It’s official: those of us living in cold-weather places are in the throes of Winter, when it feels like no amount of layers is enough. Maybe, you’ve found yourself outside in the frigid temperatures — teeth chattering under your winter coat, scarf, gloves, and hat — thinking to yourself, “If only this jacket I spent hundreds of dollars on could actually keep me warm!”
Well, it turns out you may actually be at fault, not your jacket. Recently, Instagram user @jessicaalzamora.xo went viral for posting a simple hack that made millions of people realize they’ve been wearing their winter coats all wrong.
“Guys, you’re wearing your coat wrong. Please stop wearing it like this — this is not supposed to be stylish, it’s supposed to be functional,” said the Chicago resident from her car as she folded the fur-lined trim under the hood of her coat.
“You zip your coat all the way to the top, and it blocks air from coming in and you stay so so so much warmer.”
At the end of the viral video, she untucked the fur lining and explained why wearing it like that is inefficient: “If you leave it like this, all that air is still hitting you, and you’re not warm,” she said.
The video racked up over 32 million views, and many commenters are floored that such a genius hack never crossed their minds:
“What else have I lived wrong my whole life?…” one person wrote.
“Can we add this to the how to adult manual? 😩😩,” said another.
Another person wondered why coat brands don’t advertise this useful feature:
But as the internet goes, the responses aren’t allllll positive. Many people are insistent that the fur must face outward because it’s designed to block wind and keep snow off your face:
One commenter drew on the indigenous roots of the real-fur hood, explaining its original functional purpose: “When the hood is out in front of your face, it keeps your face from being frostbitten by the frigid temperatures and winds,” they wrote.
So, folding the hood inward might not be its intended purpose, but that doesn’t mean it won’t keep you warm! Many people suggested we enjoy the best of both worlds, customizing our hoods according to the weather conditions.
Personally, that’s what I’ll be doing, and I can’t wait to give the inverted hood a whirl. Thoughts on this winter hack? Will you be trying it out? If you do, let us know how it goes in the comments.
That is, if you can track down your fur hood! Seriously, why do they make those things detachable anyway?
Alas, stay warm out there, everyone!