Whatever occasion you’re in, whatever weather there is, clothes are designed to have you adapt to anything and anywhere!
An article of clothing for a specific purpose; it’s why you have a bunch of clothes in your closet, after all!
But it can also be style-wise! With how creative the human mind is, there will be plenty of designs to choose from
However, money is still a component you have to consider in the formula of building your wardrobe.
Can you really buy only one article of clothing AND use it in all sorts of settings?
The answer: yes!
Let’s introduce you to a neck gaiter!
What’s a Neck Gaiter?
You can consider a neck gaiter as one of humanity’s greatest creations because—
(Cue the drum-roll, please!)
—it’s a plain, old tube of fabric.
Yes, folks, you heard that right!
A neck gaiter is, simply put, a tube of fabric with no braces to keep its shape and has whatever design to complete your aesthetic; be it in plain or patterned colors.
It actually looks like a sleeve, but with extra room!
And this extra room allows you to do all sorts of things with it.
Using it to warm your neck is up there first on the list.
Other than that, you can pull up the edge to cover half of your face, so now you have a face mask!
If you gather the entire tube and pull it over your head, your neck gaiter’s now a bandana or a headband!
Heck, you can even use this to tie your hair in a ponytail once you look up some tutorials!
Whether it’s for summer or winter, you bet you can use this accessory to fulfill whatever you need it for.
And for those who participate in snow sports (like skiing or snowboarding), wearing a neck gaiter will surely be a great help in fighting off the cold!
Normally, you would have it styled as a bonnet because it keeps your neck AND your nose warm at the same time.
But one problem a neck gaiter wearer would have is how the edge that’s supposed to frame your face rolls down or, better yet, “slip in”.
Here, you’ll learn what to do to keep that from happening!
How to Keep It from Slipping In
- Slip It On!
Because it’s a long, long tube of fabric, the first and most important step to make is putting it on.
“How do I do that?”
Well, think of it as an arm sleeve.
You fold its entire length up until it’s, what, a quarter of its original size? Maybe less? It’s all up to how you fold it!
Then, you simply jam your head through its hole until you got the entire thing around your neck!
- Pull It Up!
Once you got that over with, all there’s left to go is up.
Tug the upper end of your neck gaiter up and over your head, but not completely!
Make sure this end of the gaiter doesn’t cover your entire face in front, while the back reaches high enough to cover the back of your scalp.
Covering this much of your skull works to line up the inside for your helmet and trap that warmth for yourself!
Meanwhile, the part in front should only expose the ridge of your nose up to your eyes and forehead.
This way, you can have your goggles sit on your face all comfy-like!
- Tuck It In!
So, you have the edge of your gaiter framing your eyes now.
I bet it feels as awkward as it looks, huh?
This last step is what new skiers or snowboards tend to skip out on.
And that’s tucking in the extra bit!
Pluck up the area of the gaiter that lines up with your nostrils.
Then, slightly pull on it at opposite ends perpendicular to your eyes with your thumbs and forefingers to fold it inward.
This extra piece you have pinched between your fingertips should be able to reach down to your chin INSIDE the gaiter.
That way, the fabric will get stretched snug to grip your face snugly instead of having it look like a loose sleeve on your head!
Now, you have a bonnet!
Also, if you’re indoors and you want to uncover your nose and/or mouth, don’t just tuck the gaiter down to your chin!
Unless you want it to keep rolling up to your mouth and be an overall pest, the best place to have its edge hooked is right behind your jaw.
Not only will it let you speak coherently and breathe properly at the same time, but this kind of style can still stay lined up on your scalp to keep your helmet steady!
Final Words
Now, do you see why neck gaiters are considered to be the most versatile piece of clothing there is?
Enjoyers of snow sports will surely have a field day with their neck gaiters because, unlike the rest of their gear, they can use this thing outside the cold and winter!
You can use it in your day-to-day by having it as your facemask in this pandemic or otherwise. And that’s just one of its many functions!
But with the help of this article, here’s to hoping you got the hang of wearing a neck gaiter the PROPER way!
