Cold skirting observation

[moonshadow]

I really didn't expect this, but now that I've went out in a skirt in a few "cold snaps".... I have concluded that at least when the wind is calm... skirts are actually quite warm!

Of course when the wind is whipping it seems as though NOTHING is warm enough! But I've been out in the 20's in two skirts, a Macabi with leggings, and my mouseworks skirt bare legged. While in the mouseworks skirt, the only part of my skin that was nippy was around my ankles where it was exposed to the elements. Everything from the calf up was actually quite comfortable.

I've been thinking about the science behind this, and I would say that this might be due to the shape of the skirt, and the overall fact that heat rises. It's been said that air is actually a pretty fair insulator, and when standing still, bare legged, heat leaves the leg and travels upward to the waist of the skirt where it stops and begins to "pool" and thus warm the area from the waist down.

Trousers don't seem to hold this heat as efficiently as skirts do, I would say because of the overall odd shape of trousers. The fact that if they are close fitting with little air between your leg and the fabric, additionally the cold fabric is more likely to rub against your skin and thus draw the heat right out of your body. Baggy trousers do seem to feel warmer than tight fitting trousers... at least to me anyway.

Another skirt observation was when I was standing in a checkout with one of my longer skirts on, with leggings on underneath as it was somewhat chilly out. I found that the area just below my waist got downright hot! To the point of developing a case of "swass". No doubt due to the heat being trapped under the skirt.

So there ya go.... another reason to wear skirts.

[crfriend]

[...] I've been out in the 20's in two skirts, a Macabi with leggings, and my mouseworks skirt bare legged. While in the mouseworks skirt, the only part of my skin that was nippy was around my ankles where it was exposed to the elements. Everything from the calf up was actually quite comfortable.

It was 5 (yes, five) degrees Fahrenheit this morning when I left for work, it's going to top out at about 25, and I'm wearing a skirt -- and I was perfectly warm on the drive in, even before the heat in the car came up.

Of course it's not just the skirt, even though it's one of my ankle-length ones, it's also the tights and heavy cotton petticoat that helped out as well, in addition to a wool waistcoat for the top half. So, I can say from experience that properly done, skirts are quite a bit warmer than trousers. The keys are (1) staying dry and (2) wearing something that'll break the wind. If you get wet, you're done for; you'll never get warm, and if you can keep the wind from cutting through what you're wearing, you'll do vastly better than if you can't. I rather suspect that in a pinch, a Macabi layered atop a Mouse Works fleece skirt would be quite toasty indeed down to right about zero (also F).

Layer-count, all up, with the above rig counted 5 or 6 (some areas had more layers than others) down below and two or three up top. I was fine, although I do need to fish my gloves out of one of the boxes in the garage (which means a fair bit of excavation when I get home).

[moonshadow]

It's interesting how they also are very cool and comfortable in the summer time as well.

You know they really are remarkable garments. It's easy to see why they were so widely used through history by both men and women. While in todays modern era of industrial machines, I can see why wearing trousers would be preferable in certain work place conditions.... however with each passing day... men who wear trousers in their leisure continues to puzzle me.

[rick401r]

I was watching a TV show last night where 2 people were freezing to death and one of them decided that they should get naked in a sleeping bag in order to more readily transmit body heat. It made me think that, in a skirt, the legs could do the same. Does that make sense?

[Uncle Al]

Saw a movie long time ago where the 'hero' was dragged from freezing water
in Alaska. The Eskimo Chief had him in a bed of furs with both his daughters
naked on either side of him. (He was naked too.) He finally thawed out and
the girls(high teens to low 20's in age) crawled out as he was waking up.
Body heat will work wonders when trapped in a closed area.

Granted it was a movie but the process works!
(And you should've seen the 'sheepish grin' on his face when he found
out what/who/how he was thawed out )

Uncle Al

[dillon]

I was watching a TV show last night where 2 people were freezing to death and one of them decided that they should get naked in a sleeping bag in order to more readily transmit body heat. It made me think that, in a skirt, the legs could do the same. Does that make sense?

Seems logical that larger looser layers would break convective heat loss better than tight trousers would, being plastered right against your skin in a way that there is no place for a laminar air layer to buffer the transfer of heat between source and removal.

[Caultron]

I was watching a TV show last night where 2 people were freezing to death and one of them decided that they should get naked in a sleeping bag in order to more readily transmit body heat. It made me think that, in a skirt, the legs could do the same. Does that make sense?

I think the idea is that the sleeping bag is a better retainer of heat, and so touching it directly is more efficient than heating the trousers so they can heat the sleeping bag so it can heat the trousers anf then the human.

This is dependent, of course, on cold air not entering the opening at top of the sleeping bag.

With a kilt, I suspect there'd have to be very little, if any, updraft to make going commando warmer than wearing a good pair of leggings.

It is surprising, though, how warm a skirt or kilt can be, even in cold windy weather. I suppose not that much wind actually blows upward from the ground.

[skirted_in_SF]

I shied away from wearing a skirt in cool weather until I finally manned up and tried it. Much to my surprise I wasn't cold at all (and I tend to be cold). I do tend to wear a nylon underskirt just a bit shorter then my outer skirt and have swapped my sandals for knee socks and shoes.

[Gregg1100]

A long skirt with fishnet tights means you will not be cold. Forget about fishnets being fashion tights, they are brilliantly warm. I have been out on the bike with fishnets covered over by thin tights- under the Kevlar jeans and boots, I have not felt cold at all.

[JeffB1959]

I'm of the opinion it's all about the accessories, not just the skirt alone. I've worn thick leggings with a 15 inch denim mini on a particularly cold day and didn't feel at all cold. Of course, more traditional fare like a heavy wool midi with tights and knee boots works well in winter as well.

[skirtingtoday]

Saw a movie long time ago where the 'hero' was dragged from freezing water
in Alaska. The Eskimo Chief had him in a bed of furs with both his daughters
naked on either side of him. (He was naked too.) He finally thawed out and
the girls(high teens to low 20's in age) crawled out as he was waking up.
Body heat will work wonders when trapped in a closed area.

Uncle Al

I have heard that such real "experiments" were carried out in the concentration camps during WWII where men were deliberately frozen until they collapsed, close to death and then "recovered" by naked bodily contact by a couple of women.

And (back on topic) re skirts in cold weather, I have mentiond on here that I am quite comforable and very warm whilst wearing a traditional woollen kilt with knee-high kilt hose in temperatures down to -11deg C (around 10-12 deg F) And "dressed" as a true Scot should be!

[jeanfor]

I do agree that contrary to what people think, skirts are warmer in winter and more confortable. If you wear wool then you are set.
I like also the feel that when you sit down, the skirt is like a blanket on your legs. You dont get that feeling with pants

[kingfish]

I like think of it being equivalent to the thermodynamic difference between mittens and gloves. Both legs (or four fingers) put together without separating insulation gives less surface area for heat to escape. I've worn a kilt in a snowstorm. Except for my knees to about 3" above, I was as warm if not warmer than if I were in jeans.

[Kilted Musician]

.

[JeffB1959]

You want cold weather skirting? I give you this: Japanese schoolgirls who wear short skirts ALL year 'round, including winter and with snow on the ground!







Crazy, you say? Yeah, but that's just how they roll. I spent a year and a half in Japan back when I was in the Navy and saw sights like that firsthand.