How to stay cool in modest clothing!
If you live in the UK right now you're probably wishing you could transform into an ice cube. I know I am! The temperature in my house is up to 30 degrees C and I have no air conditioning and dreadful insulation that never keeps heat out or in (I'm dyingggg).
If you're anything like me and are Muslim or just prefer modest fassion, then you'll know that staying cool right now is REALLY TRICKY! And it's also really important! (I would know! I had mild heatstroke last year and was in bed sick for a week!)
For longer sleeves and leggings it can be tricky to not overheat, that's why UV protection clothing is a must!!! I really like UNIQLO's UV protection range (not sponsered or anything! Just a sucker for their stuff bahaha). If you search up "UV protection clothing" into your search engine there's a whole host of stuff from leggings to tops to hoodies!
For the hijabis amongst us, wearing a hijab that's made of a lighter fabric can help to stop overheating. Chiffon is a great fabric for staying cool, but can be kind of see-through, so you could wear some sort of lighter under cap and layer it if that would be a concern for you. I also reccoment a thin jersey fabric, which doesn't have the issue with being see-through but can be a little warmer if you prefer to wear an under cap (but is grippy enough that you don't necissarily need one unless you'd prefer it!). No matter the fabric you use, wear a lighter colour like pastels, light grey or white because these won't absorb heat as easily (ya girl knows basic physics).
Get a UV umbrella! They're your own portable shade and can look cute as well!
KEEP YOUR FLUIDS UP!!! Even if you take nothing else away from my post DO THIS! I don't care if you drink juice, tea, coffee, water, whatever, just make sure you drink LOTS of fluids. Being dehydrated is a modest girlie's worst enemy! If you do prefer to drink tea or coffee please note that you should drink more than you would water because it makes you pee more! (This is why I drink decaf.)
Tip 5 (SUPER IMPORTANT!):
Learn to recognise the signs of heat exhaustion in yourself and in others. These can include: heavier than usual sweating, weakness and/or feeling faint, severe (worse than your baseline) headache, nausea, throwing up, having dark coloured urine and urinating less.
If you notice signs of heat exhaustion in yourself or others it's incredibly important to go to somewhere shaded and private, remove heavy clothing (Allah SWT doesn't want you to die of heatstroke, it's better to be imodest for a short while than dead!!!) and sip water. You can also use ice packs and cold flannels to help cool down.
If you or someone else is not stopping feeling ill and not cooling down after 30 minutes and you notice that they have much redder than usual skin (this can be harder to spot on people with darker skin tones), are acting abnormally (ie. in a confused or disorientated state, lack of coordination), have rapid breathing, strong pulse, loss of consciousness or seizures, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER as these are signs of heatstroke, which is a medical emergency. Put the person in the recovery position if they pass out! Try to keep them as cool as possible!
Stay safe out there, eat lots of ice cream and drink lots of water!!! (hope this post helped someone!)
