Winter Sportswear Tips - How to layer Sportswear for Winter

When it comes to sporting apparel, comfort plays a significant role in the performance of the athlete, and with the arrival of winter, layering is essential, especially for outdoor sports.

Layering, however, shouldn’t cause you to heat up too much. You’ll want to find clothing that keeps you from getting cold. Sure, this sounds obvious, however, notice my phrasing - I didn’t say “clothing that keeps you warm.” Clothing that keeps the body too warm, especially during physical activity, causes overheating, while clothing that keeps the cold out ensures your body temperature is just right.

Base layer

You’ll want to find a suitable base layer that serves two significant purposes. A base layer should avoid overheating, but it should also avoid overcooling. It should be tight to your skin, absorbent and able to dry quickly. The fact is, sweat is designed to cool the body down, and it happens during physical activity regardless of the weather. It’s a useful natural occurrence during the summer, but not so much during the winter when it’s already cold outside. An efficient base layer absorbs the sweat, rather than trapping it close to the body.

So what fabrics work best as a base layer? When we consider winter undergarments, our minds usually head straight to thermals. However, thermals are only effective when you choose a pair that keeps the cold out and wicks away the sweat. Polyester, a very breathable fabric, also acts as a suitable base layer. Additionally, polyester works well when mixed with elastic fibres to increase an athlete’s comfort and mobility. While most people believe cotton is appropriate all year round, this isn’t the case for sportswear. Cotton dries very slowly and will only keep the clothing damp during exercise.

Keep in mind that your base layer can either be long sleeved or short sleeved and it can also include pants. Essentially, it’s one of the most important layers when it comes to winter sportswear, so it’s up to you to choose what’s most comfortable.

Your sublimated sports top

One base layer is usually enough, although it does differ from athlete to athlete. Remember, once you get your body moving, you don’t want to overheat. Next is your team wear and this is the layer you’ll want to show off the most.

Following up from the layer base, your second layer should also be breathable enough to not trap the sweat in either. You’ll want to go for a “cool dry” fabric, and as stated above, polyester works great as an absorbent. 

While browsing through our teamwear at SpidaSports you’ll notice that while the nature of each sport is different, the functionality of our apparel remains the same. That is, our shirts are made from breathable, cooldry fabrics that work to achieve just that - absorb the sweat and allow for comfortable and maximum performance. A wide range of our garments is polyester, some with micromesh.

Outer layers

An outer layer, such as a thin, waterproof jacket is necessary for rainy and windy days. Once again, this garment isn’t necessarily to keep you warm but to also help keep the chill-out, and it’s most comfortably worn loosely. Outer layers can also be printed with the sports team’s logo, to make up for the fact that it covers the teamwear.

Post-game gear

Possibly the most obvious choice when layering for winter sports is a jumper! However, due to their tendency to overheat, jumpers are a great option to wear after a game, once your body has cooled down.

At SpidaSports, our fleecy polyester hoodies can be sublimated to match the design of your team wear, making them a perfect option to show team pride, to and from the game, especially after a win!


At SpidaSports we offer high-quality sporting apparel for a range of different team sports. Our sublimated printing method ensures that no design is limited. For enquiries, call us at 1300 864 755, email us at info@spidasports.com.au, or contact us here.