible lingerie straps.
- Pants with no (arms and no) legs.
- Dark colors.
Yes, one of these offenses is not like the others.
However, when dressing to be outdoors all day in 100 degree temperatures, it would be useful to know exactly how much difference the heat absorbancy properties of the color black makes. So I tested it for you.
First I bought two identical thermometers. I then put them side by side in the shade of my front yard to make sure they read the same. They did (86). But when I moved them into my south-facing side yard (”the hot-spot of the universe”), they varied a little. One went up to 106.5, the other to 104.2.
Using shirts which I bought at around the same time, Gap Short-sleeved favorite T - white and black, I set the white one over the thermometer which read higher and the black one over the other and went away for 15 or 20 minutes.
The results: the temperature of the thermometer covered by the white tee actually dropped a degree, to 105.4. The black? That thermometer read 109.2!
Today I repeated the experiment. My hero suggested that I try angling the thermometers toward the sun to get them to read more similarly, an idea which worked. Today, at around noon, when the temperature started out at 96, the results were even more dramatic: 103.8 vs 114.3! (BTW, msn weather says it’s 91 here today.)
How about you? I am totally convinced! And just in time, too, it’s great white hunting out there right now.
Behind me is the bathroom.
I definitely agree about spaghetti strap tops. If you can’t wear a strapless bra, then at least wear a shrug! I’m slightly more forgiving about straps peeking out with tank tops (and even then only in the most casual atmosphere), but straps really do look awful with spaghetti strap tops.
Great idea to actually test the theory that white is more cool to wear than black. A lot of my wardrobe is dark, so I’ve been on the look out for lighter colors now that the temperatures are back in the 90s. I have two all white day dresses that I love to wear in the heat. One is a halter top with a built in bra and it has got to be one of the coolest outfits I own. I get so many compliments on it and people have even commented about how cool it must be to wear (with just a bit of envy detectable in their voices). Before this year I was a bit nervous about wearing white all over (well, except on my wedding day). I’ve become a convert, though, especially after I found out that white all over is just about as slenderizing as any monochrome.
Wow, those shorts are amazing.
Thanks for doing the white vs. black experiment. I’ve been very drawn to white all year. White is my cheerful color - bouys my mood. Luckily my white puffer coat that I wore all winter is warm, anyway.
When it’s hot and I have to be out, I feel bette,r psychologically, in clothes that appear cool to me. For years, my desperation dress - when I couldn’t take any more heat - was my old maternity dress - cool, floaty, cotton blend with roomy cap sleeves, empire style
, in an all-over blended print of icy pastels. I finally got rid of it but have missed it. Just bought in the nightgown department a short sleeved Egyptian cotton knit knee length “dress” in white with a small scattered floral print of rose, blue and sage green leaves. Still has that white glow and lights up my face. Six dollars.
My real coup was a yard sale dress that I got for $2. A white cotton blend dress with an easy fit. Short sleeves, round neck with a Peter Pan “collar” that is a stitched on piece - so only suggested. Drawstring waist, snap back, little tabs at waist for a neat look, some pleating falling from the tabs. A health care uniform! I wear it with luggage tan thong sandals with a large flat leather self-flower and a luggage tan belt, when not too hot for a belt. Thought I’d be clever and add more of these nice retro looking dresses. Checked out these kind of uniforms on line. Nothing so nice and all of them around fifty dollars.
If only I could wear white and stay clean!
In my wardrobe white is pretty much reserved for special circumstances or tops. I have a lovely off white pair of dress pants — for special occasions.
That is a fascinating experiment! Really!
Meg ~ I want your dress! It sounds like the absolute coolest thing to wear and, as long as it’s not too low-cut, I would consider it modest enough for an extreme hot situation.
Vildy ~ those are those same blue-striped shorts that I’ve worn in other pictures. They certainly don’t photograph well!
Your comments about white dresses bring up the topic of air movement, why we are more comfortable in skirts. My outfit for the first day of the festival, pictured back here, is better than this one, because the t-shirt knit just lays against the skin while the woven cotton sheeting of the blouse allows for air movement.
I’m loving white too!
Wendy ~ I agree it’s hard to stay clean in white. Which is why my best extreme hot weather outfits are light (both in color and in weight) shorts (or skirt) and white top. But after this event, which I hope to be invited back to next year, I am seriously contemplating a pair of white linen short-sleeved pants I found for $6 yesterday. They fit really well, only two problems: the pockets showed through (could I take them out?) and they were dry-clean only (could I dare washing and hang-drying with a polyester lining?). What do you think?
Katie ~ your summer sounds busy like mine! I am taking a mental vacation for the month of August (although that will not affect the blog). Thanks for taking time to leave a comment!
As far as I can remember, the bra-strap and spaghetti strap combo have been around for at least 10 years now. I lived in Arizona in the late 90’s and that was deriguer for the surroundings. Many even made the undergarment optional.
Linen, white, and pink are my top summer choices.
Black is totally out of my wardrobe because of a white cat in residence.
~Anna
The visible bra straps make me batty. I’m from the South and was taught that visible bra straps were the epitome of tacky. Apparently that is no longer the case, even at church!! I’m waiting for an opportunity to say something about it, but doubt it will come. Where are these girls mothers (it is mainly teenagers I see doing this)?
Cool experiment.
I am convinced that all white pants that are not very sturdy material should have the pockets cut out. This is also true for many lined white pants where they still show through.
Anna ~ I also love linen, white, and pink! So fresh and summery!
There were two distinct things going on at the festival with the bra strap looks:
1) The multiple lingerie strap looks. Those are the looks that have been popular for so long that I was surprised to see so many of them. Typically these are done in colors not normally associated with bras, sometimes black. I consider those that just aren’t that careful about their bra straps, or who make certain their bra coordinates with their outfit, a sub-set of this group. While I certainly wasn’t going to take any pictures of them, I do understand their reasoning. For the most part, I believe it’s just ignorance that puts people in this category. They honestly don’t realize that some people find visible lingerie offensive.
2) The shocking offenders, including grungy white or beige bra straps. I saw one teen girl in a spaghetti strap dress, with the entire back strap of her lacy beige bra exposed! I also saw at least one adult woman who could not have expected that her tiny spaghetti strap was going to cover the wider strap of her (also beige) bra. My daughter saw one woman wearing a red t-shirt with at least a grapefruit sized portion of her black lacy bra visible under her arm.
What are these people thinking?
Rebecca, yes! Usually you can fix the pocket issue.
My current peeve in our summer heatwave is women who require supportive garments but are choosing not to wear them. Particularly women of an age that should know better. Then they get into air conditioning … well, you know where I”m going with this one!
[…] by proving scientifically that wearing black (in the sun) is anywhere from 6 to 14 degrees warmer than …, I have been on the lookout for white to add to my wardrobe. The intense experience of attending […]
[…] yet another short sleeved button-up white cotton dress shirt. You see, I may have mentioned, I dream of having one whole summer when I wear all white shirts. And even if I decide that’s too restrictive and never end up doing it, nevertheless, I […]
I think white pants/skirts can look really nice, but I recently got rid of all mine because they were just too stressful to wear with small children around. I felt like I always had to check myself for jelly spots or crumbs after I sat down and I was just stressed out the whole time I wore them! I did recently go to Goodwill and got a boatload of lightweight, light-colored cotton tops and pretty cotton skirts in summer colors. That has become my uniform (along with a couple pairs of bermuda shorts for around the yard). Much better–and cooler–than the black/chocolate rut I was stuck in!
EXCELLENT WORK!!! I agree all around.
I even see the bra strap/spaghetti strap in church of all places!
I forced myself to put away my black skirts for summer. Prints save us from the inevitable destruction of a white skirt or pants- they are just looking for a blueberry. I guess women wear bras and tanks b/c they have not found camis with built in bras, or they seem so expensive.
I wear a lot of linen in summer- SO much cooler than cotton knit or even woven cotton. And skirts are so much cooler than pants.
Wow, interesting results of your experiment! Our summers on the western side of the pass aren’t nearly as hot as yours - in fact, when it’s breezy I still get chilly sometimes.
That being said, contrary to your preferences, I sometimes deliberately break out *some* darker colored clothes for part of my outfit (like my dark denim jacket for layering, or a black top) if I want to wear summery clothes but think I could get cold. I chill really easily, but notice that people look at you kind of funny if you wear jeans when everyone else is in shorts or breezy dresses. If it’s REALLY hot I’ll definitely wear mostly lighter colors.
About the practicality of white: agreed! Last Sunday, I somehow ended up with what looked like coffee down the back of my white linen pants. Thankfully I didn’t spend much for them. Light-weight cotton or linen prints in khaki or light colored prints are more practical.
Kari - I know what you mean. It can be lovely when it’s sunny with a high of 75 to wear a dark top and stand in the breeze. And I almost always carry a cardi or something in the summer just because air conditioning can be so cold.
Have you ever been to a summer event at the Gorge? That would definitely be a case of wanting the coolest you could get - it’s like a survival situation!