6 Sweat-Friendly Staples to Refresh Your Minimalist Wardrobe
If you’ve been clinging onto the same couple of black and white t-shirts for the past three years, chances are they’re getting a bit musty, might have a coffee stain, or need some serious TLC under the armpits. Particularly if they’re your grab and go wardrobe staples that get worn every week.
Replacing your favourite tees is pretty easy, right? Just go and buy another one! But finding quality pieces that can handle some serious sweat takes a bit more thought.
In preparation for my own minimalist wardrobe refresh, I scoured some of my favourite websites to find replacement staple pieces, and some new additions.
1. Neuw - Juno Layer Tee
I’ve got to be honest, for the past year I’ve been avoiding white shirts. Maybe this seems unnecessary, but with excessive underarm sweating I don’t like how quickly the armpits get stained (as well as regular stains). Deodorant contributes to the staining, but in my experience it’s really the sweat soaking it into the shirt that does the lasting damage. I’m currently trialling a deodorant that doesn’t leave a ‘dirty’ sweat mark, so I’m coming around to adding white back into my wardrobe.
While I was having my internal dilemma about this, I was browsing David Jones and saw this tee from Neuw. It’s a hemp/cotton blend with a beautiful hand feel that I was instantly enticed by. It struck me that we don’t often see hemp shirts around. But hemp is a great sweat-friendly material because of the looser weave and breathable properties of it. It’s also not as heavy and slow drying as some thick cotton shirts can be when wet. It’s great to see this type of shirt available. I think I’ve found my new white t-shirt!
2. Viktoria & Woods - Granger Short
I love wearing denim shorts, but in Summer they’re too hot for me with my excessive sweating. In my wardrobe refresh I decided lightweight shorts in a classic black were my next piece to search for. I know I’ve talked about my dislike of polyester, but sometimes it’s useful in a blend as a sweat-concealing material. These Grainger Shorts from Viktoria & Woods have a slightly higher percentage of polyester than I’d like (80% polyester, 16% viscose, 4% elastane) but I believe they’ll still feel cool and will be an effective alternative to denim for summer. The length is sensible and perfect for any thigh sweat (no need to worry there).
3. Matteau - Crepe Mini Shift Dress
I wasn’t specifically looking for a dress but upon landing on the Matteau website I saw this mini and fell in love. This Crepe Mini Shift Dress is such a classic LBD for any occasion. Made from 98% wool 2% elastane, I’m interested to know how it performs in summer. I think summer wool is a great material to wear with hyperhidrosis too.
4. Silk Laundry - Scoop Neck Tank
A silk tank, perfect to pair with anything. Goes from day to night seamlessly and is super easy to style. I love solid essentials that I know will do the distance. This Scoop Neck Tank from Silk Laundry is going on my wish list.
5. Witchery - Satin Midi Skirt
Slip skirts have been on my radar for a while, but I wanted to find one in this above-knee length. And I found Witchery stocks the goods! Length is important to me as I wear crew socks all the time, so it’s important to consider the gap between your socks and the hem of your bottoms. I like this skirt, but if I see one that’s a bit shorter (say half to three-quarter thigh length) I think it would be even better ratio wise. I’m happy with this one for now though!
6. Assembly Label - Everyday Linen Long Sleeve Shirt
With Summer fast approaching, I’ve been eyeing off linen shirts again because they’re so light and dry quickly. Like I said at the beginning, I’ve been avoiding white, so bringing new white linen into rotation will be nice. And it's a very needed, brighter top option compared to all my black pieces.
That’s all six sweat-friendly staples. Bring on Summer!
Which of these staples do you want to add to your minimalist wardrobe refresh?
