An Investigation: How Can Celebs Wear Long Pants & Sweatshirts When It’s Ridiculously Hot Outside?

Karlie Kloss attempting to hail a cab in New York City’s West Village. Photo: Getty Images

It is currently, as I type this at 4 PM EST on Friday, 84 degrees fahrenheit in New York City. Throughout the week, temperatures have been in the 90s during the day, with little relief when the sun goes down. Don’t have an air conditioner? Find your closest pub, befriend the bartender, and hope last call never comes. But while everyone else is sweating — and Jack Sock’s almost dying on the tennis court — some celebrities are dressing like it’s already fall and not Indian summer.

Take, for example, Karlie Kloss. The model, who just started at New York University this week, was spotted attempting to hail a cab while wearing long jeans with a sweatshirt and sandals. Sure, the crewneck sweatshirt is cute — it’s a reissue from Reformation and is available for $118 — but how is she not sweating? Yes, the 21-year-old is a superhuman who has established a multi-million dollar brand before matriculating college, but last time I took biology I’m pretty sure I learned that money doesn’t halt production of sweat glands.

Kendall Jenner making her way into Kanye West’s apartment wearing boots. Photo: Getty Images

Kendall Jenner, a California native, has been staying at her brother-in-law Kanye West’s apartment in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood and has left the comfort of the rapper’s home in long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Not just once, which you can write off as maybe she’s getting paid to wear a certain piece, but three times! She’s even already broken out her boots. Too soon, girl.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in pants and long-sleeved shirts. Photo: Getty Images

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, longtime promoters of the boho-chic look, never packed their winter clothes into storage for the summer. Instead, the petite twins have kept warm — like, really warm — in sweaters, sweatshirts, and boyfriend jeans.

So how do these magical creatures keep their core body temps at 98.6 while covered in fabric while the rest of us are in crop tops and sundresses, wearing as little clothing as business casual allows? No idea. But I can make some educated guesses. First of all, modern air conditioning is brutal. It might 84 degrees outside but inside my office, it feels like an icebox. Everyday, my cute outfits are completely ruined by the fact that I must wrap myself in a blanket in order not to turn into Elsa from Frozen. Maybe they’re only outside for a few seconds — I imagine that’s how long someone could last before melting and becoming one with the asphalt — the 10 steps between chauffeured car with the AC pumping and desired location. So they dress for the environment where they’ll be spending the most time and risk thawing out.

Science also has something to say about it. Researchers have studied the Bedouins, who wear heavy black robes in the desert, for answers. Black absorbs more heat than lighter-colored fabrics so an outer layer does get hotter, but that heat doesn’t get transmitted to the skin because of the thick fabric. Thin black clothing, on the other hand, transmits the heat to the skin, making a person hotter. It’s kind of like those weird people (I’m one of them) who drink hot coffee when it’s hot out: warm beverages have counteracting cooling powers. Basically, when humans are hot, we sweat to cool our bodies by the perspiration evaporating from the skin.

Maybe they’re onto something. But maybe it’s all just for fashion’s sake.

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