With winter upon us (albeit a rather warm one so far this year), we thought it would be good to rerun Sara DeRosa’s “Winter Wear” article.  Sara’s added some information to the article about Uniqlo’s HEATTECH clothing.  Consider picking some up!

- The Editor

It’s that time of year again! The weather is getting colder, windier, and soon it will be snowier. But the show must go on! Here are tips about what to wear to keep warm when standing in outside during the colder months.

Jackets

One of the most important pieces of clothing that will help you keep warm and toasty is a good jacket. I recommend buying a full-length, down-filled jacket. The long length keeps more heat trapped against the length of your body. Most come with a bidirectional zipper so you can unzip the jacket from the bottom, giving you options for more ventilation and for more legroom when walking.

These jackets can be more on the expensive side, but they are a smart investment. You can find cheaper, quality options at discount stores such as Burlington Coat Factory. You should choose a neutral color, and it’s best to buy one with a hood and roomy pockets.

Tops

For tops underneath your jacket, you should layer different types and thicknesses of shirts. Layers are great because you can always take layers off or add more as needed. Different options for tops that are good for layering include long-sleeved t-shirts, cardigans (for a light sweater option), and heavier sweaters or sweatshirts.

It helps to have a tank top, t-shirt, or long-underwear top that you can tuck into your bottoms for your first layer to keep you as insulated as possible. Longer length shirts that cover your middle and longer sleeved tops that cover your wrists will also help with keeping in your body heat.

Bottoms and Socks

You’ll also want to layer up on the bottom as much as you can. Start with leggings or long underwear that is tighter so it will fit under a pair of your jeans or other pants. You can always remove this layer if you get too hot.

Sara’s Tip!
Sometimes it is difficult to fit a full pair of leggings underneath a pair of jeans that are tighter around the waist. To still get full leg coverage, a great alternative is American Apparel Thigh-High Socks.

For socks, layer starting with the thinnest pair, and add 2 or 3 more pairs, ending with very thick socks. This may seem like a lot of socks, but your feet and toes are one of the hardest parts of your body to keep warm. In order to keep your body heat trapped, make sure some of your layers are long socks that will cover areas your pants don’t cover.

Toe warmers–as well as hand warmers and back (or “full-body”) warmers–are often available on set in coldweather situations, but they are also often a commodity.  If warmers are a requirement for you to stay warm, buy a box before the winter weather season begins.  Because local stores may be out of stock when it really counts, order warmers online to ensure you have a personal stock when production has none to offer.  DrugStore.com offers a selection of warmers in bulk quantities at affordable prices.

But make sure you don’t put warmers directly on skin!  Affix them to the first layers of clothing where you’re using them.

Footwear

As mentioned above, feet and toes are one of the hardest places to keep warm. Boots are the most ideal type of footwear for standing in outside.

Look for a snow-boot type pair with good insulation and thick lining. Ones with a short heel can be beneficial because with your foot at a slight angle inside the boot, the blood is encouraged to flow downward to keep your feet warm.

Accessories

Other components that will help keep you warm include scarves and gloves. You can layer more than one pair of gloves, if necessary. Covering your ears with hats and headbands are a must as well, but a hood may be your best defense against the cold, especially if it is windy outside.

If the hood on your jacket is somewhat loose, wear a sweatshirt with a tighter hood underneath your jacket, or keep your hat on under your hood for double protection.

HEATTECH

Uniqlo is a Japanese clothing company that has created a signature line of HEATTECH “heat-generated” clothing.  The Uniqlo website describes HEATTECH as “[f]abric with cutting-edge technology works with your body heat to warm you up and keep you warm.”

I am a big fan of this technology. IT WORKS! And it is inexpensive. As of now, they only offer their clothing for sale in the USA via their stores in New York City.

• Men’s HEATTECH
• Women’s HEATTECH

Color Cover

If color cover is given to you while standing in outside, find a way to wear it in addition to your outerwear. Wear the color cover over your jacket, even if it has to be draped around your shoulders. Figure out a way to make it work without sacrificing any of your layers.

Other Tips for Keeping Warm

Keep moving! Walk around the set area when you have short breaks from standing in. Pop inside a warming tent if there is one available there. If you have a longer break when you are not needed for a scene, head back to holding and ask the PA there to give you a warning when your next scene is coming up.

Warm liquids will help keep you warm. If you’ve already had too much coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, drinking warm water works, too.

And most importantly, layers layers layers! Bring extra layers with you to set–shirts, sweaters, and socks.  You will be prepared for changes in the weather.

Good luck, and have a wonderful winter!

What do you wear to keep warm while standing in outside in the winter months? Do you have tips for keeping warm while on set? Comment below!

Jackets

One of the most important pieces of clothing that will help you keep warm and toasty is a good jacket. I recommend buying a full-length, down-filled jacket. The long length keeps more heat trapped against the length of your body. Most come with a bidirectional zipper so you can unzip the jacket from the bottom, giving you options for more ventilation and for more legroom when walking.

These jackets can be more on the expensive side, but they are a smart investment. You can find cheaper, quality options at discount stores such as Burlington Coat Factory. You should choose a neutral color, and it’s best to buy one with a hood and roomy pockets.

Tops

For tops underneath your jacket, you should layer different types and thicknesses of shirts. Layers are great because you can always take layers off or add more as needed. Different options for tops that are good for layering include long-sleeved t-shirts, cardigans (for a light sweater option), and heavier sweaters or sweatshirts.

It helps to have a tank top, t-shirt, or long-underwear top that you can tuck into your bottoms for your first layer to keep you as insulated as possible. Longer length shirts that cover your middle and longer sleeved tops that cover your wrists will also help with keeping in your body heat.

Bottoms and Socks

You’ll also want to layer up on the bottom as much as you can. Start with leggings or long underwear that is tighter so it will fit under a pair of your jeans or other pants. You can always remove this layer if you get too hot.

Sara’s Tip!
Sometimes it is difficult to fit a full pair of leggings underneath a pair of jeans that are tighter around the waist. To still get full leg coverage, a great alternative is American Apparel Thigh-High Socks.

For socks, layer starting with the thinnest pair, and add 2 or 3 more pairs, ending with very thick socks. This may seem like a lot of socks, but your feet and toes are one of the hardest parts of your body to keep warm. In order to keep your body heat trapped, make sure some of your layers are long socks that will cover areas your pants don’t cover.

Toe warmers–as well as hand warmers and back (or “full-body”) warmers–are often available on set in coldweather situations, but they are also often a commodity.  If warmers are a requirement for you to stay warm, buy a box before the winter weather season begins.  Because local stores may be out of stock when it really counts, order warmers online to ensure you have a personal stock when production has none to offer.  DrugStore.com offers a selection of warmers in bulk quantities at affordable prices.

But make sure you don’t put warmers directly on skin!  Affix them to the first layers of clothing where you’re using them.

Footwear

As mentioned above, feet and toes are one of the hardest places to keep warm. Boots are the most ideal type of footwear for standing in outside.

Look for a snow-boot type pair with good insulation and thick lining. Ones with a short heel can be beneficial because with your foot at a slight angle inside the boot, the blood is encouraged to flow downward to keep your feet warm.

Accessories

Other components that will help keep you warm include scarves and gloves. You can layer more than one pair of gloves, if necessary. Covering your ears with hats and headbands are a must as well, but a hood may be your best defense against the cold, especially if it is windy outside.

If the hood on your jacket is somewhat loose, wear a sweatshirt with a tighter hood underneath your jacket, or keep your hat on under your hood for double protection.

Color Cover

If color cover is given to you while standing in outside, find a way to wear it in addition to your outerwear. Wear the color cover over your jacket, even if it has to be draped around your shoulders. Figure out a way to make it work without sacrificing any of your layers.

Other Tips for Keeping Warm

Keep moving! Walk around the set area when you have short breaks from standing in. Pop inside a warming tent if there is one available there. If you have a longer break when you are not needed for a scene, head back to holding and ask the PA there to give you a warning when your next scene is coming up.

Warm liquids will help keep you warm. If you’ve already had too much coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, drinking warm water works, too.

And most importantly, layers layers layers! Bring extra layers with you to set–shirts, sweaters, and socks.  You will be prepared for changes in the weather.

Good luck, and have a wonderful winter!

What do you wear to keep warm while standing in outside in the winter months? Do you have tips for keeping warm while on set? Comment below!

Types of Clothing to Bring

In general, crew members dress casually on set. For tops and bottoms, tank tops and t-shirts are acceptable, as are jeans, leggings, and other kinds of pants. Skirts are acceptable, too, but keep in mind that you may encounter blocking situations that require you to sit cross-legged, sit on the floor, or lie in bed.

Studios are usually on the colder side, and when you are on location, it’s hard to predict what temperatures will be like.  For these reasons, it’s a good idea to have layers with you. Light zip-up sweatshirts and cardigans are usually good because they are versatile and easily added or removed with changes in weather or location.  You can also wear a thin pair of socks with heels on set in colder months.

If you are not sure if you will be given color cover, you should generally wear neutral-colored tops to set.  Blacks and grays are your best bet, and avoid bright white because of its impact on lighting.

Color Cover and Your Own Clothes

Color cover is designed to “cover” your own clothes with colors and/or fabrics that closely match the clothing that the actress will be wearing in the scene. For females, color cover could be anything from a draped scarf, to a tight or loose fitting top, to a full dress. You should take this into consideration when deciding what to wear to set each day.

A tank top or a short-sleeved t-shirt is a good base to start with. If you are given color cover that is sleeveless, the actress is probably wearing something similar, and you will see her arms. Sometimes you may be given sheer fabrics for color cover.  A neutral tank top or t-shirt is both ideal and appropriate to wear underneath sleeveless and sheer color cover. Lighting for skin is just as important as lighting for different colors and fabrics.

For dresses, it is acceptable to wear your jeans or leggings underneath, even if it is a shorter dress. You may feel that you look silly, but the crew understands that you are wearing color cover and they are used to seeing it around set.

Also be aware that you may be given color cover that is too small for you to wear. This is also something normal around sets and is nothing to be embarrassed about. For a top that is too small, you can drape it around your shoulders so it is still covering you as much as possible. For a small dress, just zip it up as much as you can.

Tips for Wearing High Heels

Most stand-ins are booked to match the height of the actress when she is barefoot. However, the actress could be wearing heels in certain scenes. You should bring heels and flat shoes to set when booked to stand in. Flats, sneakers, or boots are fine for flat shoes. For heels, it is best to wear closed-toed heels for safety reasons. Avoid flip-flops and other sandals because of safety rules on set.

It can be difficult and painful to wear heels all day, so keep in mind what kind of heels to bring. A standard 3″ heel is usually a good height. Platform heels may be a good option because they can offer your foot more support than a regular heel. Your heels don’t have to be anything fancy. You can buy an inexpensive pair that is comfortable and that you won’t mind wearing out.

Sara’s Tip!
Heel caps are a great accessory to have for your heels. They are 1″ rubber protectors that fit over the heel of most standard high heels. They protect your heels from damage and help to silence the sound your high heel makes when walking on a hard surface. Heel caps are ideal for sets because you need to be quiet when walking around.

Heels caps can be purchased online from http://www.thesolemates.com, or at any Ricky’s store in New York City.

Do you have additional tips for selecting stand-in attire?  If so, share your tips below!