從科學角度來看，人體透過排汗蒸發來調節體溫，裸露皮膚似乎更有利散熱。然而在乾燥炎熱地區，衣物能有效遮擋直射陽光，如同樹蔭或建築物的遮蔽效果。傳統服飾如南亞的庫爾塔睡衣採用棉、絲、亞麻等透氣面料，既允許空氣流通又防止皮膚直接吸收熱能。在越南，摩托車騎士從頭到腳裹得密不透風，防曬與防熱同等重要。此外，亞洲長期以來將白皙肌膚與社會地位掛鉤，防曬文化根深蒂固，去年亞太區防曬乳液市場價值達48.7億美元，紫外線防護服飾佔全球市場份額的32%。
文章也關注了機能性面料的商業崛起與文化舒適度的議題。日本優衣庫的Airism和UV防護系列已成為夏季必備品，帶動了中國大陸和東南亞的銷售增長；無印良品提供逾40種防紫外線產品；甚至巴黎男裝週上也出現了內建風扇的夾克。然而穿著選擇不僅關乎科學，更涉及文化認同與社會期待——東京都知事推行的「Cool Biz」短褲辦公運動就引發了尷尬與爭議。文章最後提醒讀者，防紫外線（UPF）與涼感降溫是兩種不同功能，選購夏季衣物時應注意面料特性，而隨著全球持續升溫，西方世界也開始重新審視「夏天該怎麼穿」這個問題。
This article examines the contrasting summer dressing philosophies between Western and Asian cultures. While people in the West tend to shed layers as temperatures climb, those across East Asia, Southeast Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East often add more coverage. In Tokyo's sweltering summers, residents equip themselves with UV-cutting jackets, long gloves, parasols, and masks. The piece features writer Jennifer Pastore, an American who has lived in Japan for two decades and gradually adopted the local approach to sun protection, illustrating how practical experience can shift deeply held cultural habits. (Key numbers: 35, 94)
The science behind covering up is nuanced. In dry heat, fabric acts as effective shade against direct sunlight, and traditional garments from hot regions—made of breathable cotton, silk, or linen—facilitate airflow between skin and cloth while blocking solar radiation. In humid climates like Vietnam and Japan, sun protection and the cultural premium on fair, unblemished skin drive the practice. Asia's lotion sun-protection market was worth $4.87 billion last year, and the region commands 32% of global UV-protective clothing sales. The association between tanned skin and outdoor labor persists across much of Asia, in stark contrast to the Western ideal linking a tan with leisure and health.
The article also highlights the booming market for performance fabrics and cooling technologies. Uniqlo's Airism and UV-protection lines have become summer staples driving sales growth across Asia, while even high fashion has embraced fan-equipped jackets on the Paris runway. Yet clothing choices remain deeply cultural: Tokyo's "Cool Biz" campaign encouraging office shorts has sparked social discomfort, revealing how dress codes intertwine with class signaling and modesty norms. The piece concludes with practical advice—distinguishing between UV-cutting and cooling properties in fabrics—and notes that as global temperatures continue to rise, Western brands like Patagonia are increasingly investing in sun-protective apparel, suggesting a potential convergence of East and West in how humanity dresses for an overheating planet. (Key numbers: 40)