What is the most effective way to dress to stay warm in cold weather? Learn the science behind maximizing warmth!
Every winter, we pull out our thick coats, such as down jackets and coats, that have been sitting in a corner of our closet for half a year. At this time of year, many people start thinking about winter fashion. They think about what styles are in and what colors go with what, but most importantly, they think about whether or not they are effective at keeping out the cold. Or they wear thick socks with fur, wear several layers of clothing and wear thermal underwear known under the brand name “Heat Tech”. It is very natural to use clothing to beat the cold. This is not surprising since the reason clothing was invented in the first place was to protect the body from various natural environments, such as the cold. So, is it effective to wear layers of clothing indiscriminately to beat the cold? This article will introduce the principles of clothing and how to use them to wear layers of clothing more “intelligently”.
Clothing has its own climate, independent of the ever-changing external environment. The term “clothing climate” refers to the microclimate that is created inside clothing when it is worn. The elements of the clothing climate include temperature, humidity, airflow, pressure, and the composition of the air inside the clothing, and the comfort we feel depends on how the clothing climate is created. Furthermore, the ability of clothing to maintain and regulate a comfortable temperature is called the climate control ability of clothing. The climate control ability of clothing goes beyond simply blocking out ultraviolet rays or cold, and allows the creation of a comfortable, personalized environment for each individual, and makes it easy to control the climate depending on whether you are wearing clothing or not.
Clothing also has the ability to block heat from the outside. This is called the thermal insulation or thermal resistance of clothing. The thermal insulation of clothing is affected more by the layer of air within the clothing that makes up the clothing climate mentioned in the previous paragraph than by the physical properties of the clothing itself or the thermal insulation of the clothing material. In general, we try to minimize the space between our clothing and our bodies to prevent cold wind from passing through in cold weather. However, this is an inefficient behavior in terms of the warmth retention of clothing. In fact, the warmth retention of clothing is most effective when there is a reasonable amount of space in the clothing and the convection of the air layer caused by the space does not occur and is stopped. Also, the thicker the stationary air layer, the greater the warmth retention of the clothing.
So how can we wear clothes “intelligently” to beat the cold by using the principles of clothing mentioned above? Using the principles of clothing mentioned earlier, it is advisable to leave some room to create a layer of air between the clothing and the body to beat the cold. To help you understand, let’s take the example of wearing a windbreaker with low breathability and a sweater cardigan with high breathability. When combining these two garments, it is better to wear a breathable windbreaker on the outside and a breathable cardigan on the inside (closer to the body) for greater warmth. In other words, it is effective to wear multiple layers of clothing, but to maximize the thickness of the air layer within the entire garment by wearing a breathable fabric on the inside.
There are other things to consider when wearing layered clothing. You should have a good understanding of the material and structure of each piece of clothing and carefully consider the order in which you wear them. For example, cotton clothing absorbs sweat well but takes a long time to dry, so in cold weather it can actually rob you of body heat. It is recommended that you wear a garment that absorbs and evaporates sweat quickly on the inside and then wear a layer of garment with excellent heat retention on top. Also, on days when you are active, it is important to wear layers of clothing, rather than wearing too thick a layer of clothing, to make it easier to control your body temperature.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration’s annual average climate change index, the global average temperature is increasing. In addition, according to the annual minimum temperature data, the minimum temperature values from the 1970s to the recent year of 2024 show no significant difference when looking at the winter. Despite the fact that the temperature changes in winter are so minimal, I feel that there are more people who are relatively sensitive to the cold these days. And their clothes are mostly just thick clothes worn on top, or they wear so many layers of clothes that they are restricted in their movements, which is far from being fashionable. However, I hope that after reading this article, you will understand the scientific principles of clothing and be able to wear clothes more intelligently. I also hope that you will share this knowledge with the people around you so that everyone can spend the cold winter warm and comfortable.
