3 Australian creatives on how they style sun-smart clothing
Words by Joseph Lew
Beat the heat in style.
I’m just going to come out and say it. I bloody hate summer.
It’s hot, it’s sweaty, and worst of all, I can never find anything to wear. At least in winter I can throw on some more layers when it gets cold, or do the opposite when it gets hot. But in summer, there’s not much you can take off after a certain point without getting yourself arrested. And don’t get me started on sunburn.
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I remember when I was around nine, I fell asleep laying in the backyard on a 30-degree day. For at least a week afterwards, I looked like Mr Krabs come to life — a walking, talking figure of red. My skin was so raw that I could barely lie down, and I went through about two litres of aloe vera gel to deal with the peeling. Thanks to Australia’s higher than average UV levels, sunburn is as much a part of our vocabulary as snags, kangaroos and beaches.
Now that I’m on Accutane, I can’t stand in the sun for more than 10 minutes without getting burnt. And although sunscreen is a major blessing, some days it’s just not enough. It’s at these times that I turn to my trusty bucket hat and a long-sleeved shirt (peek my usual fit above). Since I struggle to style myself in the heat, I decided to turn to three of my favourite Australian creatives for inspiration, to see how and why they protect themselves in the sun.
Rowi Singh, artist and influencer
“I’m super vigilant when it comes to protecting my skin – I’ll always leave the house with SPF 50+ sunscreen, a bucket hat and a pair of sunnies. There’s a misconception in the POC community that you don’t need to wear sunscreen if you have a deeper complexion and don’t burn easily. I’m trying to educate my following and debunk this myth as it’s imperative to protect your skin at all times, no matter your skin type. It also sticks with me that UV exposure seems to be responsible for 80 per cent of visible facial aging.”
Roshan Nausad, makeup artist and social activist
“I really like clean and effortless fashion. I really like combining warm colours with cool colours. I think they are pleasing to the eye. I really love pants and T-shirt because they fit really well on my body. Being a short individual I always have trouble finding clothes that fit, so I like to go a size down so my clothes don’t look big on me. Even though my complexion is brown I still need to apply sunscreen when going outdoors on a sunny day.”
Sonali Chaudhary, founder of Fitzpleisure
“My skin is quite sensitive to the sun and I often have eczema flare-ups if my skin is not protected by sunscreen or clothing. It usually affects me the worst on my face, so my newest favourite sun-smart accessory is a wide brim, floppy sun hat! It creates just enough shade and is a good way to avoid having to top up sunscreen for your face if you’re wearing makeup, too.”
For more information on sun safety, head here.
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