Dressing Warmly in Winter: Don’t Forget to Layer
Stay warm and dry: Dresssing for winter weather means dressing in layers that the wearer can put on or take off as needed. Clothing doesn’t create body warmth, but it does preserve it. Conversely, body heat is lost if non-water-repellent fabric becomes wet.
Starting with the layer of clothing nearest the body,
- Wear polyester thermal-underwear, instead of cotton long-underwear because cotton absorbs perspiration.
- If thermal underwear isn’t available when the temperature plummets, consider wearing panty-hose or tights, as well as wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt as the bottom layer if it is made of a polyester instead of a cotton fabric. As an added benefit, this underlayer helps protect the skin from itchy wool fabrics.
Now add an intermediate layer:
- Wear a shirt or blouse that has both long sleeves and a high neckline. Add a medium-weight jacket or cardigan that is easy to take on or off as necessary.
- Keep the trunk and limbs well covered, choosing close-fitting slacks, or trousers, or heavy denim jeans.
- If it’s really cold, start out wearing two pairs of socks; then, peel off the top pair of socks after going inside. Since it’s important to keep the feet dry and warm, choose rubber soled shoes or boots. Take an extra pair of comfortable shoes and a pair of dry socks to work or else always leave a pair of shoes to change into at work if storage is available.
For the outer layer,
- Choose water repellent coats that cover the trunk of the body;
- Cover the ears and head to keep warm and to prevent dry and brittle hair;
- Wear gloves both to stay warm and to prevent chapped hands.
Image via Wikipedia
Finally, staying dry is as important as layering when preserving body warmth during the winter. Being wet and cold is much more miserable than being just cold.
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