Clothing For Hyperhidrosis: What To Look For
Here you will find the most helpful tips on finding sweat-friendly clothing, from someone with hyperhidrosis. I have spent MANY hours searching in stores and online for clothes that I like and are sweat-friendly.
This article contains a comprehensive outline of what to look for when shopping:
- Colour preference
- Fabric composition
- Garment design
Through trial and error during high school and university, I became aware of what fabrics I preferred to wear that helped me feel comfortable with hyperhidrosis. Firsthand experience in embarrassing situations left me determined to find out what worked and what didn’t.
My family thought I had a shopping addiction because of the amount of time I would browse online and in-store, rarely buying anything but forever searching.
I suppose it is an addiction of sorts… but well worth it!
1. Colour Preference
How comfortable are you with your severity of sweating? Do you prefer to wear colour or not?
I used to avoid coloured clothing at all costs and only wear black shirts. For a period between 2016 to 2018 I also opted for striped shirts because I realised they hid sweat well.
Why did I limit myself? Because of experiences like the following:
One summer’s day I wore a blue shirt out to the city and ended up with huge sweat patches that stopped halfway down my torso. I would show you a photo, but this was before I owned a smartphone, so that picture only exists seared into my memory.
I was with friends who knew about my sweating, so it wasn’t a big deal, but it looked so obvious because of the stark colour difference between wet and dry. I felt so abnormal. We stopped by a clothing store so I could buy a different top. It was flowy and white and was one of the best spontaneous purchases I have made. I wore it many times over the years until it became too pilled and looked ratty (it was from a fast fashion store so you can’t expect much longevity there).
To this day, I still don’t like solid colour shirts for fear of big sweat patches, particularly because I’m not using a topical antiperspirant anymore to prevent underarm sweat.
Wherever you experience hyperhidrosis, upper or lower body, these are the best colour options to look for in clothing to avoid crazy visible sweat marks.
The best colour choices for hyperhidrosis:
- Black.
Always a winner in my eyes. Be sure to look for a true black, as some faded blacks will show sweat way more easily. Black is a staple, you really can’t go wrong if you find some good pieces for your wardrobe because they will go with everything else.
- Light colours.
These shades won’t have a huge visible difference between dry and wet fabric. I have flowy linen shirts in white, lavender, and pale yellow. I wear these with no hesitation because the sweat marks aren’t obvious. This is also helped by the garment design, which I talk about in topic #3.
- Any colour or pattern in a sheer fabric.
Colours used on a sheer fabric are perfect at hiding sweat because of the loose fabric weave, allowing for a de-saturated look. Recently I have been trying to wear more colour and hence looking to incorporate tops like this into my wardrobe.
- Patterns.
Choose busy prints as they hide sweat well. Avoid blocks of plain colour because this will show the sweat. Small prints work best compared to larger prints.
2. Fabric Composition
Checking the fabric composition on the clothing tag of a garment is the first thing I do after looking at an item.
I know what fabrics work best for hyperhidrosis and polyester isn’t one of them. I am often disappointed to find clothing I love, but then see it is 100% polyester. Some polyester items can be great and conceal sweat well. In the past I have found items with a blend of cotton/polyester to work and not be awfully hot. The bottom line is that polyester is a hot synthetic fabric which I actively choose not to buy.
Look for clothing made from the following fabrics when shopping to make sure you’re buying clothing that is breathable, light, and comfortable for living with hyperhidrosis.
The best clothing fabrics for hyperhidrosis:
- Tencel.
My Desudo Origin Collection is made from this fabric. It is more absorbent than cotton, dries quickly, and is antimicrobial. When I first discovered this fabric it was a game-changer. The official manufacturer of TencelTM (the fabric I sourced) is a company called Lenzing. Different manufacturers produce Lyocell which is also made from wood pulp. However, it is produced using different processes and is not usually environmentally sustainable compared to the closed-loop production that Lenzing practices.
- Viscose.
This is another great breathable fabric. It is man-made from cellulose fibre and so it is semi-natural semi-synthetic. Online it can be read as comparable to Rayon. However, from wearing both Viscose and Rayon fabrics, I feel a difference and I much prefer Viscose over Rayon. Viscose is more breathable; Rayon feels hotter and more synthetic. The fabric composition will always be shown on the clothing tag and it will say either Viscose or Rayon so you will know what you’re buying. Lenzing also produces this fabric, and they call it EcoVero. It is amazing and if you see garments made from this, I can confirm you will love it.
- Cotton.
Cotton is always a good choice. It’s breathable, natural, and a safe choice. When wet, it can be heavy and take longer to dry compared to other types of fabric. Sometimes all I want to wear is a good quality cotton t-shirt. It styles well and I feel safe sweating in it. If you buy a cotton garment from a fast fashion store the quality is usually not as good. Sometimes it can be cut on an angle instead of straight, so the fabric stretches out after a while, or the fabric is super thin so there’s no weight to it. Depends on what you prefer to wear, but I would try to opt for a heavier weight cotton tee.
- Linen.
It has the same properties as cotton, but is typically a thinner fabric. I have quite a bit of linen in my wardrobe because I worked in retail where linen shirts were their best seller. The colours I have are black (duh), white, lilac, and yellow. Depending on the weave of the linen, it can be good for sweating and mostly unnoticeable unless you're really looking, which no one ever is.
Linen isn't my absolute favourite, but it is handy. I don't find it as 'cool' as some people rave about, it can actually be a bit hot. Although, this might depend on the quality of the linen and whether you're wearing a sleeveless item or not.
- Silk.
I used to think silk wouldn't be good to wear with hyperhidrosis, but since it is a natural fabric I became curious to see how it would hold up. After some research that determined silk is breathable, absorbent, and has moisture-wicking properties, I decided to find something to try.
You can't go wrong with a black singlet and so that's what I bought. I'm sure there are different qualities and types of silk depending on their manufacturing, and this silk singlet was less shiny and more porous than what I imagined. However, it worked for hyperhidrosis purposes and my sweat seemed to be unnoticeable.
Through trial and error I realised that not all plain black silk would give the same results - just like with any other fabric. So, my instinct now is to look for printed silk. If you haven't tried silk you should give it a go. It's a great option for occasion wear.
3. Garment Design
The following points explain differences in garment design and benefits for each one.
Garment designs to consider when shopping:
- Garment lining.
If you want extra sweat absorption or to avoid see-through garments, dresses and skirts with linings are what to look for.
The Desudo Origin skirt was designed with a lining, also made from Tencel, for maximum sweat absorption. Being made from a natural material is best because of its breathable and absorbent properties. Unfortunately, most garment linings are polyester, so you may have to shop around to find what you want. I avoid buying garments with polyester lining because I know I won’t be comfortable wearing it.
- Fitted vs loose clothing.
Long pants and skirts can be hot. Depending on the weather, loose bottoms will allow your body to breathe more and feel cooler, whereas fitted bottoms will make you feel constricted and hot. Choosing the right clothing by looking at this design feature will help you be prepared for all seasons and hot weather options.
Fitted shirts can be good and bad – again it depends on your preference. Fitted designs will absorb armpit sweat well, so you may feel drier because of this. Sweat marks might show more so make sure you’re using a coloured or printed shirt that works for you. Loose shirts are great if you want to wear more colour because the sweat marks won’t show as much. Loose clothing allows you to ‘air out’ and potentially stay drier. Your personal experience and preference will inform this.
- Sleeveless vs sleeves.
Sleeveless items can leave me feeling vulnerable, as armpit sweat isn’t absorbed as quickly due to less fabric around the armpit. This can be good to air out but if you’re super sweaty it might feel wetter and more uncomfortable. Sleeveless clothing can fit closely under your armpit, making it easy for sweat marks to form. I prefer garments with a low armhole, so the sweat doesn’t accumulate immediately.
Sleeveless garments can be cooler in summer, but colder in winter. If I’m sweating a lot, I sometimes prefer garments with sleeves. It sounds strange, but when my shoulders are covered I sometimes sweat less.
Now you know...
Find the best clothing for hyperhidrosis by looking at these three things when shopping:
- Colour preference
- Fabric composition
- Garment design
All these worries about clothing are why I made my brand Desudo. Keep an eye out for when we expand our line in the future, as these problems are taken into consideration in the design process for our garments.
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