Black Clothing Is Cooler Than White In The Heat Of Summer?!?

[Tomasso]

So says this study.


The present study was undertaken to investigate whether there is any difference in the rectal temperature and heart rate between women wearing black or white Aodai folk costume and walking intermittently in natural sunlight. The experiment was performed in the field outside buildings in Hanoi, Vietnam, between May and June, 1998. The only difference was in the colour (black or white) of clothing other physical characteristics, like materials, thickness, weight and so on, were nearly identical. Air temperature was around 39 degrees C, globe temperature around 52 degrees C and sun radiation reached 1010 W.m-2. Eight young female students (aged 20 years) participated in the experiment. They sat quietly on a chair inside the building for the first 30 min. Then they walked for 20 min at their ordinary walking speed in the sun, and rested for 10 min in the shade. This schedule was repeated three times. The main results are summarised as follows: (1) Rectal temperature was significantly lower in the black than in the white Aodai; (2) Clothing microclimate temperature at frontal chest level was also significantly lower in the black Aodai; (3) Heart rate was significantly lower in the black than in the white Aodai; (4) Clothing surface and inside temperatures measured at frontal chest level were significantly higher in the black than in the white Aodai. These results strongly suggest that the black Aodai could reduce heat strain more effectively than the white one. The physiological mechanism may result from more effective ventilation between skin and clothing in the black Aodai, due to higher temperature inside and outside this garment

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

I think that this is correct, as long as you stay out of the sun. Since black conducts the heat better, it cools faster than white. I would bet that if they repeated the experiment by taking temperature right after the 20 minute walk, eliminating the 10 minute rest in the shade, the results would be opposite.

 

[Tomasso]

I would bet that if they repeated the experiment by taking temperature right after the 20 minute walk, eliminating the 10 minute rest in the shade, the results would be opposite.

Their body temp and heart rate were monitored continuously throughout the experiment.

 

[avedwards]

The study sound interesting and reasonably well-conducted, but I still have to disagree with it. From personal experience, on hot days black clothing feels like it's "burning" when it's against skin, even if it's made of a breathable fabric. White clothing made of the same material doesn't have this problem I find. Of course that isn't a scientific measure of temperature, it's just my impression of what feels comfortable against one's skin.

 

[dhermann1]

Well, a lot has to do with the material, after all. If we're talking about men's evening attire, usually the black suits are heavy wool whereas the white ones are much lighter material. I don't think a black jacket made of the same material as some of the white dinner jackets would look as sharp. Maybe more wrinkly. Does that make any sense?

 

[Yeps]

I would say that what they are measuring does not translate to comfort. When I used to wear t-shirts there was a noticeable difference in wearing black or dark shirts even if they were essentially the same as the light ones. It was killer.

 

[LocktownDog]

I just can't see that study as being viable. Doesn't translate into common sense.

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

Their body temp and heart rate were monitored continuously throughout the experiment.

That would be uncomfortable. Oh well, anything for science

 

[Patrick Hall]

Fascinating - the study suggests their body temps were lower but the temperature in and outside the garment was higher. That is highly counter-intuitive.

 

[Tomasso]

That would be uncomfortable.

Yep...

 

[LaMedicine]

It's pretty much common knowledge here. You see more black parasols than white.
Black absorbs harmful UV rays and prevents it from reaching the skin. White reflects UV rays, but some pass through and reached the skin. Although black clothes next to the skin is uncomfortable, black chadre in the Middle East actuallly stands to reason--it's like carrying a personal tent on you. The layer of air under the chadre, between the outer material and the inner clothes act as insulation and keeps the person cool as well as protecting from harmful UV rays.

 

[Fletch]

I will keep wearing white in the heat anyway, for the same reason I drink iced tea instead of hot. It's psychological.

 

[LocktownDog]

I will keep wearing white in the heat anyway, for the same reason I drink iced tea instead of hot. It's psychological.

You had to bring that up. Now I'll look like a moron. I drink more hot tea in the summer, just because it feels as if I cool off more quickly. It was recommended about a year ago, and I'd swear it works.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I wore a dark green polo shirt to camp in 108 degree F weather. It HURT to touch the shirt in the sun. I'm really not sure how to take the black clothing in the sun thing. I'm an engineer too.

Later

 

[sandyg]

Like everything in life, it depends...
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1886/does-black-clothing-keep-you-cooler

 

[Richard Warren]

I may be suffering from heatstroke but I cannot find in the article where it says they were constantly monitored.

 

[Fletch]

You had to bring that up. Now I'll look like a moron. I drink more hot tea in the summer, just because it feels as if I cool off more quickly. It was recommended about a year ago, and I'd swear it works.

I think it's like putting cow $#!! on a sprain. The smell, heat, flies, etc., make you forget you feel the pain.

Not that you smell or draw flies when you drink tea, of course. The idea is to promote perspiration, which would fail miserably with me. I perspire 24/7/365 anyway.

 

[Kyle Johnston]

It's definitely an interesting study, but I'm on the fence about their findings. While I've never actually tried something similar to this, I do have personal experience with both.

To the best of my knowledge, my white cotton tee was very breathable, but I sweat a lot. On the other hand, there was a time when I had a killer sunburn on my shoulders/back/arms and wore a black cotton tee, in Florida, in the middle of the summer. I noticed that it aggravated my sunburn a lot, but when I quit thinking about that pain, I really didn't feel that hot. Maybe it was the fact that the pain took away from the discomfort of the shirt, or maybe not. It was definitely an interesting experience, though.

 

[resortes805]

It's pretty much common knowledge here. You see more black parasols than white.
Black absorbs harmful UV rays and prevents it from reaching the skin. White reflects UV rays, but some pass through and reached the skin. Although black clothes next to the skin is uncomfortable, black chadre in the Middle East actuallly stands to reason--it's like carrying a personal tent on you. The layer of air under the chadre, between the outer material and the inner clothes act as insulation and keeps the person cool as well as protecting from harmful UV rays.

Exactly! The world does not always have to revolve around and ascribe to western notions of "common sense."

 

[Yeps]