Warmer Clothing Advise Needed

[JanieD]

I'm cold natured & tend to dress in layers, but can't seem to keep from getting cold at times. Can you suggest which items keep you warmer? I wear a lot of long sleeve cotton tees with sweaters over them & jeans. My feet are cold a lot & wonder I'm wear the wrong kind of socks (fiber content)? What about gloves? The thick ones are warmer, but they're hard to drive in, etc. Please share your favorite cold weather clothing advise.

[RaineyDaye]

I sometimes wear two pairs of socks at home. I like wool sweaters, that are extra long, to wear over my various layers. I look for men's wool sweaters in the thrift store, just for layering. They aren't cute, but they help me stay warm!

[santoria]

I live in double layers. when its really cold I have silk long underwear (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1233762989211).

I wear wool/fleece mittens. mittens keep the fingers together and warmer.

wool socks for me too...

really cold I get the hotpacks from the camping store. activate and they give off heat. nice and toasty.

jackets...I've got a down bomber style, but for the most part I have a wool coat with a fleece hoodie underneath.

[Ceashels]

When I'm inside and chilly, I will reach for a hat or neck warmer to help keep my body heat inside me. Even sitting at the computer I'll use one or the other and it does the trick.

You might want to investigate hiking socks. I've seen some that are double layered and even though they are thin, they are incredibly warm.

[Kaos Kitty]

I too get cold easily (especially my feet). If you're cold just sitting around indoors, you might try a "magic bag" ($20, sack filled with grain). I heat it up in the microwave and put it on my feet while on the computer, or at night in bed. Once my feet are warm, I sometimes hug the bag while falling asleep for extra warmth. There are also "magic bag" slippers and neck wrap (I really like the neck wrap for relaxing/heating neck and shoulders). Dressing in layers are great, but sometimes you need that extra "hit" of heat.

[Grainlady]

I remember having to attend a "dress-up" occasion in extremely cold weather many years ago, so I not only wore my longest and heaviest dress, complete with a slip I made out of flannel (do people wear slips anymore???), but I took a pair of thermal underwear bottoms and cut them off just below the knee to aid in keeping my posterior and thighs warm.

You can find thermal underwear out there on the market that REALLY helps keep in body heat. They are made with new modern fabrics, not just that old bulky cotton thermal fabric. There's some beautiful silk thermal underwear out here that may work well for you.

Another point... many "cold" women are low in iron, so try to add some iron-rich foods to your diet to see if that helps (raisin bran cereal, greens, almonds/cashews, dried apricots, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.). Something as simple as adding molasses to milk or coffee.

Increase your intake of warming foods, like cayenne pepper.

[The Muse]

I'm always freezing and also dress in layers, at home I always wear a thermal shirt and pants as my first layer. I also made myself microwaveable rice packs for work and home, and they really help me stay warm.

If you know how to sew, you can find instructions online for how to make them.

[rainbowgc]

I like things made in micro fiber fleece; they are so soft and warm. There are all kinds of clothing in micro fleece including socks. I have several robes that I can toss over my clothes if I get cold and of course the socks.

[Contrary Housewife]

Wear natural fibers, cotton, linen, silk, or wool. They are naturally insulative, unlike polyester. This time of year I typically wear a long sleeve t, with a cotton flannel shirt, then a wool flannel shirt over that. I get the men's XL flannels at the thrift store. Then cotton or wool socks with ankle-high slippers over that. You can probably find socks with cashmere wool in better department stores.

Thermal underwear is good, too, but I don't like the feel of it against my skin, it makes me itch.

What is your cold spot? Me, I have to have my feet covered and my neck. I noticed this season a lot of sweaters have boat necks that expose your collarbone and have 3/4 length sleeves. I'd freeze in one of those. My grandmother had to wear a hat all winter.

[Debbie-cat]

If alot of your clothes are polyester try to wear more cotton. Cotton is warmer and will wisk any perspiration away and keep you warm. Dressing in layers is the best way in cold weather. Wool socks are the warmest but hard to wear when working. If you are sitting at a desk all day, is it possible to bring a pair of wool slippers and put them on while you are sitting there? As far as gloves go, I wear the really thick ones where the top (over the fingers) will flip over to reveal fingerless gloves. They are warm but you have access to your fingers when you need them (while driving for instance).

[MommyTrap]

In the winter I layer a men's undershirt, the tank style, under my shirt and sweater. Mittens are warmer than gloves, they are all I wear, a scarf really helps keep me warm, both indoor an out, very fashionable I think, also a hat will help hold heat in.

[joyofsix]

I too am always cold. I wear silk long underwear under my clothes, fleece socks I made over my socks, a fleece jacket over my clothes and I made small rice bags that I heat up and keep in my jacket pockets.

[MomToTwoBoys]

I wear thick knitted sweaters and a pair of knitted booty pullover slippers that I got for Christmas. I recently got an oversized waffle sweater that pretty much keeps me warm. I find that buying clothing that's thick in texture but not scratchy or bulky works great.

I also have a pair of thin fingered gloves that reach up beyond my elbows. I put those on first, then my long-sleeved sweater and they work great.

[Judi Dial]

If you look at mountaineering sites, they'll tell you to not wear cotton... the piece below is from hikethewhites(dot)com

"Layering is a must for winter hiking. Start with a layer of wicking underware, tops and bottoms. There are all sorts of brand names, but any sort of polypropylene will do. This layer is here to wick the mosture away from your skin, where it will cool you off. The next layer or several layers will be for insulation. In the old days, wool was the only fabric of choice, but now there are several synthetic fabrics (Polarfleece, pile) and down. For active wear (while hiking) fleece or wool works better than down, since down looses it's warmth when it gets wet. While hiking, a thin fleece layer works best for me. Once in camp you will need several more layers of fleece, down, or wool. The final layer, outerware, must be impervious to wind and snow. Most folks use a waterproof/breathable fabric, like Gore-Tex or similar fabrics from other manufactures. It's important to look at the garment and not just the fabric. There are lousy jackets made out of good materials. An integrated hood is a must.
Additional pieces of clothing you will need include a pile or wool hat, mittens and overmitts (no gloves, mitts are much warmer), neck gaitor or face mask, wool socks, and gaitors. Finally, NO COTTON! The standard quip is "Cotton kills." Cotton doesn't keep you warm once it gets wet and becomes useless overnight when it freezes solid."


Judi

[iida]

Pantyhose or long underwear is a must. Long sleeved silk-knit or soft wool shirt under other clothes.
Make sure your feet, hands, head and neck are covered. You can use big wool scarves and wristwarmers or fingerles mittens at home. Felted wool is a good choise for feet.