Introduction
During the cold days when an individual is going outside, he or she needs to dress properly to avoid freezing. There is more science behind clothes we wear; materials are usually designed for specific reasons like staying cool or warm and keeping off the wind. The following is how to dress to maintain the body’s natural ability to be warm.
Layers
It is always advisable for everyone to dress in layers. There are three layers to consider in order to stay warm and they include;
- Base– Clothing for the base should be made of silk, polyester or some other materials that are capable of wiping away sweat from the skin. One is not supposed to use the cotton shirt as a base layer since it absorbs sweat but does not evaporate.
- Middle– It is considered as the insulating layer which plays the role of keeping an individual warm. Fleece, sweatshirts, and sweaters are suitable for this layer. One should make sure it is neither snug nor tight. Down coats also suit this layer in the coldest weather.
- Outer– This layer keeps a person less warm since its purpose is to block wind and rains. If it’s neither rainy nor windy a normal winter coat is just okay. But if an individual really wants to stay warm then he or she is advised to make the outer layer wind and waterproof shell like a raincoat and it should have vents in the areas around the armpits to allow sweat to evaporate. If a person needs to be fancy then he or she needs to go for engineered materials like Gore-Tex or sympatex which are wind and rainproof and also are more breathable.
Space
The most common mistakes that people make are to make the layer tighter and this makes the skin more close to cold air. Space keeps a person warm: a well-fitting sweater made of wool usually create a thin layer between the skin and the surroundings. The body heat will warm up the boundary layer and the sweater will not allow the layer to be blown away from the body. An individual can purchase scarves, gloves and other garments which are well fitting and allow one to breathe.
Staying dry
Moisture makes one feels uncomfortable on a cold day whether in the form of perspiration or rain. Evaporation is usually a cooling effect and if an individual is wet then the cooling effect happens on his or her skin. Therefore one should avoid being wet by wearing base that wipes the sweat away from the skin such as silk or polyester. The outer layer should always be waterproof and have vents or breathable fabrics so as perspiration can evaporate the interior layers.
Breaking the wind
The temperature might not be cold but the wind can make someone time miserable. The body usually heats up a thin layer around it which helps to insulate from cold but wind can blow this layer away thus it is advisable to wear windproof out layer. Then a person can go for scarves, gloves and other garments to maintain the body warmth.
Conclusion
If an individual is able to observe the above then he or she will be able to stay healthy by avoiding diseases related to cold weather. Thus staying warm is good for one’s health and also make one comfortable.
