If you’ve ever woken up drenched in sweat in the middle of the night and struggled to go back to bed or become overpowered by a hot flash while just trying to go about your day, you know how disruptive temperature fluctuations tied to hormone changes can be to your quality of life and health. And yet for so long, these issues have been ignored or minimized, leaving women to feel like they just have to power through.

With menopause and perimenopause getting more airtime in the media and (hopefully) in more doctors’ appointments, products to support women’s comfort and wellbeing during hormonal transitions are showing up as part of a broader shift: women are demanding solutions that reflect real physiological experiences.

What was once marketed as a “nice-to-have” comfort feature, clothing made from cooling fabrics is now emerging as a functional category at the intersection of fashion, performance and women’s health.

From Comfort to Function—A Category Evolves or Designing for Hormones, Not Just Style

Cooling apparel is evolving into a tool for managing the physical realities of hormonal change—not just staying comfortable. Cooling fabrics are no longer just about feeling nice—they’re solving real biological challenges. While traditional apparel prioritized aesthetics and basic comfort, there’s a new generation of fabrics ,performance textiles with built-in thermoregulation, designed to address hot flashes, night sweats, postpartum temperature shifts and everyday temperature dysregulation.

Beyond an innovation in fabric, it’s a shift toward designing for women’s bodies across life stages, addressing real pain points. Brands are rethinking apparel through the lens of women’s lived experiences and historically overlooked needs during times such as perimenopause and menopause, postpartum recovery and medically and surgically induced menopause, such as in the context of breast cancer treatment or removal of ovaries for disease risk reduction or cancer intervention.

Drawing from their own experiences and from the experiences of their customers, founders are building relevant, approachable solutions.

Performance-Driven Intimates

Intimates and athleisure are areas where cooling fabrics are athletic-grade cooling technology is upgrading everyday essentials.

Thirdlove, known for their comfort-first designs, inclusive sizing and data-driven design to help women find the perfect fit, launched TempSync™ in 2025, a line of intimates before expanding into activewear in 2026. The pieces use 37.5® technology that includes mineral-infused fibers that respond to heat and humidity to help evaporate sweat before it accumulates. While this was originally performance tech found primarily in men’s apparel, it’s been adapted for women’s intimates to provide support for hormone-related temperature dysregulation and everyday temperature fluctuations.

Heidi Zak, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, shares, “So many women suffer from temperature swings, night sweats and hot flashes, so we designed this collection to meet a real need and help women stay cool, dry and confident. Our initial TempSync™ collection sold $1M during the first six weeks of launch, which made it evident that it was worth exploring more styles beyond just the intimates – so we expanded to create the active line.”

Ra’el Cohen, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, adds, “Our design process is different from most brands, because we start with the problem, then set out to solve it. This was really the catalyst for TempSync™. Most of us deal with boob sweat and it felt like something we could create a solution for. The styles in our TempSync™ lingerie and active collections deliver more than just style and comfort, they deliver true performance for that first and more important layer.”

Zak says the feedback from customers about the comfort and performance of the intimates and activewear pieces has been incredibly positive. “For the intimates, our community initially responded to the incredible support during hormonal temperature changes like menopause and perimenopause, but many have also shared that the pieces are especially helpful while traveling, during hot summer months, or when navigating fluctuating temperatures throughout the day. With TempSync™ Active, we’ve heard positive feedback surrounding the buttery-soft feel combined with real performance benefits.” They’ve called out details like the front strap adjustability, hidden back pocket and “anti-camel toe” gusset panel.

This represents a shift toward performance-first innerwear, where the base layer actively regulates body temperature.

Hormone-Informed Sleepwear

Designing for night sweats and sleep disruption across life stages is another area where cooling fabrics can offer support. Night sweats are a common symptom in the postpartum phase as well as in perimenopause and also seen in breast cancer survivors and in teens experiencing hormone shifts through the cycle (for example, increased body temperature in the luteal phase in the days before menstruation).

Piper and Mint, founded by Jackie Hutson, was originally inspired by her own experience with postpartum night sweats. “I had postpartum nightsweats with my son. A friend of mine who’d gone through the same thing brought up the idea. She knew my background was in making products and said, ‘there’s nothing like this on the market. We should create something.’ I had the idea sitting on the shelf, and several years ago when I couldn’t find anything speaking to this, I decided to revisit the idea and started doing a lot of research. I launched in 2024.”

The main elements that make the fabric helpful for temperature regulation are micro modal (beech tree pulp), which is soft, breathable and moisture-wicking, and mint-infused fibers, which have natural antibacterial properties and help reduce odor from sweat. The fabric also features a fine yarn structure, which makes for faster evaporation of sweat compared to traditional pajamas.

While the brand was initially postpartum-focused, it quickly expanded. Hutson shares the about 80% of customers are now in perimenopause, and the brand’s audience also includes breast cancer survivors, teens navigating with hormonal shifts and women across life stages.

“Postpartum was the entry point,” says Hutson, “but the need was much bigger.”

Customers have noted improved sleep quality, staying drier overnight and reduced need to wake, shower and change during the night. Many have also reported a boost to their comfort, confidence and even their relationships. “I’ve had some women say the pajamas are saving their marriage because they’re back to sleeping in bed with their husband and can actually cuddle,” she adds.

Cooling sleepwear is becoming part of the sleep health conversation, especially for women navigating hormonal changes.

Why This Matters for Women’s Health

These products sit at the intersection of wellness, sleep and quality of life. Because temperature regulation impacts sleep quality, mood, energy and daily functioning, cooling apparel can function as a non-invasive, lifestyle-based support tool, and one that complements—not replaces—medical or nutritional interventions

As more companies create products with these goals in mind, it helps support broader conversations around hormones, metabolism, sleep hygiene and recovery. Cooling fabrics are part of a larger movement toward biologically-informed design. Some possible areas for continued innovation include more categories (for examples, more activewear, loungewear and intimates products) and more targeted solutions for various life stages.

As brands begin designing for how women actually feel—not just how they look—cooling fabrics may become less of a niche feature and more of a foundational standard.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com