The two types of clothes you should pack for summer vacation are easy to find and you probably already have them - fast drying and odor resistant clothes. With these, you can pack less and avoid wasting time on laundry!
Quick drying clothes include those made of linen, light silk, and light woven cotton (i.e., the fabric buttondown shirts are made from). These fabrics are great for traveling because they will air dry in a few hours so they're convenient to spot clean or wash in a sink.
These materials also help you stay temperature-cool. As your clothes pick up sweat, the fast evaporation of that sweat causes an energetic transfer of heat off of your body that cools you off.
Naturally odor resistant clothes are made from fabrics like cotton, wool, silk, and linen - our Eve Maxi Dress is 100% cotton and a versatile option for day or night. Your apparel might stink after being worn because bacterial growth is fueled by sweat. But microscopic surface textures of the aforementioned fibers inhibit bacteria from spreading because the bacteria get stuck in grooves and crevices. These fabrics also permit airflow so sweat doesn’t get trapped on the surface of your body and inside your clothes.
Just one caveat with wool – most machine washable wool is treated with a chemical resin called Superwash to cover the scales on wool fibers so the fibers don’t tangle and felt in a washing machine. Superwash makes the fabric smoother but as a result bacteria can travel around more easily. Wool’s natural resistance to bacterial spread, moisture wicking, and dirt repellent abilities is hampered. So purchase traditional, untreated wool for top quality performance.
Bon Voyage.
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Sources for further reading:
Bradford, Alina. "Keeping Cool: the Science of Sweat." www.livescience.com. 2017 May 24.
Varshney S, et. al. “Role of fabric properties, moisture and friction in transfer of bacteria from fabric to fabric.” Textile Research Journal. 2020, Vol. 90(3-4) 478-485.
“Why is superwash yarn not sustainable?” www.making-stores.com. 2020 May 20.
