Camis, bra straps, and pre-teens

[MerryAtHope]

Look at this. You're not alone!

 

LOL, that poll was not fair--I wanted TWO votes!

 

 

[MerryAtHope]

Ugh. I've gotten used to the whole bra strap showing thing. When I was my girls' ages, I would have been mortified to have my bra straps showing, but oh well, times change. I get it. My dd15 has worn camis under shirts for a few years now. I'm okay with that too.

 

But today my dd12, who has also worn camis under shirts for a a few years, today comes down wearing a skirt she bought with a white cami as the top. To me camis by themselves look like underwear. Ugh. I also think it just looks too bare for a girl her age. She is a small 12 year old, barely starting to develop up there, but I just think it looks too mature. I checked with dh, and he said, oh well, it's going to be 90 degrees today, let her wear it. Okay, but I hate it. Anyone else have issues with camis, or am I just incredibly backwards?

 

LOL, I still find it mortifying, and gently nudge my dd towards more modest styles that are still trendy. 

[ElizaG]

We are in TX with 100+ degree heat. My dd wears these camisoles at home and out running errands. She puts a shirt over them if she is going to a friends house, to church or on an outing. I know its not proper, but it is just so hot here.

 

TX here too. It is HOT. Very HOT. Very very HOT.

 

I'm fine with a cami worn as a shirt most of the time.

 

 

 

If you live in really hot areas, you realize that layering clothes is a crazy idea. It's easy to get to a heat index of 120 degrees + & layering clothes in those conditions could be bad for your health (heatstroke).

 

I think there are plenty of camis that are fine on their own & some that are not such great looks. But, I think that can be said of all clothing, for the most part.

 

 

That said, I have no issue with her wearing just a tank when it's HOT and I think my girls are fairly modest.  

 

These sorts of threads always seem to take this turn, which has me wondering -- if wearing a sleeveless top is practically a health & safety requirement in some places, how did women in the Southern states survive in the past?   Surely they couldn't spend all their time drinking iced tea on shady porches, lovely as that sounds. 

 

Is it that modern fabrics and styles are less practical for hot weather - e.g., close-fitting knits and synthetics, rather than looser lightweight cotton dresses/blouses?    

 

Or is it that A/C has lowered people's tolerance?  

 

If you live in one of these  states, but follow older standards of coverage, how do you handle this?  

 

I'm seriously interested in these questions, as "fear of the heat" has been a factor in our choice of places to live.   

[Ravin]

By the time my DD turned 12 I'd decided to let her make her own fashion choices, as long as it isn't going to get either of us arrested.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

 

If you live in one of these  states, but follow older standards of coverage, how do you handle this?  

 

I'm seriously interested in these questions, as "fear of the heat" has been a factor in our choice of places to live.   

 

 

I find that free-flowing skirts, dresses, blouses, and the like are just as cool as a tank and shorts. They also provide more sun protection. 

 

Even on hot days at the pool or lake, as soon as I'm out of the water, I put on a long-sleeved cover-up, sunglasses, and a straw hat. I find that blocking the sun is better than baring the skin. 

 

REI and other outdoor clothing providers have different styles that will help keep you cool and provide protection from the sun, ticks, and wandering eyes...  ;)

[regentrude]

These sorts of threads always seem to take this turn, which has me wondering -- if wearing a sleeveless top is practically a health & safety requirement in some places, how did women in the Southern states survive in the past?   Surely they couldn't spend all their time drinking iced tea on shady porches, lovely as that sounds. 

 

Is it that modern fabrics and styles are less practical for hot weather - e.g., close-fitting knits and synthetics, rather than looser lightweight cotton dresses/blouses?    

 

Or is it that A/C has lowered people's tolerance?  

 

If you live in one of these  states, but follow older standards of coverage, how do you handle this?  

 

I'm seriously interested in these questions, as "fear of the heat" has been a factor in our choice of places to live.   

 

 

Actually, if it is seriously hot I find long thin skirts and shirts more comfortable than tanks and shorts, because sweaty skin sticking on sweaty skin is unpleasant (not to mention the issue of sun exposure)

But I also think that nowadays we are no longer willing to tolerate heat if we know there is an alternative such as dressing lighter and/or A/C. I don't think those ladies back then didn't sweat - it was just considered normal, since they had no choice.

[reet3]

I guess it depends on where they are going.  It is excruciatingly hot in Texas so the weather should count for something.  A cami wouldn't bother me in a pool party situation of some sort, but to go into the library, not so much, even if it is hot outside.   They do make some thicker strap less clingy tank tops that are ribbed.  And they are probably cooler and more comfortable than the skinny strapped, clingy kind.  Happy Summer! 

[SilverMoon]

It's supposed to be 116F here tomorrow. Long sleeves and pants are simply not comfortable to even put on in the morning (to me), let alone leave the house in. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm pretty sure we don't follow "older standards of coverage," but sweaty smells are unavoidable at some point. Camis that are sold with underwear and look like underwear can be a layer under another tank for fuller coverage but don't count as a real shirt. My girls all have plenty of tank tops that are strappy rather than the two-three finger thing. They look like real clothes and fit well enough that my girls are decent at all times. They also wear shorts shorter than many of the kids in our Christian homeschool group are allowed to. Again, they fit well.

 

FWIW, all three girls, including the teenager, still wear spandex shorts under their skirts and dresses regardless length and tempurature. Because dancers. LOL

 

(To further mix this up, we let them wear less coverage when taking them to ballrooms kept cold enough for penguins. It must fit well enough to always stay put while dancing and be tasteful. The parent chaperones on the sidelines are usually wearing sweaters. In July.)

 

ETA: Another FWIW, teaching the girls to be choosy shoppers with a close eye for good quality and fit has been pretty effective thus far. We don't have much for hard rules in the way they dress.

Edited June 4, 2016 by SilverMoon

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Another thought... Even on scorching days professionals still show up to work in professional attire. Attorneys aren't in court in shorts and camis. In blazingly hot places, many field scientists still choose full coverage for protection from the elements. Lost in the desert or at sea? Covering the skin is a big priority. Heat doesn't automatically necessitate less coverage.

[Laura Corin]

Another thought... Even on scorching days professionals still show up to work in professional attire. Attorneys aren't in court in shorts and camis. In blazingly hot places, many field scientists still choose full coverage for protection from the elements. Lost in the desert or at sea? Covering the skin is a big priority. Heat doesn't automatically necessitate less coverage.

Some places have adapted though. Singapore is a quite formal place, but professionals wear short sleeved shirts to the office.

[SilverMoon]

Summers really are just less formal in general. Attorneys and professionals of that caliber spend their days in air conditioned buildings and only brave the elements walking from the parking garage to the office. Pastors often wear camp shirts instead of a 3 piece, but they're in air conditioned buildings too. Military roll their BDU sleeves up a couple/few weeks before Memorial Day and leave them there until after Labor Day, their nicer uniforms have short sleeves and don't leave air conditioning much, and their formal would only be worn in air conditioning. Construction crews tend to work wonky hours so they're not out during the worst part of the day, and road work often happens at night (they wear short sleeves too). I've seen bicycle policemen in short sleeves and shorts. The motorcycle patrolmen are full coverage, though we generally just don't see either of these as often during the summer.

 

The only people I really see regularly wearing long sleeves outdoors in the summer are a handful of senior citizens.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

My posts were mainly in response to ElizaG's  concern and question about clothing choices in hot areas. My point is that it's still a choice. There are plenty of options even in hot areas. Heat doesn't automatically necessitate less coverage. Social norms, fashion, etc are different issues. If the question is about safety in the heat -  Heat doesn't automatically necessitate less coverage. 

 

My point about attorneys and field scientists was that both inside and out, you will find people who aren't in shorts and camis, even in hot weather. It isn't a necessity or safety requirement to wear a cami, it's a choice.

 

Again, I was mainly addressing ElizaG's question. There are many different types of fabrics and styles that will keep you as cool as possible in the heat.

[Laura Corin]

A pre-teen is a child.  Let them wear what is comfortable.  Straps?  Why in the world should we worry about straps?  Camis vs sleeveless t-shirts?  What does this distinction even mean?  It looks like underwear?  So let them wear underwear.  Until I was eleven, the sports kit at my school was underpants and vest (undershirt).  They are children.

[ElizaG]

Thanks to all who replied to my question - I appreciate it. 

 

Thinking back, I used to wear a lot of rayon, which isn't really a natural fiber, but seems cooler than synthetics that are made from plastic. 

 

It does seem as if there's less variety of fabrics in basic girls' and women's clothes these days.  Most are medium-weight, and knits are more common than wovens.   

 

For instance, I found an article in Esquire that recommends textured fabrics in hot weather:  Oxford cloth, seersucker, linen, etc.   Lands End used to sell girls' dresses (school uniform type) made from some of these.  Now, they only have polo dresses and other knit dresses, which aren't as cool.  (And also stain more easily, and wear out a lot faster.  Hmm...  :huh: )

Edited June 4, 2016 by ElizaG

[SilverMoon]

I didn't have much coffee in my system when I posted last and didn't read through.

 

I wouldn't ever argue that camis and/or skimpy clothing is ever required. It is quite possible and easy to have well dressed girls in the desert. The homeschool community is alive and well, and there are gobs of those stereotypical denim jumper wearing sorts with very strict dress codes for their children.

 

I would argue against the alleged practicality of wearing long sleeves and pantlegs all summer. Maybe humidity or the lack thereof has something to do with the comfort level of this?

 

Fiber content is a big deal though. Even a low poly count in a polyblend is warmer than all cotton. Some sports synthetics are okay.

[...................]

Well since the zombie thread is still alive.....here;s my 2 cents

 

 

humidity makes a difference...

 

When we lived i South Florida, it was absolutely NOT true for me that long cotton loose clothing is as cool as less clothing.  You MUST have less clothing to stay warm because the body is working very very hard against the humidity which lessons the effect of the body's natural cooling system, sweat.  You need the air circulating against your skin constantly to keep cooling whatever sweat makes it out.  

 

We now live in the west and loose linens and loose cottons are almost just as cool, and because they protect against the sun, I wouldn't say they are better, but they can be OK.  The dry heat makes the difference.  
 

Just IMO.  

 

But above all, natural fabrics makes the difference.  I do not allow myself or dd to wear anything but linen and cotton in summer.  End of story.  it's the only way to go! :o)