How to Prevent Sweat Stains from Sabotaging Your Style

Hate pit stains? Here's how to prevent sweat stains for good.

Everybody sweats. Despite this natural bodily function, not everyone knows how to prevent sweat stains when it’s 90 degrees outside. So what’s the next best thing? Unlike winter that allows you to dress up in patterns and layers, summer requires a special kind of touch. From understanding fabrics to choosing colors, any man that wants to stay cool will find these tips on how to prevent sweat stains useful.

The Best and Worst Fabrics for Preventing Sweat

In order to grasp how to prevent sweat stains effectively, look for the best and worst materials in your clothing. You should go for fabrics that are breathable and moisture absorbing, while avoiding fabrics that retain heat and break down when you sweat.

 COTTON  is the best fabric for hot weather. It’s known for being lightweight and airy. This makes it an excellent choice for staying cool and comfortable. It’s also the least abrasive fabric so it comes in handy for sensitive skin types. The only downside to cotton is it may not conceal all your sweat, specifically in the armpit region. You can counteract this problem by layering up with more cotton to create a barrier that prevents sweat from appearing at the surface.

 LINEN  is another excellent choice for hot weather. Just like cotton, it’s breathable and lightweight. What separates linen from cotton is it’s made from a much stiffer material. This material prevents it from sticking to your skin, promoting even more airflow than cotton.

 BAMBOO PULP  is the fabric best for concealing body odor. It does this by drawing moisture away from the skin, keeping you dry at all times. In addition, it’s made from a material that protects you from the sun’s UV rays, repelling heat away. It’s also one of the newest fabrics that companies are now experimenting with.  

Any clothing that contains “elastane” or “spandex” will be designed with stretch technology. Why is this a good thing? These fabrics will give extra breathing room around your thighs, legs and calves. Utilizing this stretch technology is one of the best tips on how to prevent sweat stains around your legs. If you rock pants, jeans and joggers all year round, stretch fabric is a must.

On the other hand, three fabrics to absolutely avoid are polyester, leather and silk. Polyester is a fabric used for winter clothing that traps body heat, keeping you insulated. It’s also doesn’t wick away moisture, which causes your sweat stains to be visible. The only exception to polyester is in sportswear, which is made from a different kind of polyester. As a general rule, try to avoid this fabric in the summer. As for leather, it really depends on whether it’s faux or genuine. If it’s genuine, then the fabric is too dense, keeping your body hot. If it’s faux, then the materials are too rigid, which causes chafing. Silk, on the other hand, is always a bad choice. It may be breathable and weightless, but it’s extremely fragile to elements like water. So if you sweat, it shows – big time!

Choose Certain Colors & Patterns to Hide Sweat

Want to know how to prevent sweat stains with colors? The general rule is: light-colored clothes absorb less heat while dark-colored clothes absorb more heat. Remember this from science class? How this works is the particles in dark clothing attracts sunlight while light colors reflect light, bouncing off heat.

With that said, bright white will always be the best color to conceal sweat stains. Just be aware that it can also turn yellow. When deodorant traps bacteria in your armpits, the salt in your sweat mixed with your antiperspirant leads to odor and discoloration of the fabric. Dark colors, like navy, black and dark grey, are also excellent choices for hiding sweat stains no matter how profusely you sweat. The only exception to dark colors is when you’re indoors or at night. 

If you’re trying to hide sweat while remaining stylish, wearing patterns is another tip on how to prevent sweat stains. These prints include flannel, stripes, camo, floral, polka dots and any clothing with intricate designs. Essentially, this will draw attention away from your stains. Moreover, picking patterns near your problem spots will cover the actual stain. For example, flannel is good for those who sweat all over their entire body, as flannel usually covers the entire shirt. The only kind of design to avoid is anything with brand labels, like phrases or words on your shirt. When you sweat in this, it makes it harder for the words to appear, making it obvious that you’re sweating. 

The Best Summer Outfit Ideas to Avoid Sweat

You can still be stylish while keeping cool in the summer. It’s very possible, so don’t “sweat it.” Here are some summer outfit ideas that will make you look your best, even when the weather isn’t.

1. Usually, denim should be avoided in the summer, but today’s mens fashion jeans are made with elastic material that stretches to keep your legs breathable. If you’re going out for lunch with friends or a walk at the park, you are no longer limited to shorts.

2.  If you’re hitting up the gym or dancing the night away at a festival, workout tank tops are the way to go. This will give your arms and chest enough room to breathe.

3. If it’s the beach you seek, comfort is essential since you’ll be moving around a lot. Keep cool and go for a shorter cut when it comes to your swim trunks. 

4. Maybe you want to look edgy at a pool party? Go for mesh shirts that are designed with holes for extreme style and breathability. You can also check out our collection of mens going out shirts to browse shirts with patterns. A camo shirt is a great choice, as it adds an extra hint of dapper while hiding sweat.