How to Choose a Winter Scarf, Hat and Gloves

Accessories do a disproportionate share of winter warmth, because the head, neck and hands lose heat fast and are the parts most often left exposed.

Fibres, ranked honestly

• Cashmere: finest fibre diameter, so the warmest for its weight and the softest against the neck. Expensive and pills without care.
• Merino wool: fine enough for most people to wear next to skin, breathable, handles damp well, hard wearing. The best value warm fibre.
• Lambswool: warm and affordable, slightly coarser, fine over a collar.
• Alpaca: very warm, no lanolin, a good choice for people who react to standard wool.
• Acrylic: cheap, holds colour, does not breathe, gets clammy on a long walk. Fine as a fashion piece.
• Fleece: warm, light, dries fast, poor in wind unless it has a membrane.

Itch is about fibre thickness rather than the animal. Anything under about 19 microns feels soft to most people, which is why fine merino does not itch and coarse wool does.

Hats

Coverage matters more than thickness. A hat that pulls fully over the ears and the nape stops the majority of the heat loss people blame on the crown. A cuffed beanie gives you a double layer over the ears. For wind and rain, look for a lined outer or a fleece band.

Gloves and mittens

• Mittens are warmer than gloves because the fingers share heat. Choose mittens for standing around, gloves for anything needing dexterity.
• A thin merino or silk liner under a shell glove is warmer than one thick glove and lets you remove the outer without exposing bare skin.
• Leather blocks wind well and moulds to the hand, but wets through without treatment.
• Touchscreen conductive fingertips are worth having so you stop removing a glove at every notification.

Scarf length

A scarf around 70 in suits most adults and allows a looped drape. Around 80 to 90 in gives you enough for a double loop with tails. An infinity scarf removes the fuss entirely and stays put on a windy platform.

Care

Hand wash wool in cool water with a wool detergent, never wring, press the water out in a towel and dry flat. Machine drying is what shrinks and felts wool, not washing.

Browse our accessories and outerwear ranges.