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If you want to get through the Corona winter in accordance with the law and still not get lonely, meet friends for a walk or a mulled wine to go.
So you will inevitably spend a few hours outdoors in freezing temperatures.
And when you then thaw at home, you wonder why you got so frozen despite leather gloves, a woolen coat and several layers of socks.
These are the most important fashion tips for standing outside in the cold season.
Merino wool basics
An undershirt is rarely chic, but it is essential in winter.
If you don't want to wear insulating materials made of plastic such as acrylic wool, you should go for the natural variant: Merino wool is known for being particularly warm and, as it is finer than other types of wool, it is particularly breathable, which is important for the body's temperature balance.
In contrast to conventional virgin wool, it also does not itch when it comes into direct contact with the skin, which is why merino wool is also suitable for bodies or turtleneck shirts.
Sleeping bag coats are essential
“Puffer Jackets”, i.e. quilted or down jackets, can be recognized by their characteristic quilted pattern with individual chambers that are “puffed up” between the seams.
The extra-long down jackets are particularly popular this year, some of them reminiscent of a sleeping bag.
They are filled with down or synthetic fibers, both of which can provide a great deal of warmth, depending on how well made or how good the quality of the synthetic fibers is.
Influencer Lisa Hahnbueck in a down coat by Tommy Hilfiger in Copenhagen
Source: Getty Images / Christian Vierig
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In any case, however, every down jacket outperforms the wool coat, which is air-permeable and cannot trap heat to this extent.
Probably the most famous winter coat comes from Canada Goose.
The “Snow Mantra” model is known as the warmest jacket in the world, as it was developed for outdoor work in the coldest regions of the world and provides another, weather-resistant layer over the down layer.
Today you can safely do without the fur on the collar when buying a winter jacket.
This was originally developed to keep the cold winds off the face at the poles.
Down or synthetic filling?
The quality of down can be recognized by its fill power, which indicates the expansion of the down and thus allows conclusions to be drawn about the quality of the feathers.
Values of 550 are considered good, 650 are excellent and 800 and more are the maximum.
However, if you don't want to wear real down, you can rely on the warming effect of synthetic materials.
The manufacturers of such insulation materials, such as Primaloft * or Save The Duck *, have managed to imitate the structure of down and at the same time reduce the disadvantages of natural down.
In addition to being environmentally friendly and animal-friendly, another advantage of plastic fillings is that they dry much faster than animal fillings and are also easier to clean.
Available as a coat and as a hip-length jacket: the down classic from The North Face
Source: Getty Images / Christian Vierig
Cashmere or merino wool for the scarf?
Merino wool is more durable, resists lint formation better than cashmere and is easier to care for.
But cashmere is woven on average 40 percent finer than merino wool, which makes the cashmere scarf * much more comfortable to wear and also more wind-resistant.
You should also pay attention to the way you tie the scarf.
The optimal width of a scarf should be between 15 and 22 centimeters, i.e. not wider than the neck itself. If a scarf is wider, you tend to wrap it loosely around your neck, thus offering more surface to the cold wind.
That is why it should be long enough, at best 180 centimeters, so that you can put the scarf around your neck twice.
If the scarf is too short to wrap around your neck twice, you can wear it like a loop
Source: Getty Images / Daniel Zuchnik
"Touchscreen gloves"
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The cold weather creates a few problems for smartphone users outdoors.
The touchscreens only work with an opposite pole that can absorb electrical charges, like human fingers.
Normal gloves, on the other hand, have a current-isolating effect, so when the screen is touched no circuit is closed and the mobile device does not recognize the command.
That is why start-ups have made special “touchscreen gloves” *.
They work through conductive silver thread woven into the fingertips.
The rest of the glove should be made of warming wool, which is more insulated than plastic.
If you don't care about the touchscreen function, you should still prefer wool gloves to unlined or lightly lined leather gloves *, as these are the best way to insulate the heat.
However, if the leather gloves are lined with high-quality cashmere wool, they are better than wool gloves, as they also keep moisture and wind out.
How to find the right socks
In cold weather, we recommend socks made of wool, special polar fleece or synthetic thermal material.
If these materials get wet, for example through sweat, the socks do not lose their insulating properties.
In addition, the socks have the best properties for icy weather, as they warm but are not too thick at the same time.
In the best case scenario, winter shoes are bought in such a way that there is space for a pair of socks - and not too thick ones or several pairs on top of each other.
Too little space in the shoe presses on the foot, disrupts blood circulation and makes the feet colder than they would be with a single, high-quality pair of thermal socks *.
Knitted socks keep you warm, but thermal socks are better
Source: Les Triconautes
Winter shoes need thick soles
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Instead of a second pair of socks, it makes more sense to buy a well-lined winter shoe.
If you get cold feet quickly, you should prefer virgin wool or lambswool.
When buying, you should always make sure that winter shoes have as few seams as possible, because this is where water and cold penetrate the fastest.
That is why sneakers are by no means suitable for winter and long periods of standing outdoors.
Also because their soles are too thin for low temperatures.
Because a thick sole fulfills two important functions.
It protects against moisture from below and the thicker the sole, the slower the cold gets to your feet.
In addition, a thick sole with a profile also offers safety on slippery ground.
Lace-up boots are classic in winter, but waterproof snowshoes insulate better
Source: Getty Images / Westend61
Ideally, the shoes should be made of sturdy leather, like boots from Timberland *.
Alternatively, Gore-Tex is suitable.
But nylon, as in lined moon boots *, is also recommended for the snow if it has been processed to a high quality.
Those who like it a little lighter on the foot can also use materials such as nubuck in combination with waterproof rubber, as is the case with boots from Sorel *.
A guarantee for warm feet not only on the ski slopes: moon boots
Source: Getty Images / Daniel Zuchnik
Are thermal leggings worth the money?
In contrast to everyday leggings, the winter version has a denser fabric and a soft inner lining that has heat-insulating properties.
It is particularly important that the leggings fit well so that they can optimally adapt to every movement.
There are two ways to wear thermal leggings *.
Either under the pants as additional thermal protection in winter, for example during winter sports or with children, or as a replacement for pants.
In the meantime there are also many brands, such as the underwear manufacturer Calzedonia, who also offer thermal leggings in a leather look * or with patterns, so that in line with the athleisure trend, they don't need another layer.
When it comes to care, it is particularly important that the leggings are not washed hotter than 30 degrees, otherwise the fabric will be attacked and the warming function will be lost.
* This text contains affiliate links. This means: If you make a purchase using the links marked with an asterisk, WELT will receive a small commission. The reporting doesn't affect that. You can find our standards of transparency and journalistic independence at axelspringer.de/unabhaengigkeit.