Dress like a cabbage to stay warm this Latvian winter / Article

Stylist Žanna Dubska provided the program for Latvian Television (LTV) Revidents (Listener, which you can watch above) with some seasonal tips to avoid the big frost. According to her, the best way to approach winter clothing is to dress in layers.

“Layers like cabbage. And then these cabbage leaves can be peeled. Each subsequent layer is thicker and air must be allowed between them. “

The stylist also added that the first layer should adapt perfectly to the body, while each subsequent layer becomes more and more voluminous.

Dressing in layers is not just a fashion trend. In the military, where soldiers often have to endure harsh weather conditions, the clothing set consists of several layers of clothing, increased as necessary. The so-called three-layer dressing system is also popular in Scandinavian countries where traditional wisdom dictates that there is no bad weather – only inappropriate clothing.

When it comes to fashion sense, Dubska suggests that the colors of different layers of clothing should be compatible with each other – a maximum of three or four colors can be combined unless you are particularly outgoing by nature.

It is recommended to use natural materials, such as silk, cashmere and cotton, closer to the body. Subsequent layers may contain synthetic materials.

Certainly, cotton clothing should be avoided when considering physical activity. Tatjana Ļiņova, immunologist and dermatologist at Veselības centrs 4 and Capital Clinic Riga, explained that cotton clothes can get wet from sweat and quickly cool the body.

“Today there are various microfiber garments that both absorb existing moisture and prevent a large temperature difference from forming,” iņova said. Wool clothing and especially merino wool will also provide warmth.

The warmest outer jackets, on the other hand, will be those filled with porous fibers or down.

Professor Inese Ziemele from the Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry at Riga Technical University (RTU) said that it is important to pay attention to whether the chosen clothes contain a layered fabric, which allows the release moisture and at the same time promotes heat retention.

“At best, it’s a three-layer laminate fabric with a layer of nanofibers between the two layers, the top and the liner. It lets moisture out – our body moisture, but it doesn’t let in moisture. ‘water,’ Ziemele explained.

In the old days, animal skins for different types were often the answer. Ziemele told the show that the subject of wearing fur is very difficult. They are warm, of course, but the fur should be where it should be – on the bodies of animals or in clothing in the north, explains Ziemele: “Where the Eskimos live, where there is no ‘another more environmental option. “

Ziemele also invited everyone to think about not only the clothes we have on our backs, but also the gloves, hats and warm socks:

“The core of heat is in our chest, where the temperature is 36-37 degrees.

The farthest from the core are the legs and arms, along with the feet and hands. The first traces of cold are found furthest from this nucleus. That is why your feet and legs should be warm and your hands are the same. “

The expert explained that the head and especially the ears must also be warm, because they have a lot of small blood vessels, where the heat exchange takes place very quickly. If your ears get cold, they will help cool the body over time.

Although at LSM we don’t pretend to be experts, we would like to offer some additional advice. When it’s really cold, throw off your gloves and put on a nice pair of Latvian knit mittens. They’re hotter, hands down. Or even hands up.

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