Aspects herein relate to apparel items and apparel systems that utilize applied or printed foam nodes to provide, among other things, stand-off between an apparel item and a wearer's skin surface. One or more of the foam nodes, or areas of the textile surrounding the foam nodes, may be perforated to provide a fluid communication path between an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface of the apparel item. The communication path may be used to facilitate air exchange between the external environment and the wearer's body and/or to provide an exit path for moisture vapor generated by the wearer.

Disclosed are insulating materials, and in particular materials that offer improved insulation properties without compromising breathability. The insulating materials may include a base material having a moisture vapor transfer rate (MVTR) of at least 2000 g/m.sup.2/24 h (JIS 1099 A1); a plurality of heat-reflecting elements coupled to a first side of the base material, each heat-reflecting element having a heat-reflecting surface and being positioned to reflect heat towards an underlying surface; and a plurality of spacer elements coupled to the first side of the base material, each spacer element sized and shaped to reduce contact of the heat-reflecting elements with the underlying surface

A ventilated and breathable garment structure (10, 110) including an inner layer (11, 111) facing the body of the wearer and extending for at least a portion of the garment, an intermediate layer (12, 112) of padding, forming together with the inner layer a first gap (13, 113) and an outer layer (14, 114) having air vents (15, 115), for the entry of air from the outside and/or for the exit of moist warm air from inside the garment, and which forms together with the intermediate layer a second gap (16, 116). The intermediate layer includes at least in one or more zones, at least one channeled padding (18, 18, 118) for the passage of said moist warm air and said air from the outside.

Fabrics made for apparel, tents, sleeping bags and the like, in various composites, constructed such that a combination of substrate layers and insulation layers is configured to provide improved thermal insulation. The fabric composites are constructed to form a radiant barrier against heat loss via radiation and via conduction from a body.

A firefighter's protective garment including an outer shell, moisture barrier and thermal barrier in which the thermal barrier is constructed with spacers on its inner surface such that air can circulate between the garment and the firefighter wearing it. The garment redistributes metabolic heat over a larger surface area, and increases metabolic cooling and firefighter comfort. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the spacers are strategically attached to those areas of the thermal barrier which find themselves opposite those parts of the human body having the highest rates of perspiration and metabolic heat transfer.

A motion-activated venting system for incorporation into an article of apparel is described herein. The motion-activated venting system may comprise a variety of pleats having one or more folded edges and a ventilation region having a plurality of apertures. In a first state, the one or more folded edges overlie the ventilation region such that the plurality of apertures is covered. In a second state, the one or more folded edges are remote from the ventilation region such that the plurality of apertures is exposed. Further, in an intermediate state, the motion-activated venting system is partially open, thereby exposing a portion of the plurality of apertures.

A multilayer fabric for selectively blocking or transmitting particular wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, such solar radiation, and far infrared (FIR) radiation. The multilayer fabric may include a microporous water vapor permeable layer that selectively filters particular wavelengths depending on the size of its pores. In some embodiments, the multilayer fabric may include a nanostructured layer that selectively filters particular wavelengths.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to spacers configured to be selectively and releasably coupled to at least one attachment region on a garment. In an illustrative example, each spacer may be provided with successive concentric walls and corresponding channels. The spacer may, for example, be provided with intersecting concentric and lateral channels. An (under)garment may be provided with at least one attachment region configured to releasably couple to the spacer. Various embodiments may advantageously provide tangential and/or radial fluid communication between a wearer's body and an outer garment disposed over the spacers.

To pump-condition a garment that covers at least a portion of an individual, at least one fluid-circulating vent panel circulates a fluid adjacent the garment in an effort to condition the individual. A pump provides a motive force to circulate the circulating fluid through each vent panel. A circulation layer within the vent panel defines a plurality of channels therethrough. The channels allow the circulating fluid to pass both laterally through an opening in a peripheral edge of the vent panel and directly through a diffusing layer of the vent panel.

Aspects herein are directed to an apparel layer system configured to provide variable levels of insulation, warming, or air permeability. The apparel layer system comprises a first layer of material and a second layer of material both extending in a first planar direction. A third layer of material is positioned between the first and the second layers of material and is selectively affixed thereto. An adjustment mechanism coupled to the second layer of material can be mechanically manipulated to shift the second layer of material between different positions or states to achieve variable levels of offset between the first and second layers of material in the first planar direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first planar direction.