One or more items of apparel have a plurality of sensors (10, 11, and 12) disposed therein (either permanently or temporarily). These sensors sense physical states of the individual wearing the items of apparel and/or of the local environment. In one embodiment, multiple sensors sense, in alternative ways, a parameter that corresponds to a physical state of interest. Information from these alternative sensing approaches is co-processed to yield a resultant parameter value that can be used in various ways. In one embodiment, the parameter value is locally or remotely displayed. In one embodiment, the parameter value is used in comparison against risk thresholds to ascertain a degree of risk to the individual.