 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Windbreaker" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Awindbreaker, or awindcheater, is a thin fabricjacket designed to resistwind chill and lightrain, making it a lighter version of thejacket. It is usually lightweight in construction and characteristically made ofsynthetic material. A windbreaker often incorporates anelastic waistband, elasticarmbands and azipper to allow adjustment forweather conditions.
Ordinary jackets or coats may include a type of windbreaker as an interlining that can be removed when desired. Windbreakers sometimes include a hood that may be removable and/or stowable. Many windbreakers may also include large pockets on the inside or the outside which allow belongings to be protected from the weather. Windbreakers may offer light to moderateinsulating protection, more so than asweater, but less than anovercoat.[1]
Windbreakers are primarily worn during thewarmer seasons when wind or light rain are expected, or as part of alayering strategy duringcolder seasons.[2] Brightly colored windbreakers may also be worn by runners as protection from the weather, and as a reflective garment used for safety.[citation needed] A 2012 study demonstrated that adding windbreaker pants and jackets is a lightweight but effective means of delaying hypothermia if the user is outside walking and encounters unexpected low temperatures.[3]
The term was first used andtrademarked by the John Rissman company ofChicago for itsgabardine jackets.[4]
Windcheater is used in theUnited Kingdom and certainCommonwealth countries, includingAustralia andIndia. It can also refer to any glossy synthetic material used to make clothing. Windcheater tops are also commonly known ascagoules or windbreakers in the United Kingdom.
Windbreakers can also be called “windcheaters”. The term predates the term windbreaker and was originally used to describe a sort of garment that was more akin to apulloveranorak than a modern zippered windbreaker.
Windcheater is also used to describe a retail item used on thebeach andcamping to prevent wind from disturbing social enjoyment. Normally made from cotton, nylon, canvas and recycled sails, these windbreaks tend to have three or more panels held in place with poles that slide into pockets sewn into the panel (like manytents).The poles are then hammered into the ground and awindbreak is formed.[citation needed]
| Headwear |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neckwear | |||||||||
| Underwear andlingerie |
| ||||||||
| Tops | |||||||||
| Bottoms |
| ||||||||
| Full-body wear |
| ||||||||
| Outerwear and coats |
| ||||||||
| Legwear | |||||||||
| Footwear | |||||||||
| Accessories |
| ||||||||
| Specialized categories |
| ||||||||
| Dress codes |
| ||||||||
| Related | |||||||||
