sweltering

"Wearing this shirt feels just like wearing saran wrap" is what I texted to Doug a few minutes before my gig started this evening.

The uniform for the band this evening was a Hawaiian shirt and white or khaki shorts.  I used to own a couple of Hawaiian shirts back before I lost all of my clothes and an occasion to wear one has not presented during the intervening years until this evening.  I looked in a few stores but didn't see anything that I wanted to pay money for, and I really didn't feel like spending a whole lot of time shopping until I found something.

Hawaiian shirts do not seem to be as readily available this days - I guess they were more popular with the general public back in the 1990s.  It's kind of a dated look, or retro if you prefer.  Anyway, I knew that Doug had one and that he would let me borrow it.  But it was so huge and loose that it looked terrible in spite of the fact that it was actually a very nice looking shirt, as Hawaiian shirts go.

I got out my sewing machine and took in the sides with a basting stitch so that I could easily rip out the seams after I finished borrowing it this evening.  It looked a lot better after I fitted it and it only took about two minutes.  I was very pleased that I was able to get by without a bunch of time spent shopping.

But OMG, after I loaded my stuff onto the stage at the very unairconditioned Glen Echo, I was completely drenched.  The shirt felt fine in my house and in my car, but it doesn't breathe AT ALL.  It literally felt like I was wearing saran wrap.  I guess I should have expected that since it is 100% polyester.  That'll teach me.

So I guess I'll be keeping an eye out for a cotton or rayon Hawaiian shirt to have in case I sub on this gig again.  They probably have a much better selection of these kinds of shirts down at the beach.  I hope.

I really need to start doing a better job of replacing my gig wardrobe.  There are lots of different types of outfits that are required from certain bands, especially in the summertime, and I used to have everything I'd ever need for any type of gig.  It's very inconvenient to have to run out and pick something up at the last minute.  And I don't want to have to resort to wearing a shirt that feels like Saran Wrap ever again.