Cold Weather Clothes For Children

New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 201, 30 April 1943, Page 10

Cold Weather Clothes For Children

(Written tor "The Listener’ by DR.

H.

B.

TURBOTT

Director of the Division

of School’ Hygiene)

HERE is a coolness in the air | now. Mother will soon be thinking of winter clothes for her family. Her choice is limited because of scarcity and rationing, and because quality may be deteriorating she should have clearly in mind the best types of clothing before surrendering coupons and lightening the purse. Clothes are needed to retain the body heat. Loosely woven wool and pure silk do this best, but pure wool and silk are probably unobtainable now. The warmth of clothes depends on the still air they trap round the body. The still air next the skin is a bad conductor of heat. It doesn’t carry the heat away readily, and holds it there, keeping the heat in, absorbing heat from the body, warming it up the while. For top clothes, wool gets the preference, The loose weave of wool imprisons the air, and yet allows fresh air to filter through and stop the clothes from getting too warm and moist. Inside, in winter, one layer of wool is enough; outside two layers may be needed, In practice this usually means gym. frocks, jumpers, woollen shirts and trousers, Children don’t want too much on top. This is a common mistake, making them into little hothouses. Underelothes must imprison the air ‘too, and also absorb perspiration. They need to be of a loose-weave type or knitted to hold air and to let some of the moisture evaporate; in addition they must be absorbent without tending to be saturated quickly. Flannel us@d to be worn next the skin in grandmother’s day; ‘it failed to deal effectively with sweat and became sodden. It acted as a wet blanket round the skin. Loosely-woven cotton or linen, in which air cells are visible in the material, fills the bill well -imprisoning air and mopping-up moisture, Cotton underclothes, loosely-woven in a mesh, will keep us warm and dry. If these be worn there’ll be no seasonal change required for summer ‘and winter. Let’s haye wool on top and cotton next to the skin, In between, for girls, a slip or petticoat or blouse; for boys, a shirt beneath a jersey or pullover if thought necessary. These may be cotton, linen, or silk, cotton being satisfactory and good, Remember that too many clothes are worn in New Zealand and that we would be healthier with less. Don’t forget that boys need underpants and singlets; have these of cotton looselywoven in a mesh, all the year through, Ring the changes in the wool top layer when more warmth is wanted. : Too many New Zealand boys and girls sleep’ in underclothes worn in the daytime. They simply put their pyjamas on over the top of underclothes, This is a very bad practice. By day, a layer of moist warm air is caught in the spaces of the underclothes, and the perspiration which goes on even on the coldest of days-approximately a pint daily -makes these underclothes damp. Both underclothes and skin want an airing. ec"? ge én’ OS, TRO Pel? OO de Pee Cee 4 A