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Why don't clothes come with a tog rating?

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    Why don't clothes come with a tog rating?

    I went warm clothes shopping today and was frustrated by the lack of any indication of the thermal resistance of the clothes being purveyed, again. I had the same trouble last week with socks. I'm not interested in fashion and I don't want a brand name emblazoned across my clothes, which no doubt adds greatly to the price and offers some possibly dubious quality protection, I just want them for doing what they are meant to do, specifically in cold weather. So there I am in the shops, feeling up all the merchandise, trying to estimate thermal resistance by finger based on thickness, material, brand, price and guesswork, none of which are likely good metrics, and getting annoyed. Why the flip can't manufacturers, or shops provide a clue to their effectiveness in what they provide? Maybe they would even learn something from doing it, as a spin-off from quantifying what they do? Is it because the high priced stuff is a bit of a scam? In the end I bought a "fleece" (a warm upper body layer that goes under a rainproof layer, mostly attributable to hot air) reduced to £6.99, from "Great Outdoors", though naturally they had other not dissimilar examples costing a heck of a lot more there and in other similar shops. I've no idea whether I have bought a bargain or have been fleeced.

    I tried a few more tests at home, such as blowing through it and holding it up to the sun, neither of which tests where practical to do in the shops, so that I might make a comparison between similar items. The salesmen were already watching me like hawks as I felt up all their clothes. A tog rating would be great. Like for mattresses.

    #2
    You got one of these

    Polar fleece - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Branded polartec comes in ratings based on its thickness and hence thermal retention properties.

    Polartec®

    You'll find it very toasty around the house, but unless you wear a windproof shell when outside you'll be choppin freezing in the winter.
    ‎"See, you think I give a tulip. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I'm thinking; How can I give less of a tulip? That's why I look interested."

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      #3
      Just stuff newspaper down your clothes if you feel cold. It's what I do. Toilet paper in the ears is good for keeping the cold out too. We can all learn a lot from tramps.
      bloggoth

      If everything isn't black and white, I say, 'Why the hell not?'
      John Wayne (My guru, not to be confused with my beloved prophet Jeremy Clarkson)

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        #4
        I think the warming quality of clothing is also dependent on your own personal tog(bmi) rating.

        If you're skinny like Realityhack then you need extra brown paper and vinegar. If you move along to normal, fat or 'oh my god!!!' then less clothing is required. But if you get to Shaunbhoys size then you'd probably get away on the surface of Mars with some Lycra and dental floss braces.
        What happens in General, stays in General.
        You know what they say about assumptions!

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          #5
          I like the idea of womens clothes also having a tug rating. ranging from,s(sheeeeit),m(mmmmmmm), l(lordy lordy), xl(excellent), xxl (wheres me kleenex)



          (\__/)
          (>'.'<)
          ("")("") Born to Drink. Forced to Work

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            #6
            Originally posted by MarillionFan View Post
            I think the warming quality of clothing is also dependent on your own personal tog(bmi) rating.

            If you're skinny like Realityhack then you need extra brown paper and vinegar. If you move along to normal, fat or 'oh my god!!!' then less clothing is required. But if you get to Shaunbhoys size then you'd probably get away on the surface of Mars with some Lycra and dental floss braces.
            Yeah, there is that. But...one reason they are fat in the first place may be that they are poor at burning food. Older people seem to get this for some reason. A skinny person is be able to burn any food stuffed in to him or her and will glow in the dark if given enough food. That said, I bet most channel swimmers are dumpy.

            I sometimes swim with a guy who has swum the English channel and other places, sans wet suit of course, and who can swim in 7 degree C water. He tried persuading me join in in this malarky. No thanks.. He thinks he is tough, but I have my suspicions that the fact that he is as wide as he is tall has a bearing.

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              #7
              Originally posted by Moscow Mule View Post
              You got one of these

              Polar fleece - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

              Branded polartec comes in ratings based on its thickness and hence thermal retention properties.

              Polartec®

              You'll find it very toasty around the house, but unless you wear a windproof shell when outside you'll be choppin freezing in the winter.
              Interesting. Many of the ones I looked at looked like that polar fleece material, but the one I bought was different. Hmm.

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