Key characteristics to look for when buying your winter coat
MINNEAPOLIS — The recent cold and snowy days are a reminder of what's around the corner, and Minnesotans are layering up.
"I normally do two pairs of pants, long socks, and then a long sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt and a big coat," said Celia Miller.
Miller was running around Mill Ruins Park, and said adding extra layers helps her during the winter months.
There's a reason the extra layers help people stay warm that you may not know about.
Lucy Dunne is a professor of apparel design at the University of Minnesota. She said staying warm is all about trapping air.
"Each layer of textiles can stop a little bit of that air movement," she said. "It's going to reflect a little bit of the energy the body is producing back at your body."
Dunne recommends outerwear with natural fabrics. "Wool does so many wonderful things," she added. Human-made fibers don't do as well as natural fibers.
Natural fibers keep the warm air and absorb moisture. Those are a few things to look for when searching for a jacket.
"If you're shopping, the first thing you want to look for is that it provides that bulk and that the surface doesn't allow the air to travel through it," Dunne stated.
Making sure it fits correctly is another hot tip.
"If the edges are open, then it can travel in and out," Dunne said. "That mixing is going to cool down whatever is close to your body."
She also wants to remind people squeezing into tight jackets or boots can flatten the insulation. That results in a loss of its thermal benefits.
No matter the design or cost, the coolest look this time of year is whatever keeps you warm and covers exposed skin.
