Leggings in Winter – The Layer Under Your Trousers

Short answer: In winter, leggings are rarely the outer layer. They are worn under trousers, dresses and skirts as the layer that holds warmth without adding bulk. That makes different demands than a pair of training leggings, and thin beats thick when something goes over the top.

A thin layer, not a thick one

The innermost layer has to be thin enough to sit under ordinary trousers without pulling or folding. A thick pair of leggings under jeans makes the trousers too small, and then you are cold anyway, because the blood cannot circulate.

Moisture is what cools you

You get cold from being damp rather than from the thickness of your clothes. A fibre that moves perspiration away from the skin therefore holds warmth better than a thick layer that stores moisture. That also applies when you come in from the cold.

Why bamboo next to the skin

Bamboo viscose moves moisture away and does not feel cold when you put it on in the morning. That is the one difference you notice most clearly when a layer lies directly against the skin for eight hours without being changed.

Under trousers

For wearing under trousers, thin bamboo leggings for women are the right choice. Choose a model without thick seams on the inside of the thigh, because the seam otherwise shows through the trousers and can chafe across a day.

Under a dress or skirt

Here bamboo tights for women are often better than leggings, because they cover the foot and leave no cold gap between sock and leggings. On the coldest days both can be worn one over the other.

The upper body has to follow

Warmth is lost from the back and shoulders just as much as from the legs. A bamboo undershirt for women in the same quality does more for overall warmth than a thicker layer on the legs alone.

Two thin rather than one thick

Two thin layers hold warmth better than one thick one, because the air between them insulates. It is also easier to remove a layer when you walk into a warm shop, and that is where most people overheat.

The length on the leg

Leggings under trousers should end at the ankle and no lower, where they gather inside the shoe. If the fabric gathers around the foot, it gets pressed flat and loses its ability to hold warmth exactly where you feel cold most.

Colour matters

Under pale trousers the layer underneath has to be skin toned or light, or it shows through the fabric. Under dark trousers black is safe. It sounds obvious, but it is the mistake most often noticed after leaving the house.

Washing during the season

A layer worn directly against the skin every day should be washed after two or three wears. Wash at 30 degrees without fabric softener, which settles into the fibres and removes the very ability you bought the layer for. See also bamboo as a base layer in winter and bamboo and temperature regulation.