Jan 14, 2009 7:00 am US/Eastern
Cold Weather Fashion Goes High-Tech
Retailers Offer Sleeker Winter Gear To Help You Stay Warm
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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The North Face prides itself on offering technically innovative winter wear, including this season's hot seller - the "Mercurial Jacket."
CBS
With the temperatures we're expecting Tuesday night and the rest of
this week, many folks are pulling out all their layers. But these days,
those layers aren't nearly as big and bulky, reports CBS station
WBBM-TV in Chicago.
WBBM reports that retailers say over the years, consumers have really wanted sleeker winter gear, but of course they haven't wanted to give up any of the warmth the old stuff offered.
Lucky for them, thanks to technology and certain synthetic materials, people can have both. With brutally cold weather on the horizon, there was no shortage of shoppers looking for the perfect protection from the cold.
"I'm looking for warmth," said shopper John Kaiser.
Retailers say besides warmth, customers want practicality.
"Especially in Chicago, and you have to commute, you have to pack into those trains, people don't like taking up a bunch of space and having trouble moving around," said Orvis store manager T.J. Roy.
Roy says for women, the fit has also become very important. That's why many retailers are now offering slimmer, more contoured winter wear.
The North Face is one them. The retailer also prides itself on offering some of the most technically innovative winter wear, including this season's hot seller - the "Mercurial Jacket."
"It's reversible, so one side, the black side, if you wear the black side out, it keeps you warmer because it's absorbing the sun's rays, and then if you wear the silver side out, it's reflecting the sun's rays, so it keeps you cooler," said The North Face store manager Eric Byun.
Byun says synthetic insulation also makes the jacket both sleek and practical.
"PrimaLoth has a great weight to warmth ratio, so it's super lightweight at the same time, keeps you very warm," Byun said.
Chicagoans say they like the innovations, but for now, they'll stick to the tried and true solution to beating the cold - good old-fashioned layers!
"Lot of layers, thermals, leggings, jogging pants, gloves, scarf, hat, hoody, got to have it," said Chicagoan Desiree Odell. "It's really cold."
"Layers, and don't care what I look like, because no one else cares," said Chicagoan Jim Smith.
On a serious note, doctors say with the temperatures we're going to have Tuesday night and the rest of this week, frostbite can set in, in just three to five minutes. Hypothermia is also a concern, so be sure to stay hydrated.
A little secret that reporters and photographers in the field use quite often to stay warm are good old hand and feet warmer packets that you can pick up just about anywhere.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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