Thermal underwear

People are not allowed to control nature. But this does not mean that it is impossible to adapt to her whims. Nowadays, many ingenious but simple things have been invented that make life in any weather conditions more comfortable and easier.

Let's take thermal underwear for example. It seems that this wardrobe item came into our lives recently. But that's not true. Through trial and error, people have learned for centuries to retain body heat, sometimes by dressing in unusual costumes. However, with the advent of synthetic materials, it was possible to find the most convenient option. They became functional, or thermal underwear. It is believed that in its modern version it can replace two layers of clothing on a person.

@walmart.com

Story

Catherine de Medici - French queen, wife of Henry II experienced terrible discomfort while riding. Then she came up with the idea of ​​​​creating pantaloons - short pants that protect the inner thigh. It turned out that such trousers retain heat perfectly, and therefore today they are deservedly considered the prototype of modern thermal underwear.

A little later, a men's version appeared - flannel long johns, which were worn under outer trousers. At the end of the 19th century, close attention was paid to their tailoring: at that time, high-quality wool began to be used for long johns.

Further, they learned about underwear that retains heat in the army, and after it - in sports. Soldiers and athletes—serious people who are accustomed to surviving under any stress—appreciated this option and quickly introduced it into everyday life.

However, using wool was not always convenient, and its shortcomings were felt quite strongly. But these problems were solved when the world learned about nylon and then polyester. There has been a new revolution in the development of thermal underwear.

In the Soviet Union, they learned about this miracle of the textile industry much later than in the rest of the world. Only in the 70s of the twentieth century did climbers begin to use Chinese thermal underwear “Friendship”. There were two options: light summer and winter with fleece.

@etsy.com

Such clothes began to be worn en masse at the beginning of the 21st century. At that time it consisted entirely of polyester, but today there are much more options.

Peculiarities

The production is based on the principle of multi-layering in clothing for athletes. The first layer absorbs and eliminates moisture when the body sweats, the second removes it outside, and the third protects against bad weather and precipitation if the suit is worn outdoors.

Materials used are polyester, microfiber, polypropylene, fleece, lycra. If thermal underwear is designed for severe frosts, then terry cloth is used for its manufacture.

A characteristic feature is the seams - they always face outwards. In addition, underwear can be very thin (for example, for figure skaters) and thick (for tourists, climbers and other people who value active recreation in sub-zero temperatures).

@jxwensang.en.made-in-china.com

Kinds

These clothes perform different functions:

1. Heat saving. Ideal for winter, not too active walks. The underwear “works” in a simple way: to retain heat, a special film is created between the skin and the fabric.
2. Moisture absorption. Suitable for active sports and physical work in the fresh air. Thermal underwear fibers allow air to escape from the body and dry quickly. Thanks to this, a person forgets about sweat and an unpleasantly wet back during training.
3. Hybrid (a mixture of the two previous functions). The best option is made of two layers. Each of them strictly copes with their task.

Thermal underwear is divided into types corresponding to these functions, but the third option is considered the most convenient and versatile.