Does the Color of Clothing Affect Body Temperature?
We all know it: dark clothes get much hotter in sunlight. And although this is true, does it really increase your body temperature?
Does wearing white or pastel colors “cool you down” and does wearing black make you hotter?
You might be surprised to hear that the answer is not that simple.
There are many factors that play a significant role in the thermodynamics of clothing. Spoiler alert: color isn’t as important as you might think.
In this article, we’ll even point out why it’s sometimes better to wear dark colors in bright sunlight, for example.
Because often, it’s best to think one step farther than simply assuming: “black absorbs light”, so “black gets hot”, so ultimately “black clothing makes me unpleasantly warm”.
Can the Color of Your Clothes Affect Your Body Temperature?
Contrary to common belief, the color of clothes does not significantly affect body temperature. Certain colors, however, do make you FEEL hotter or cooler. Light colors reflect sunlight and radiation much more effectively than dark colors. Clothes of dark color absorb short-wave radiation more easily and heat up quicker than light-colored clothing. But science shows that this has little to no effect on the wearer’s core body temperature.
There is some scientific evidence that suggests that the color of peoples’ clothing affects their body temperature. There is some that suggest the opposite. But the evidence varies from study to study and is, therefore, inconclusive.
For example, one study found that people wearing black clothes had a lower body temperature than those wearing white clothes. It is thought that this is because black clothing absorbs more sunlight than white clothing, which results in a person's body receiving less heat radiation (and staying cooler).
Well, that’s exactly the opposite of what you might expect, right?
Yes. Yes, it is. More on that later in this article, though.
We’ll also describe the arguments that suggest that color does actually affect body temperature. So don’t worry – this isn’t a rant about how common belief is false or anything. Bear with us.
Do Dark Clothes Make You Hotter?
There is no definitive answer to this question. Some studies say that darker clothing can make your body temperature rise, while others say the opposite. It really depends on the individual and the surrounding environment.
The laws of physics prove that darker colors absorb more light than lighter colors.
The darker the color, the more light it absorbs.
So, if the weather is hot and you're wearing dark clothes, you're likely to feel more uncomfortable and warmer due to the fact that you’re constantly touching your hot clothing.
Dark clothing exposed to the sun gets warmed up much quicker than light-colored clothing.
The skin touching warmed-up dark clothes might feel much hotter, but does this really increase your body temperature?
Well, let’s explain some parameters first before we get into the scientific findings.
Core Versus Skin Temperature
Core body temperature is the body's internal temperature and is responsible for maintaining normal body functions. In general, the body tries to maintain a core temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius).
A person’s core temperature typically stays very constant. Skin temperature, on the other hand, can vary greatly according to outside conditions.
The body's core temperature can be affected by a number of factors, including the color of clothing (although only very slightly).
Clothing color can play a role in how efficiently the body dissipates heat. For example, black clothing absorbs more sunlight than white clothing, which can lead to a person's skin temperature becoming warmer.
But for skin temperature to actually affect core temperature, a lot has to happen.
The heat must dissipate through the skin and manage to warm up the core. All the while, bodily mechanisms to reduce core temperature must not manage to keep up. This is highly unlikely to be the case just because of color, by the way.
Light-colored clothing reflects sunlight and helps keep the skin cooler. Right?
Well, not necessarily.
“The differences between the short-wave radiation gains of subjects in white or black garments were small. This is due to the transparency of the white materials, which allows a larger percentage of the radiation to penetrate the clothing.”, says this article in the European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.
Apparently, quite a lot of radiation can pass through clothing – especially light-colored clothing. So, maybe the solution is to wear more/thicker clothes?
No, that doesn’t really make sense in warm weather, does it?
Because then the aforementioned bodily mechanisms to reduce core temperature might start having problems. So, obviously, the issue isn’t the color of the clothing, but rather its textile composition and thickness.
It is important to note that body temperature can also be affected by a number of other factors, such as the weather, physical activity, and body composition – all of which influence core temperature much more significantly than clothing color.
In other words: clothing color affects your skin temperature, but:
Not as much as you might believe
And not enough to influence core body temperature significantly.
What Color Makes You the Hottest?
Just because color has no significant effect on core body temperature, it doesn’t mean that clothing color can’t make you feel hotter.
It’s important that you understand that there’s a difference between perceived heat and an actual rise in body temperature which could have effects on how bodily functions work.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way:
The color that makes you feel the hottest is black. If you wish to avoid risking an increase in perceived heat, we suggest avoiding black clothing. Other dark colors and even red may have a similar effect.
There are two ways that you can be influenced to feel hotter:
By actually becoming physically hotter
Or by believing to be hotter.
Let’s take a look at the details, shall we?
Physical Effects of Clothing Color on Body Temperature
Research from the Nara Women’s University in Japan suggests that black clothing plays an important role as a thermal barrier by absorbing radiant heat. Thus, clothing surface temperature is significantly higher compared to white clothing, but radiation penetrating through the cloth is likely reduced.
And wearing white reduces heat load versus black clothing, as this study claims. So yes, dark cloth gets much hotter than light-colored textiles under direct sunlight.
Nevertheless, the ultraviolet waves that cannot fully be reflected by light-colored clothing but rather pass through it, manage to reach the skin. These rays (that would have otherwise been absorbed by dark cloth fibers) are able to heat up skin directly by passing through light clothing.
This is why you can get a sunburn through light-colored (especially white) clothes. Have you noticed?
So, if you’re looking to avoid a sunburn underneath your T-shirt, stick to darker colors.
Also, dark clothing might facilitate what is called “dry heat loss” from the surface to the surrounding air, as research suggests. By doing so and radiating heat away from the body, darker pieces of clothing could even have a cooling effect.
By the way, darker colors are also better at hiding sweat stains. Just saying…
Psychological Effects of Clothing Color on Body Temperature
Considering the fact that darker clothes absorb heat and thus feel warmer than light clothes, it makes sense that people believe dark clothes make them hotter as well.
Though it’s been proven that this isn’t actually the case, people still believe it.
And it’s this belief that makes it true for many humans. That’s the power of psychology.
But please don’t get us wrong. This isn’t a bad thing!
Some people believe that wearing red makes them hotter because the color is associated with energy and heat.
“White tends to make the wearer feel cool, black gives warmth, red excites and so warms.”, as stated by Eveleth Pedersen, an expert on the psychology of clothing.
However, there is little no conclusive scientific evidence to support this claim.
Likewise, it is said that blue makes you feel colder. But we highly doubt that this would be confirmed by scientific research.
Nevertheless, clothing color can have a profound psychological effect on perceived heat or cold if the wearer in question believes it to be true.
Never underestimate the power of psychology.
Does the Color You Wear Really Make You Hotter?
So, what's the bottom line?
The bottom line is that there is no conclusive answer to the question of whether dark or light clothes make you hotter. It depends much more on the person, the environment, and the type of clothing.
So, if you're curious about what color will keep you coolest, it's best to experiment a little and see what works best for you.
This is not the most satisfying answer, we know that. But it’s just what it is.
Additional research is needed to determine the extent to which clothing color can affect body temperature – especially core temperature.
That said, if you are looking for ways to feel cool during the summer months, wearing light-colored clothing may be a good option.
Just make sure that those light-colored items are thick enough to keep UV-rays from passing through them, heating your skin up directly, and potentially leaving you sunburnt in the process.
It is important to consider other factors that can influence body temperature such as humidity, wind speed, activity level, body composition, clothing type (thickness, length, style, etc.), and physical health before deciding about what color to wear.
Rest assured that these other factors influence your core body temperature and heat tolerance much more than the color of your clothing.
In other words: just wear what you’re most comfortable with.
If you’re not sure what that is, we have a plethora of articles about color in fashion that could help you find out.
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