98 degrees with 80 percent humidity is enough to make even the most dedicated fashionista’s will wilt.

Walking on the Bund in Shanghai, the futuric and cosmopolitan port city of the new China, I’m struck how women can still appear fiercely fashionable even in heat that seriously tops Philly’s own.

When I get ready for the day, should I just schlep around with shorts and my Hello Kitty tank top? Or wear my Gap tented dress with raggedy flip-flops and no belt? Being a tourist and an American one at that, I always like to look presentable and “represent”.  This turns out to be a good idea, since Shanghainese women dress quite well.

 I opt for white Tory Burch linen tunic dress, which felt like a good choice on the way down in the elevator to the over air-conditioned lobby of my hotel.

However, when I step outside the hotel, which is located in Pudong, a fashionable office district filled with high –tech companies, I wince visibility. My carefully applied makeup literally melts on my face. The shower taken just one hour ago is a distant memory. Shanghai swelters, and I am experiencing it.

My linen dress was a good choice for a hot, humid day, but is still insanely wrinkled from being crumpled up in my suitcase. Thank goodness it is white. My friend wears a black shirt, saying it was “slimming”, only to find the color is a heat magnet. Her forehead is quickly doused in beads of sweat.

My gigantic silver-colored leather Tori Burch tote makes me easy to find in a crowded airport. When I start off on my trip, it was a brilliant silver color. Now, I am not happy to report that my sweaty (not “glowing”, just sweaty) shoulders have worn down the silver handles so it now is a sort-of washed-out grey. This item did not pass the travel test.

Shanghainese women go for shorter linen or cotton dresses that flutter in the meager breeze. Details, like ruching and creative stitching help simple outfits look chic and comfortable. Shanghai women aren’t afraid to bare skin, but do it in a fashionable way. Short dresses are matched with colorful sandals. Cropped pants are paired with smart sandals and rarely flip-flops. I saw super short skirts coupled with very high heels and blouson-like tops. Short shorts were also in, coupled with cute chunky sandals.

Pairing your outfit with a matching parasol creates a charming image, if not a practical and cool one. One woman wears a grey linen dress with an umbrella with a silverized reflective coating to keep the sun off her delicate skin. She is one smart and fetching fortune cookie.