BDA shorts

I'm moving to the Cayman Islands in a few months--my understanding is that the weather will be fairly consistently in the 80s, with high humidity. Work is business casual, so that's a shirt (maybe a tie) and slacks--definitely not "Hawaiian shirts"!

I sweat a lot in that kind of weather, and generally sweat much more than an average person. Back when I lived in Bermuda I had a pretty hard time, and this will be a bit worse. I remember my Dockers were too heavy, and sweat was clearly obvious on my shirts. So I'd like to find some clothes that work well for this kind of weather--light, breathable, let in air to cool me down, and above all don't turn dark from sweat. So basically an officewear version of Under Armour (without the annoying logo, of course). Preferably something that doesn't require dry cleaning since that'll be incredibly expensive in the Caymans (so linen is probably out).

Any ideas? Specific brand names would be very helpful. Preferably something that's available online since there isn't anywhere in London that would sell this kind of stuff. (I can receive shipments at a UK or US address.)

I'm willing to pay good money if it's worth it. I don't particularly care about fashion or labels.

phedre

Linen. It's a miracle fabric in warm weather! Pure cotton's also good.

Look for loose fitting trousers and shirts in light colours that you don't have to tuck in.

Harsh sunlight can do a number on skin, so don't forget to make sure you're wearing long sleeves or lots of sunblock

I don't have many recommendations on brands.

Xericx

maybe Tommy Bahama?

They have some nice microfiber slacks and button ups just as long as you stay away from the really casual stuff and camp shirts. I have a few shirts and things like that, always seem to be appropriate whenever I travel to tropical regions. sometimes if I overdo it I kind of look like a drug kingpin though and get stopped at customs. haha.

You can get linen or light lines in any designer brand though usually. Jcrew is good too for summer stuff.


http://www.tommybahama.com/

here's a less cluttered link at nordstrom:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/tommy-ba...ilter-dropdown

try2cook

Linen is machine washable unless it's a structured garment like a jacket. The interfacing of structured garments usually can't go through the wash. Linen is wonderful for hot weather. In less humid climates, you can watch a drop of water evaporate from a handkerchief. That's how good linen is at shedding moisture. Linen's drawback, of course, is its tendency to wrinkle.

I've read about doctors who inject Botox under the arms of those who sweat heavily. It sounds like this technique may help you.

Xericx

Ex-officio isn't bad. Its a bit mountain hiking-esque though...but very light. Find one without cargo pockets. there was an affiliate ad banner on this page...click on it for $$$$ for the site.

lwildernorva

You might be able to get away with some lightweight C9 golf pants from Target. Flat front, nylon pants with no cargo pockets. They're very light, dry quickly, and at regular price, cost only $29.99. I've found that almost any sort of microfiber undershorts keep me cool--there are a number of ExOfficio imitations out there that seem to work so long as you're not trying to wear them for three days in a row and can wash them as you would a regular pair of cotton underwear.

I live on the East Coast. This abnormally hot summer has made me appreciate the value of the modern versions of polyester-type garments. I still prefer the look and feel of cotton, but when the temperature exceeds 90, I'm not sure there's anything better than the high-tech garments you now can find in many department stores.

dko3tgk

BDA shorts, I feel your pain. I too sweat alot in high humidity climates. I end up in Thailand alot June-October, so its hot and humid.

I do agree with Ex Officio. their lightweight synthetic breathable shirts are the best I've found. However their designs can look very safari or trekking style sometimes. You will have less selection for office wear styles.
Most luxury brands have some sort of "cool" dress shirt. Brooks Brothers has a cool line, and so do many other dress shirt brands. You can get true dress shirts that supposedly breathes and dries faster. I have one Brooks Brother shirt and it is better than a standard dress shirt, but its not nearly as effective as a synthetic breathable, quick drying short from Ex Officio. If you find you do need actual dress shirts, go for the lightest weight and the loosest weave fabric you can find.

I disagree overall with linen and cotton. They are the worst fabrics if you are already sweating, as linen and cotton take longer to dry than synthetics. I love the dressy tropical look of linen, but I only wear linen when the temperature is low enough that I won't be sweating. Linen pants will probably be cooler than linen shirts if you sweat alot.
Linen and cotton as hot weather clothing only works with low humidity, and no sweating. If you notice all of the sports related clothing like Under Armour, or Patagonia capilene, or snowsports baselayers, its always made form breathable synthetics. You never see athletes wearing cotton or linen anything, specifically because they perform so poorly in humid and sweating conditions.

My personal favorite for underwear is Terramar Pioneer mens underwear, for some reason only available at Campmor. Its a necessity for my travel packing. The thin mesh material may look a little too much like womens underwear than I prefer, but its the best hot, humid mens underwear in existence, IMHO.

BDA shorts

Thank you everyone for your suggestions!

Regarding linen shirts: A search yesterday came up with execshirts.com which has linen dress shirts that look like they'd be perfect for the office. Made to order based on your measurements, can request looser sleeves to let in some more air. Looks like they use a place in Thailand to make the clothes then just ship them over. I wonder how many shirts I'd need to buy before it's cheaper to just fly to BKK and buy locally?

Both are a bit too casual. I'll need stuff that you could wear to a regular office in the US or UK, with a tie (but no suit). But they look like they'd probably be great for weekends or the odd casual Friday... Tommy has a few decent pairs of pants but they're dry clean.

Thought about the Botox, but it's not (just) the armpits--I'm one of those people where sweat starts dripping from my hair. Come to think of it, the armpits actually sweat less than my head and back...

Those actually look pretty decent. Website indicates polyester--are you saying that "new" polyester breathes better and won't stick to sweaty skin the way stuff from the 90s did? If so that may be worth a look once I get back to somewhere with a Target store--none in London.

Took a quick look at them--their Helix crew tees look like they would make for useful undershirts. Do you know if they'd be thin/light enough to do the job? (I've found undershirts essential to "spread out" the sweat and prevent dark blotches showing up everywhere, even if it does make me hotter overall.)

lwildernorva

You're correct, the C9 pants are made from polyester rather than nylon. The new microfiber polyester fabrics do seem less sticky than the old polyester garments. I still haven't been able to convince myself to buy a jacket or suit made from all polyester, however, and anytime the temperature gets back below 80-85, I revert to my favorite cotton and wool garments.

The new microfiber fabrics are lighter to begin with and since they wick away moisture more quickly, do not retain moisture and become heavy like cotton can. Most golf apparel manufacturers now offer pants similar to the Target pants, but they generally are twice as expensive without any noticeable difference in quality.

For shirts, Jos. A. Banks also offers a "cool" line of shirts: http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop...01_10050_11514
If you're unfamiliar with Banks, please be aware that they run a "Sale of the Century" nearly every week and that you should be able to get whatever they offer at a greatly reduced price from the normal prices published on their website.

One extra benefit of the new, lighter fabrics is that you can go against conventional wisdom about wearing dark colors in hot climates. Although there may be some small benefit to wearing light colors over dark with these fabrics, their light weight seems to narrow that difference as compared with cotton and wool. Buying dark colors allows you to minimize the difficulties with stains that arise with light-colored fabrics.

I'd also try to get a definition of what the employer considers "business casual." If you can avoid wearing a tie and long-sleeved shirts, you'll stay much cooler. Although I frequently wear a suit and tie in my work, business casual for us has been defined to include a nice polo shirt and slacks. You might get lucky and find that your employer will give you the same latitude.

BDA shorts

Here's the relevant bit from the employee handbook:

I'll definitely take advantage of the short sleeves, but looks like I'll need a tie. In Bermuda we had a "summer dress code" that allowed for short-sleeved polo/golf shirts with no tie during the hotter months.

I've looked at Jos. A. Bank a bunch of times in the past (including before my time in BDA)... the only thing I've ever bought from them was a trenchcoat which worked great for a good couple of years before the water-resistant coating wore off. Not sure what it is about their shop or their products but I always seem to leave empty-handed. Those shirts you linked to look worthwhile though.

lwildernorva

Well, that definition certainly excludes the cooler options. It's funny how "business casual" varies so much from one place to another. I agree with you about Banks. I keep them on my list for certain things, and there's a shop near my home, but I find myself buying less there than I expect.