Summer Dating Essentials? Indoor Activities and Lots of Deodorant.
“It’s 7 p.m. Friday/It’s 95 degrees,” the rapper GloRilla exclaims in her new single, “TGIF.” The song, which landed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this month, is a celebration of being single, independent and ready to mingle.
It’s no surprise the track is popular; it’s a catchy summer anthem that emphasizes what so many love about the romantic opportunities of the season. (Even Rihanna co-signs.) But it also emphasizes what we’re all feeling these days: It’s remarkably hot, even in the evenings.
With temperature records breaking across the country and experts warning that these heat waves are “the new normal,” dating, like so much else, is affected by the miserable weather and its knock-on effects: frizzy hair, excessive sweat, body odor and pit stains. It’s hard enough to leave your air-conditioned apartment in the best of circumstances. For a terrible date? Forget it.
To be sure, there are upsides. Thighs are out. Sundress season is in full swing. Sweat glistening on exposed skin can be a turn-on. And the threat of a high electric bill is an easy, and potentially welcome, excuse to spend the night with your boo — just think of the savings!
But none of that makes the humid air and scorching heat more tolerable. How does one maintain comfort for a 7 p.m. date when temperatures are north of 90? Hacks abound, but some of the classic tricks can’t be beat: Wear the least amount of clothing you can before it becomes distracting. Keep your makeup light. Be mindful of the parts of your body that crease and fold.
Last summer, Tara Walls, a 27-year-old therapist living in Ridgeland, Miss., made a point of meeting up with her date at a mall bookstore because it was a public space with — and this part is crucial — guaranteed access to air-conditioning.