Simultaneous comparison of clothing microclimates on right and left half bodies.

Abstract

The differences in clothing microclimates between the right and left half bodies have been studied for the subjects worn in the same or different material clothings on the respective side.Shirts and trousers made of interlock fabric or tricot fabric were sewn, which could be divided into right and left half body pieces. Experiments were conducted for subjects in semi-nude or worn in variations of clothings under two conditions; one was that the subjects kept resting at an ambient temperature being kept constant and at the humidity being increased to a higher level for 50 minutes, and the other was that the subjects exercised for 10 minutes at a constant temperature and a constant humidity. Skin temperatures on six or twelve sites and temperatures and vapor pressures inside and outside the clothings at the back sites were recorded continuously. Oral temperature and weight loss were also measured. When subjects wore the same material clothings on the right and left halves, differences in clothing microclimates between the two halves were observed. These were inferred to reflect the states of the contact and air space between the skin and the clothing on each half body. The differences in heat and water transfers through the clothings between the right and left halves were found to be adequately estimated by a simultaneous comparison for a subject worn in clothings of different materials on each half body.