Long Johns

Long underwear. I'm going to come out and proclaim this wonderful invention as the most underrated article of clothing on the market today. Only recently have I come to appreciate the understated brilliance and sheer inner beauty of these seldom publicized garments. Sure, they aren't as flashy as a big down jacket or as eye catching as a good looking scarf, but in terms of utility on a cold winters day, there can be nothing more important than a quality set of long johns.

It was two months ago that my grandfather offered me two unopened packages from the depths of his closet under the guise that "he had no use for them anymore". I graciously excepted these two bundles wrapped in plastic with some skepticism, I mean, who really wears long underwear anymore in this day and age? With the new wave of lined pants and super insulated winter coats, long underwear seemed to have become obsolete. Boy, was I ever wrong.

The whole idea of long johns is to fit snugly against the skin so to maintain body heat by not letting any precious warmth escape. Sure, a nice coat is a great asset in the winter months, but does it trap your hard earned body heat in and never let it go? At best, it only prevents the cold from getting in while being so loose-fitting that it hardly does more than shield the elements. Having been working in the frigid climates of upstate New York, I can attest with complete honesty that nothing is more appreciated or valued in my daily wardrobe than my set of thermal underwear.

It's like a layer of armor that is donned before going into battle against the elements. Currently I only own the two-piece version of this essential garment. Convenient if I only want one or the other, but I imagine nothing beats a morning when you can slip into a full one-piece and know that you are set for the rest of a cold day. Not to discount all the other ingredients necessary to arm yourself against a windy 15 degree day, but all I'm asking for is to give these humble, hardworking pieces of clothing their due.