Why your sweater isn’t warm on its own.

Why your sweater isn’t warm on its own (but you are)

We all say it sometimes: “Put this on; it’s a wonderfully warm sweater.” But is that actually true? Is clothing itself warm?

The honest answer is: no. Clothing is not warm in itself. Even the thickest wool sweater does not radiate heat. Just try leaving that supposedly warm sweater outside for an hour on a cold winter day. You will find that it feels ice-cold.

What clothing *does* do is keep you warm. After all, *you* are the source of the heat. Your body constantly produces heat, and clothing helps retain it. The better the clothing insulates, the better it keeps you warm.

The key to good insulation? Air Air acts as a natural insulator. Clothing that effectively traps air—between the fibers and within the fabric’s structure—offers the best protection against the cold. Structures with a somewhat coarser or uneven texture, for instance, create small air pockets that retain the heat radiated by your body, keeping you comfortably warm even in low temperatures.

So the next time you put on a “warm” sweater, remember: it isn’t the sweater that is warm. It’s you. The sweater simply ensures that your body heat has nowhere to go.