HOW TO STAY COOL IF YOU’RE MENOPAUSAL AND FULL-FIGURED IN THE SUMMER

dress wearing XL || hat || sandals tts || straw bag ( similar)

That’s saying something when you’re not only curvy, (a.k.a. overweight) but menopausal too. Let me tell you, when it’s hot, dealing with one of those factors alone is bad enough but when you deal with both, you’ve got to have some coping mechanisms.

So today I thought I’d share a few of my tips for staying as cool as possible if you’re menopausal and full-figured to help us make it through the summer.

I stay away from anything with polyester-ish fabrics and I even find “wicking” fabrics too hot. Linen makes me itch so I stick with cotton but lots of people swear by linen in the summer. But to me, there’s nothing like a thin cotton blouse for cool summer comfort.

Okay, hear me out on this one; I understand that form-fitting, close-fitting, and belting our dresses can be more slimming to a curvy figure but we’re in a heat-survival mode here.

A couple of years ago I started wearing more body-hugging tank tops and while they look nice, I just now figured out that this fashion choice directly coincided with my “heat intolerance“. Now I’m wondering if this is more than a coincidence. Hmmm?

I don’t know about you, but my hot flashes seem to generate from my neck so when I’m really hot, I put my hair up. No, it’s not my best look, but again, sometimes being comfortable is more important. Kate of The Small Things Blog has some excellent, attainable updo tutorials you might try.

I wrote an entire post on my favorite underwear that keep my thighs from chaffing. Wearing long-line cotton underwear ( these don’t stretch out) was a game-changer and made wearing dresses and skirts possible again. And again, cotton is the coolest choice even though they offer no compression.

Speaking of underwear and cotton, if possible, choose cotton undergarments, including bras, and wear the most non-restrictive bras you can. If you can get away with a bralette, do that. Nobody likes to feel squeezed in the best of circumstances and being constricted when it’s hot only exacerbates our frustration. I like this wire-free cotton bra for light support.

You might also be interested in some of my favorite cotton underwear for curvy women.

Since we’re talking about undies, let’s talk about some of the crevices they cover. A sweaty hinney-crack (yeah, I said it) can be irritating and uncomfortable and make us feel miserable. We can’t help it, we sweat!

But, start out with a little preemptive care – I like this powder for the “deep crack” and sometimes behind my knees and elbows however, since it’s pink, you might try something like Gold Bond if that bothers you. Also, I keep a tube of this anti-chafing gel to powder product in my purse. It’s perfect for anywhere you need it.

Okay, this is my last underwear tip, I promise. I have found this strapless bra to be tolerable but for me, it’s still not ideal so I try to find summer pieces that can either be worn without a bra (they are few and far between) or are regular-bra friendly.

Vionic Flatform Sandals

What do comfortable feet have to do with dressing cool? When anything you’re wearing is uncomfortable your blood pressure goes up ever so slightly and if you’re in menopause you know that you don’t want anything to set off a hot flash.

I don’t know about you, by when my feet hurt, I’m miserable so choose shoes that are comfortable. If they aren’t sandals, having breathable uppers or perforation is important.

This Cooling Spray from Kindra is new to me but I have discovered it’s a little magic in a bottle. I’ve been using it during the night when I’m struggling with night sweats but an extra bottle in my purse is the latest tool in my keep-cool arsenal. I don’t know how it works, but it does; a little spritz around my neck and decollete’ and I’m a little cooler.

Try to seek shade if you have to be outside. If you’re in the direct sun, a hat or a sun visor might help to keep the burning sun directly off your head. But if you’re like me, my head gets hot and itchy.

I remember walking into the bathroom in high school and the girls who were in there smoking would look at me and say, “she’s cool“. I wasn’t going to rat on them, but I definitely knew I wasn’t cool and I’m still not – literally or figurately. Ha!

We can’t control much about menopause and hot flashes, but we can try to create an environment and an outfit that will set us up for the coolest possible outcome. I hope you found something here today that will help you be cool!

Did I miss anything? Do you have any tips for staying cool if you’re full-figured or menopausal? I’ll take them ALL!