Effects of the Positions of Clothing Openings on Thermal Comfort

Clothing openings critically influence the heat exchange between the external environment and the clothing microenvironment.The effects of varying clothing openings' position including at chest,upper back,under-arm or no opening,on thermal comfort were investigated using both thermal manikin and garment wear trials in the environments with or without wind.Clothing thermal insulation,mean skin temperature,clothing microclimate relative humidity and subjective ratings on comfort were recorded during the tests.The results showed that,the positions of clothing openings effect on the total thermal insulation;among the various designs tested,openings applied at under-arm could most effectively release heat from the body.Meanwhile,openings applied at chest or under-arm also contributed to the air exchange between the microclimate around the body and the ambient environment during treadmill exercise,which increased the effectiveness of heat removal by convection and evaporation and resulted in lower mean skin temperature and clothing microclimate relative humidity.However,the effects of wind produced more significant differences on thermoregulation responses than the clothing openings did.In conclusion,the clothing openings placed at under-arm were the best choice in a clothing system with respect to desired thermoregulatory response and wearer comfort.