Q: Why shouldn't we wear purple in summer?

Arabia Weather - Sometimes, the color of clothing can be more important in determining the degree of comfort on sunny days than its length or the type of fabric used. A long-sleeved white shirt may feel cooler than a short-sleeved black shirt. This phenomenon depends on the ability of colors to absorb and reflect heat.

White objects reflect all visible wavelengths of light, making the sun's heat less noticeable. In contrast, black objects absorb all visible wavelengths, which increases our perception of heat. However, even white objects attract heat through infrared rays, as there is no color that does not attract any heat.

Other colors are known to attract heat based on the amount of wavelengths of visible light they reflect. Higher frequency wavelengths produce darker colors, which increases heat absorption. Thus, the colors in order from least to highest in attracting heat are: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, and black, which attracts the most heat of any other visible color.