Bras in Warm Weather (for GG's or those who can relate)

[Celia]

Set some folks on fire and toss them in the Sahara, and they couldn't be happier. As you might have guessed, though, I'm not one of them; rather, I'm one of those sad creatures who wilts as the temperatures climb, becoming listless, short-tempered, slow-witted, and, generally, just plain miserable.

A couple of years ago, I tried to start wearing bras on a regular basis, but I made the mistake (for me) of doing so as the weather started turning warm and quickly determined that either the bra or the heat had to go (you can guess which one lost :| ). Lately I've gotten into the practice of wearing bras regularly again (they give a nice boost to my overall feeling of femininity), but, of course, seasons being what they are, I expect to run into the same problem fairly soon. If I simply gave them up again, I would feel that my feminine streak was appallingly thin--after all, if women don't endure things far worse than a bra in warm weather, then I'm seriously misinformed.

If you live for summer, and the prospect of wearing this (necessarily) snug, and consequently warm, support garment doesn't strike you as being even conceivably a discomfort, feel free to read on and participate in this thread (just please bear in mind where I'm coming from :| ). If you're anything like me, though, and you find wearing a bra through the heat and humidity to be about as inviting and comfortable as wearing a pair mittens under those same conditions, please relate how you cope, seek relief, find comfort, or just plain survive--you'll have my attention and my sympathies.

Yours,
Celia

[Marilyn]

Celia:

I know where you're coming from. For me, it is even worse. I get hot even in the winter!

Many times, this winter, I have put a bra on only to take it off before I leave for work. It's just too darn hot. I have been wearing camisoles more often, but sometimes even they are pretty warm.

And stockings/pantyhose are a constant struggle with temperature. There's been a few times, this past winter, where I've shut my office up so I could take my hose or thigh highs off, so I could cool off.

I wish I knew how to lower my body temperature so that I could enjoy these things more...

Hugs.

[Celia]

As you've probably guessed, Marilyn, I don't have too much trouble with the cooler times of the year (late autumn, winter, early spring), although things like bras and hosiery are still somewhat more noticeably warm than I'd prefer. :| The remainder of the year for me is a little like stewing in a crock pot. Mid to late summer is the worst, regardless of what I'm wearing (I'd wear nothing at all by that point, if I thought I could get away with it--and I'm NOT an exhibitionist ); I'm prone to fainting spells and blackouts at times, and my temperament is like that of a preschool kid who's missed way too much nap time.

I'll be happy if a fair number of people participate in this thread--maybe we'll get some helpful tips, or maybe we'll at least get a sense that we're in good company. We're getting started on the "good company" part, anyway.

Yours,
Celia

[CJ]

Hi Celia and Marilyn,

You can count me in as part of that good company. I have trouble with that too. I'm the type to keep the window open a crack even in winter (must be my hot Latin blood... ).

In winter, I do wear pantyhose and bras (even girdles), but I "adjust" my outerwear accordingly. People are always thinking that I must be cold, but little do they know the reason for that not being the case. I have to say that my job requires that I be outside a lot, going from place to place.

In summer, I usually do without undergarments above the waist and stick to garter belts and stockings underneath my jeans (I rarely wear sandals and shorts--something people find strange, but have come to accept about my clothing preferences).

The weather here is a bit difficult; essentially, six months of cruel winter (November to April, January being a time of death-dealing cold), two months of spring, two months of insufferably hot summer (mid-July to mid-August being a time of death-dealing heat), and a scant two months of glorious leaf-turning fall. I dress accordingly.

Summertime: Oh, to go to work in a light cotton, floral-patterned little blue dress... {sigh}

Love,
CJ

[Curly(SO)]

I've never found bras to be hot to wear Maybe, because, if it's really hot, I'd wear a floaty cotton dress...much cooler than a t-shirt. Do you think men suffer more from the heat then women? I've always noticed that men sweat more than women in my experience! We don't sweat, we glow

Curly(SO)

[Celia]

You know, Curly, I'm not sure. Most of the girls at the TG support group I attend are TS's, usually on hormone therapy at least; and seldom have I seen a session go by where one of them didn't spring to the thermostat to turn up the heat (at which point I look to the Heavens and ask "Why?" ) . In fact, if I remember correctly, some of the girls have actually discussed how the hormones have increased their sensitivity to the cold. An increased tolerance of heat would definitely seem to go hand in hand with an increased desire for it. I guess I'm probably speculating here that GG's might have an increased sensitivity to cold and an increased tolerance for heat--I don't really know; human physiology, particularly as it pertains to a person's sex, just isn't really my strong suit.

But even if on average there is a difference in sensitivity between the sexes to such things as temperature, I suspect there's a lot of overlap of normal distributions at play (in fact, one of the guys I work with--who, for all I know, would probably have to ask me how to spell gender -- is engaged in quiet, perpetual warfare with me over climate control at the office: he's very much a "set me on fire and throw me in the desert" kind of person). I'm certainly willing to bet there are quite a few women--not a majority, maybe, but quite a few nonetheless--who dread warmer weather and resort to various means to battle the heat.

The clothing men and women wear, as you've suggested, might also make a difference. I've never been a business-suit type of person--I'll wear one in a pinch, but if an employer of mine made them part of a dress code, I'd make haste for another company that allowed its employees to dress comfortably, even if it meant a cut in pay; if such a dress code included a requirement for a necktie, I'd sue. Men's clothing by its nature (the business suit in particular) is not very open or flowing; a skirt or a dress would at least seem to have air circulation going for it.

In any case, Curly, thanks for your response--you've given me some things to think about.

Yours,
Celia

[Celia]

D'oh! Sorry, CJ--I went straight to the end of the thread and didn't see what you'd written. Your suffering strikes a chord with me. You're east of the Rockies--even in Canada, that must make for a bear of a summer. I like your idea about the light cotton, floral-patterned little blue dress--if it weren't for the probable unemployment (and the hysterical blindness that would no doubt afflict my former co-workers), I'd go for it in a heartbeat.

Yours,
Celia

[CJ]

Hey, Celia, no sweat!

I've only lived in Victoria, B.C., or here, in Montreal, so I can't really speak for the rest of the country. I do know that the geographical corridor from Quebec City, northeast of here, to Toronto, down by Lake Ontario, sits low in the St-Lawrence Valley. In summer, the air just sits there, unmoved and unmoving. Subjective temperatures can go up to the low 40s (mid-100s in Fahrenheit degrees) when you take into account the Humidex Factor. It's incredibly hot and sticky here in late July. No time for a bra, however gauzy it may be. Hell, no time for any type of clothes at all! :|

I'm no expert on physiology either but I think a person's "heat output" has much to do with their metabolism. Although there are variations in people's metabolic rates, I'm not sure that there are specific differences along gender lines. Is there a doctor in the house who could enlighten us on this?

Love,
CJ

[LeftyRainbow(SO)]

CJ,

I'm almost always cold but that has nothing to do with a bra in the summertime..I try for the most comfortable thing I can find in the heat..sports bra's with breathable material..going bra-less in the summer is not an option for me outside my house...once I'm home in the A/C , I am once again cold..hee,hee hee and hit the showers and then wear a man's oversized shirt with comfy white cotton socks (like Tom cruise style only I put my hair up in pig tails) and then I'm set..........

[LeftyRainbow(SO)]

Celia,

BTW..I was under the impression that hormone use gives you hot flashes.

love,
Lefty

[CJ]

Hmmm... ...a man's oversized shirt, white cotton socks, pigtails; you paint a pretty pixie picture there, Lefty. I can see it, I can see it.

Love,
CJ

[Celia]

You might be right, Lefty (hey! I just noticed the pun )--I'm not really sure. I was sort of under the impression that hot flashes accompanied menopause (though I gather they occur under other circumstances as well). But my knowledge of menopause is grade-schoolish at best. :| Randy, my therapist, was under some prescription to take female hormones (something cardio-related, if I remember), and I think he might have mentioned hot flashes. My speculation regarding a correlation between one's sex and one's sensitivity to temperature is probably half-baked, at best; but maybe it will draw enough informative response to be worth the embarrassment.

Yours,
Celia

PS:
Sorry I didn't get back to this thread a little earlier--I was visiting one of my relatives at the hospital last night, and I was feeling kind of shelled today.

[Beauty]

"you must be right lefty"

[LeftyRainbow(SO)]

I get it Right- Left....cute

[Amber(SO)]

Celia,
only because I'm in nursing school do I understand why we run hot or cold. Sorry I'm not a doctor. CJ was right when she said metabolism is the key factor. People with higher metabolisms use more calories and burn more energy...therefore you have a higher body temp than most people. Homones or the decrease in hormone production cause hot flashes. This is what causes menopause. A woman's ovaries, which produce female hormones start decreasing hormone production, ergot, hot flashes. Once they cease hormone production, the hot flashes stop. O.K. enough biology for one day.

Try putting on baby powder or a combination of antiperspirant under baby powder or talc to decrease the sweating. I usually just put the antiperspirant in the spot where my bra elastic goes under my breasts. We live in the deep south (Lowsyana) and it gets sweltering down here. Arrid X-dry is a great one. We ladies hate to sweat, but we do. Hope this helps.
XOXO, Amber