A viral video says we've been wearing our fur-lined hoods wrong. Here's our take
When cold weather hits, it's natural to look for hacks to keep warm.
If you’ve been on social media lately, there’s a good chance you’ve come across a new viral video by Jessica Alzamora. Since it was uploaded to Instagram on Sunday, it’s been viewed over 30 million times and sparked a heated online discussion.
Alzamora lives in Chicago, which is in the midst of a brutally cold winter. When temperatures nosedive, it’s natural for people to look for simple hacks to stay warm, and that’s exactly what Alzamora did.
In her video, she says we’ve been wearing our fur-lined hooded parkas all wrong.
According to Alzamora, we’re supposed to fold the fur lining inside our hood so that it covers our ears. If you do this and zip your coat all the way up, she says it blocks wind and air from coming in, keeping you warmer.
Alzamora says leaving the fur untucked allows air to get in and makes it harder to get warm.
Mixed reaction
Comments under the video are mixed, with some calling the suggestion “game-changing” while others vehemently disagree.
For what it’s worth, Alzamora says she never intended to go viral.
“I was just sharing how I keep warm,” she says in a follow-up comment on Instagram.
“It came off the way it did because I was literally talking to my 5 friends that always watch my videos, and I somehow ended up on the explore page in the North Pole. Look at me!! Do I look like I would advise people in Alaska on how to fight a blizzard? I’m meant to be on a beach with a mojito, looking at Christmas lights on palm trees. Do what feels good to you, there are multiple ways to do things. What works for some doesn’t work for others.”
We can relate, in a sense. Even here at The Weather Network, we're continually surprised by some of the things that go viral on our Instagram page, putting us in a unique position to understand her shock and (possible) confusion.
To add to that, she's right when she says there are different ways to do things. What works in some weather conditions (and climates) might not work in others.
But what is the true intention behind fur-lined hoods?
We can take some clues from Indigenous culture.
Fur-lined hoods are an Indigenous innovation
Today, most parkas are lined with synthetic materials, but this design element harkens back to the clothing Indigenous communities wore — and still wear — in some of the coldest places on Earth.
Many Indigenous communities traditionally use wolf, wolverine, or fox fur around their hoods, because they are unmatched ability to keep snow and frost away from the wearer.
LEFT: Man's parka and pants, southern Baffin Island Inuit, Hudson Bay (1910–1914), Royal Ontario Museum (Daderot/Wikipedia/CC0). RIGHT: Modern women's parka created by Inuk designer Victoria Kakuktinniq, 2021. The body of the parka is synthetic and waterproof. The hood features a silver fox fur trim. (Alexl47/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)
Fur also traps heat and repels wind so your breath doesn’t freeze on your skin, keeping your face warm and dry.
Even synthetic fur will act like “bristles” that prevent the elements from making contact with your face.
In other words: Think of the furry lining as a first defense against the conditions, but it can't do it's job if it’s tucked into your hood and zipped away.
But don't take our word for it: There's even an academic paper on the matter, which calls the traditional clothing used by Inuit people "the most effective cold weather clothing developed to date."
Key elements of its effectiveness include the use of fur around the hood, hem, and cuffs of their parkas, the paper says.
Our official take...
... Is what Alzamora says: Do what feels right, but with one caveat: The implication that fur hoods are designed to be worn folded in and zipped up is simply not true.
They are meant to be worn outside of the hood so that the fur can act as a barrier against winter weather.
If you’d like an extra layer of warmth or an additional barrier between you and your hood, alternatives include wearing a hat or a snood, ear muffs, goggles, a balaclava, or a neck warmer. Some of these may not be the most fashionable choices, but when chilly weather hits, you do what you have to do to stay warm.
Header image: File photos via Canva Pro.