We’ve bid adieu to winter. If you’ve landed on this page, you’re probably curious as to the humid season’s must-have fabrics. Have no fear, Topher is here to guide you. On this list, we’ll rank the most seasonable thread types to don this spring/summer. You’ll be surprised to find out that pure cotton ranks only fourth on this chart. So which materials breathe better than the latter? Keep reading and find out.

1. Linen. I once told our family friend that pure cotton is the coolest thread for summer. No, Topher, she answered; have you heard of this thing, linen? A premium material, linen comes from the flax plant. The latter is cultivated in nations with temperate climates. The earliest use of the plant as a fabric could be traced to ancient Georgia some thirty thousand years past. These cavemen crafted textile for domestic purposes. The plant was later adopted for use in both Turkey and Syria. Egyptian priests also mobilised flax. Later, linen became their leading export.

No doubt, linen is the finest, and arguably the strongest, summer fabric that you could buy. It breathes better than the rest. It is the topnotcher at wicking sweat and keeping you cool. As noted earlier, it is a robust fabric that, with proper care, could last for a long time.Pure linen is typically pricier than other alternatives. On the plus side, it’s not as dear as pure cashmere. More importantly, linen is a natural fabric, like bamboo, silk, wool, and cotton. However, you could say that it’s a very worthwhile investment. Notably, linen is one of the quickest drying fabrics. It also tends to wrinkle a lot. A word of advice: learn to embrace the creases. There’s so much more to love about this material.

Linen is used in many items. They are utilised in tops: tees, henleys, shirts, and polos. Likewise, they are seen in bedsheets, shorts, and pants.Most of these bottoms come without belt loops. Indeed, most only sport a drawstring. I noticed that linen shorts are usually stingier in length. As I said, linen could be minimalist as a result of its cost. Linen is not used for socks or underwear. It could be called up, though, for gloves, beanies, and hats. Like any premium item, you’ll have to care for linen appropriately. Use the gentle cycle or hand wash them. This way, your items would be future-proofed.

I’ve only started buying linen clothes two years ago. This branded linen blend tee from David Jones was my first such purchase. I then bought a striped linen henley and a green pure linen shirt off Country Road. Recently, I purchased a linen blend polo from Sportscraft as well as a pure linen pant from Target. The latter was advertised as using imported flax from Europe. The pants had a higher price tag than the branded shirt, which was on sale. My latest discovery is a pair of brown linen blend cargo shorts from Kmart. So far, those add up to six linen items. I’m all set for El Niño. Once you don linen, you’re never going back.

2. Bamboo. As per above, bamboo is a natural fabric. Next to linen, bamboo is a most desired material for the rising mercury. Unlike linen, the bamboo used in clothes are not 100 percent natural. The latter is usually mixed with viscose when earmarked. This creates a semi-synthetic combo. Bamboo from viscose is seen predominantly in men’s socks and underwear. However, the fabric could also be glimpsed in sleepwear and tees. Pure bamboo is harder to find and is mostly confined to socks and the odd sleepwear. Otherwise, it is usually combined with cotton and spandex.

I started picking up bamboo items only around a year ago. There was an old timer variety store that was closing down. I noted that they were selling grey bamboo socks. I bought two pairs on their penultimate day. On their final day, I got three more. No one seemed interested in the socks. The coolness of the socks was the first thing I noticed. They were much cooler than my cotton pairs. The stretchiness was the second thing we noted. While cotton is pretty elastic, this one seemed like the top of the class when it came to pliability. I bought more black bamboo pairs on sale from Myer. One cannot have too many socks.

Just this week, I acquired my most recent bamboo items from Mitch Dowd. They had a big Father’s Day sale so I scored some bargains. I got a bamboo pyjama set for fifty bucks. This included a pair of check shorts and a plain blue tee. I was torn between getting a bamboo pant but decided against it. A day later, I had a change of heart and got the blue pair anyway. Upon washing them, I noticed the difference right away. Thankfully, my bamboo items were quick drying and lightweight. I must note though that the blue loungewear pant had a loose fit.

Bamboo is inconsistent in regard to drying time. As one blogger put it, this depends on the quality of your bamboo. In addition, the percentage of bamboo in your garment is another consideration. Some might dry as quickly as cotton while others may take a bit longer. Even if it dries rapidly, the fabric absorbs moisture a lot.

3. Modal. In case you’re wondering, modal is very similar to viscose. Both are semi-synthetic and undergo similar processes. Modal comes from beech trees (pictured above), making it a very sustainable material. It can be woven or knitted. Modal is a soft, silky, low maintenance fabric. It doesn’t need special care like wool. In other words, there is no special detergent, unlike those for woollens and down. Ironing is unnecessary as it is not the wrinkly type.

I have at least one modal item in my summer wardrobe. It is a blue henley sleep pyjama set from Kmart. I bought this on clearance last year. While wearing it, I notice that it’s quite cool even though it’s only fifty percent modal. The fabric’s soft texture reminds me of silk. It’s likewise quite lightweight. True to form, the set was blended with cotton. They make a good combo. Bonus points too for being quite reasonably priced. It was only a fraction of the price of branded pj’s. More importantly, it was also in my size.

4. Cotton. This fabric comes in many forms. Among them are pique and Pima cotton; French terry, cotton jersey and twill. Organic cotton is becoming more popular as manufacturers tend to be more environmentally conscious. The fabric takes its name from the eponymous plant. China and India are the world’s biggest cotton growers. You would occasionally come across Australian cotton. However, these items are almost always processed overseas. In my wardrobe, I have several jumpers and a bath towel made of Aussie cotton.

Cotton clothes dominate my garments. This is unsurprising as the latter is by far the most used material. Cotton On is an Aussie company that has made a name internationally. It rose to fame by crafting minimalist pure cotton garments. Meanwhile, my summer wardrobe is culled from a motley of stores. For instance, I’ve got cotton tees from Levi’s, Tommy, Marcs, Superdry, Jag, and Adidas. Cotton polos from Ben Sherman, Esprit, and Sportscraft form part of my lineup. I have printed and plain tops, striped jumpers and cotton blend jackets. My pyjamas are likewise sourced from various retailers, including David Jones, eBay, Myer, and Target. And that’s just for summer.

Cotton is mass produced, making it cheaper than other natural fibres. It’s timeless and dries easily. It’s also a very versatile fabric that can be used from head to toe. It breathes, like merino wool, and in this regard is better than polyester or other synthetics. 100 percent cotton has a tendency to shrink, unless it’s pre-shrunk. Some people recommend going for cotton blends to get the best of both worlds. Some suggest that 65/35 cotton polyester is the sweet spot. Either way, cotton is a staple. It’s a classic that’s been utilised and donned for Millenia, and it will continue to be mobilised. You can’t go wrong with cotton.

***

Some of these textiles might be foreign to your eyes. A couple of them have a long history while others are relatively late bloomers. Linen may be expensive and cotton, more wallet friendly. Modal is different since it’s only a semi-natural material. If you’re planning on trekking the Sahara, go for linen. If you want a good summer night’s sleep, then bamboo is the answer. Modal is your pick if you want something…silky. Cotton, obviously, is the most affordable of the lot. It’s a dime a dozen and it’s everywhere: shorts and shirts, pants and beanies, socks and mocks, underwear and sleepwear. Cotton is to clothes as bread and rice is to substinence.

Now that you’re well versed on what’s hot and what’s not, maybe tomorrow you could give your old man some love. Don’t forget it’s Father’s Day. Cool bananas. Topher out.