How to Dress for a Summer Heat Wave

3. Stick to sweat-defeating fabrics and colors.

Heat-proofing your clothing starts with a looser, easier fit, but that’s not the entire solution. Check the color and fabric, too. Dark neutral colors, prints and white all camouflage perspiration better than pastels and brights. Linen and cotton, two breathable heat-wave heroes, allow sweat to vanish quickly.

That’s why fit-and-flare dresses like the Loft Poplin Mixed Media Pocket Dress in Black ($32, loft.com), with a high neck stretch cotton top and crisp A-line midi bottom, and the Quince Women 100% Organic Cotton Smocked Midi Dress in Black or Navy ($70, quince.com), with a stretchy top and A-line bottom, are the summer’s breakout stars. They provide a hint of breathable shaping on top, with coverage and volume below in a dark, camouflaging hue.

Other hotties are print pull-on skirts with an A-line shape, like Simply Vera Vera Wang Women’s Pull On Midi Skirt in Beige Leopard Spots, Brown Mirrored Dye or Blue Dots ($22-$29, kohls.com) in cotton/rayon, and black pull-on pants like the Gap Factory Women’s Mid-Rise Linen-Blend Pull-On Pants in Black ($35, gapfactory.com), also a linen/rayon blend. Rayon, which is derived from wood pulp which makes it breathable, is sometimes added to linen to augment the silky, flowy texture and effect.

(From left) Lighten up on accessories: Universal Thread Women’s Glossy Plastic Cateye Sunglasses in Black; Gap Factory Women Canvas Bucket Bag in Black White Multi.

AARP (Target, 2; Gap Factory)

4. Carry a smaller bag, and wear bigger sunglasses.

Opposites attract and, in this case, do the most good. That big, chic, but kind-of-heavy leather hobo? Not for now. Save it for fall or at least until the weather cools off. Did you buy those cheap-but-trendy oval sunglasses with pale blue lenses at a local street fair? Sorry, but they’re not a full-coverage shape and don’t indicate 100 percent UV lenses.

Give your shoulders and neck a break by swapping in a lighter bag, like the Gap Factory Women Canvas Bucket Bag in Black, White, and Multi ($16, gapfactory.com), for your usual. It can handle a modified list of this-minute essentials like cards, keys, sunglasses, a hair accessory and sunscreen.

Update your sunnies, too. Cat-eye frames have a bigger, uplifting shape that covers the entire eye area and flatters most women. Make sure they have sun-proof lenses, like the Universal Thread Women’s Glossy Plastic Cateye Sunglasses in Black ($15, target.com) do. If you’re buying new sunglasses in the summer, always check their weight. Heavy frames tend to slip and slide when you perspire, leaving marks on your cheeks and nose. No one needs that!

(From left) Keep your hair up, up and away: Banana Republic Factory Straw Panama Hat in Blonde; By Anthropologie Everly Bandana Knot Headband in Black; The Hair Edit Gold French Twist Hair Clip.

AARP (Banana Republic Factory, Anthropologie, Target)

5. Count on wide-brimmed hats and hair accessories.

Anticipate the worst. Strategic accessories can prevent a sunburned nape, a swampy, wet scalp, and out-of-control hair. First up, swap your baseball cap for a breathable, full-brim sun hat that shades your ears, nape and sides of the face, not just front and center. Open-weave designs like the Banana Republic Women Factory Straw Panama Hat in Blonde ($51, bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com) provide ventilation so your scalp doesn’t bake.

Stash a stylish hair accessory in your everyday bag to sweep your hair up or off your face at any given moment. While a black scrunchie is always a good idea, look for broad, comfy, cotton headbands like By Anthropologie Everly Bandana Knot Headband in Black or Cream/Navy ($24, anthropologie.com); gentle-even-on-thin-hair clips like the sophisticated The Hair Edit Gold French Twist Hair Clip ($14, ulta.com); or Kitsch Chain Claw Clips ($9 for 3, walgreens.com) in hair-toned neutrals.

6. Give your feet breathing space.

Ballet flats and sneakers make women over 50 feel edgy and cool, but during a heat wave, they trap heat, moisture and bacteria, creating the perfect environment for stinky odors. Instead, slip on open sandals or cotton espadrilles that let your tootsies breathe and encourage sweat to evaporate — which, in another beneficial twist, helps prevent blisters on the heels and toes.

Thanks to a low wedge or platform sole, you even get a little elevation with the Journee Women’s Caroline Espadrille Sandals in Black or Brown ($39, kohls.com); LifeStride Women’s Kimball Slingback Espadrille Platform Wedge in Natural, Black or Red ($60, nordstrom.com); and Crocs Women’s Brooklyn Low Wedge Sandal in Black ($50, dsw.com). All put space between your feet and the hot pavement. 

(From left) Look polished, but keep skin protected: IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum SPF40; Maybelline Colossal Bubble Waterproof Mascara in Very Black; Tarte Maracujá Juicy Transfer-Proof Lip Stain in Ice Pop in Berry.

AARP (CVS; Kohl’s, 2)

7. Sweat-proof your hair and makeup.

This is not the time for full makeup, but it’s the perfect time for a hot-weather “emergency” plan that provides a speedy groomed, polished look and sun protection. 

All you need is a tinted sunscreen like Jones Road Everyday Sunscreen SPF 30 ($42, jonesroadbeauty.com), a zinc oxide mineral formula that comes in one untinted and four tinted shades; or a lightweight foundation-serum hybrid like IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum SPF40 ($47, kohls.com), a chemical sunscreen formula in 20 shades. Both are applied after skin care as a final step and can be reapplied throughout the day without looking cakey or dry. They blur discolorations, even skin tone and add sunny warmth to your skin, eliminating the need for blush and bronzer.

Some women tell me they can’t leave the house without an “eye” or a “lip.”  If this is you, keep the definition and color smudge-proof. 

A waterproof mascara in black, like Maybelline Colossal Bubble Waterproof Mascara in Very Black ($13, cvs.com), may be all you need. For more eye emphasis, choose a waterproof pencil liner like Stila Stay All Day Smudge & Set Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Espresso, Damsel Dark Brown ($23, ulta.com) — this one goes on deep-set eyes and soft or crepey lids without drag — and/or a lip stain like Tarte Maracujá Juicy Transfer-Proof Lip Stain in Ice Pop or Lolli ($27, sephora.com) that adds a pop of color to your face and won’t bleed or settle in corners or lines around the mouth. Done!