What to wear in 5 °C
5 °C (41 °F) is properly cold. The figure is dressed for a dry 5 °C day; shuffle for more looks, or add your own coat and build around it.
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Today’s look
Cream tank top, black chinos and cream sneakers, with a sage hoodie and a forest green puffer jacket
Casual, right for 5 °C.
Why this works
- Forest green and sage sit next to each other on the colour wheel, so they blend naturally.ResearchSchloss & Palmer (2011)
- At 5 °C, the forest green puffer jacket handles the time outside and comes off indoors, where the sage hoodie keeps you comfortable.StandardSchiavon & Lee (2013)
- The forest green puffer jacket against the black chinos gives a clear light-and-dark contrast, which people tend to like.ResearchSchloss & Palmer (2011)
Or try
Wearing this today?
Log it, and the picks rotate what you wear.
How this works: Method, 7 sources,
How this works
Method
With no wardrobe it builds a look from colour schemes; with yours it picks from what you own, leaving out pieces archived, in the wash or worn recently. A pick must suit the occasion and the weather, then it is scored on colour harmony (the Ou–Luo model and scheme rules, in OKLab), light against dark, warmth (garment insulation summed as in ISO 9920, against the UTCI clothing model), formality and rotation. The same day and wardrobe give the same pick until you shuffle.
Sources
- Ou, L.-C. & Luo, M. R., "A colour harmony model for two-colour combinations", Color Research & Application 31(3) (2006)
- Schloss, K. B. & Palmer, S. E., "Aesthetic response to color combinations", Attention, Perception & Psychophysics 73(2) (2011)
- Ottosson, B., "A perceptual color space for image processing" (OKLab) (2020)
- ISO 9920, Ergonomics of the thermal environment: estimation of thermal insulation of a clothing ensemble
- ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy (garment insulation table)
- Havenith, G. et al., "The UTCI-clothing model", International Journal of Biometeorology 56(3) (2012)
- MET Norway, Locationforecast 2.0 (weather data, CC BY 4.0)
Changes
- Added 21 pages: what colours go with navy, black, grey, beige, olive, burgundy, brown, white, denim and pink (each table from the engine), and what to wear from 40 to 80 °F and 5 to 25 °C.
- First published.
How warm the figure’s outfit is at 5 °C
The target. The UTCI clothing model gives the insulation people typically wear outdoors at an air temperature T in °C: 1.372 − 0.01866·T − 0.0004849·T² − 0.000009333·T³. At 5 °C (41 °F) that is 1.27 clo. One clo is a unit of clothing insulation.
The outfit. The figure’s garments, with their single-garment values: tank top 0.06 + hoodie 0.34 + chinos 0.15 + puffer jacket 0.60 + sneakers 0.02 + scarf 0.05 + underwear 0.04 + ankle socks 0.02 = 1.28. ISO 9920 turns the sum into the outfit’s insulation: 0.161 + 0.835 × 1.28 = 1.23 clo, 0.04 below the target.
The tool counts an outfit as right for the weather when it is within about a third of a clo below or four tenths above the target. Values for coats and jackets are estimates; the rest come from the ASHRAE 55 garment table.
How much to wear around 5 °C
Clothing insulation in clo: outdoors from the UTCI clothing model, indoors from the office model (Schiavon & Lee), with a typical outfit near the outdoor figure.
| Temperature | Outdoors | Indoors | About this warm |
|---|---|---|---|
| -1 °C (30 °F) | 1.39 | 0.85 | Shirt, sweater, trousers and a wool coat (1.51) |
| 1 °C (34 °F) | 1.35 | 0.78 | Shirt, sweater, trousers and a wool coat (1.51) |
| 3 °C (37 °F) | 1.31 | 0.71 | Long-sleeve tee, sweater, jeans and a trench coat (1.19) |
| 5 °C (41 °F) | 1.27 | 0.64 | Long-sleeve tee, sweater, jeans and a trench coat (1.19) |
| 7 °C (45 °F) | 1.21 | 0.62 | Long-sleeve tee, sweater, jeans and a trench coat (1.19) |
| 9 °C (48 °F) | 1.16 | 0.60 | Long-sleeve tee, sweater, jeans and a trench coat (1.19) |
| 11 °C (52 °F) | 1.10 | 0.58 | Shirt, jeans and a leather jacket (1.04) |
Where the cold really starts
5 °C is a turning point in the clothing models. Outdoors, the UTCI model suggests about 1.27 clo, a jumper and trousers under a warm coat. Indoors, the office model rises steeply below 5 °C, because people bring more layers into work on cold mornings.
The researchers behind the outdoor model also found that below about 5 °C people tend to wear less than their bodies need. If you are often cold on winter mornings, dress a step warmer than the crowd.
A coat, and what goes under it
The look above adds up to 1.23 clo. Most of that comes from the coat, so choose the coat first: a padded jacket or a wool coat. The layer underneath, a jumper, hoodie or cardigan, is what keeps you comfortable once the coat comes off.
Outerwear warmth values in the tool are estimates, because the standard table for coats is not public. Treat the numbers as a guide and adjust with “runs cold” or “runs warm”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 5 degrees Celsius cold?
Yes, for most people. It is coat weather, and wind or rain make it feel colder.
Do I need a winter coat at 5 °C?
A warm coat or padded jacket is what most people wear. A lighter jacket can work over a thick jumper for a short walk.
What should I wear for a walk at 5 °C?
Layers you can open: a base top, a jumper or fleece, and a windproof jacket, plus a hat or scarf. You warm up as you walk.
Do I need thermal underwear at 5 °C?
Usually not for everyday wear. It helps if you will stand still outside for long, such as at a match or a bus stop.