Fashion

You Know It’s T-Shirt Weather When…

The young boy outside playing on a beautiful day looks at the camera with an expressive cheesy smile.

Me and my siblings were kind of odd. When we were growing up, we talked about the weather in terms of the clothes we wore. A rainy day would be a raincoat day. Winter weather was parka weather. And of course, summer was T-shirt season. It’s too bad we didn’t trademark some sort of weather forecast system based on apparel choices.

At any rate, I find myself fast approaching retirement age and thinking a lot more about T-shirt weather. I admit it, I don’t like the cold. Anything under 70° is uncomfortable. Needless to say, I look forward to the arrival of spring. Breaking out the  T-shirts for women is an annual ritual.

How do I know it’s T-shirt weather? There are many signs to look for:

1. The Windows Are Open

Having the windows open is a telltale sign of T-shirt weather. If it is warm enough to let a stiff breeze blow through the house, it’s warm enough to wear a T-shirt. Of course, there are days when I am fooled. The house seems warm enough for open windows and T-shirts but stepping outside reveals it’s a little colder than I thought. That intermediate weather gets confusing.

2. Baseball Announcers Start Talking About the All-Star Game

You know it’s T-shirt weather when baseball announcers start talking about the All-Star game. For you non-fans, the All-Star game is played in early July. Announcers start talking about it toward the end of May or early June. It should be warm enough where I live to wear T-shirts at that time of year. If not, there is something wrong with the weather.

3. Evenings Are Spent on the Porch

I live in a suburban neighborhood where porches and patios are the norm. Those porches and patios don’t get much use when it’s cold out. But once the warm weather arrives, things change. If I am spending the evening hours on the porch, I know it’s T-shirt weather.

I have friends in New York City who have stoops rather than porches. I can imagine them sitting on the steps sporting their Plurawl LatinX T-shirts and talking about the neighborhood. It is just what they do when the temperatures warm up. Who wants to be stuck inside a stuffy house on a warm evening – even with the windows open?

4. You Start Hearing the Ice Cream Truck

Back in my hometown, me and my siblings definitely knew it was T-shirt weather when we heard the ice cream truck coming. And make no mistake about it, we heard it from blocks away. It played a distinct song over its loudspeaker system, loud enough to let the whole neighborhood know it was coming. I think that was the point. It gave us time to run inside and beg a quarter off mom and dad.

Yes, treats from the ice cream truck really were that cheap when I was a kid. But everything is relative. People didn’t make so much money back then, either. But I digress. This post is supposed to be about T-shirt weather.

5. The Mosquitoes Come Out

The last sign of T-shirt weather is a not-so-pleasant sign: mosquitoes. I am the type of person for whom mosquitoes live. They will find and bite me relentlessly. Nonetheless, T-shirt weather brings them out. I have to either slather on the insect repellent or go with long sleeves.

Do you classify the weather by the clothes you’re wearing? I don’t suspect a lot of people do. Me and my siblings did when we were growing up. I still do. And right now, and it feels a lot like T-shirt weather.