Warm clothes advice.

[Jerry1]

Any suggestions for some good warm clothes? I live in the north (MI) and have become less able to tolerate the cold. I keep my house at 71 but I’m still feeling chilled. I’ve looked at shirts called a base layer, but they seem to focus more on keeping one warm while still being breathable (for athletic purposes). Looked at a sweater like a cardigan, but that seems a bit Mr. Rodgers to me. I’ve put a few layers on and that helps, but my main wardrobe is cotton and with a t-shirt, a med weight flannel shirt and a hoodie, I’m feeling like that kid in The Christmas Story. Any ideas for items just for hanging out around the house and wanting to stay warm?

 

[Brat]

Take a look at Columbia Sportswear offerings. They have great breathable outerwear.

 

[RetiredHappy]

In winter, we keep the home at 73 to 74 and run the fireplace in the living room where we hang out. My only advise is to run the temp a bit higher and while it costs a bit more in utilities, it's worth every cent of it. Don't suffer if you can afford it. No additional layers is going to be as comfortable as a warm environment.

On the other hand, our friends run their home at 65 and the wife ended up with bad asthma attack and couldn't breathe because it was too cold and ended up with steroids and meds. Their home value is about $1.8M and spend money on unneccesary luxurious stuff, but the husband cannot get past paying more for utilities.

 

[HarveyS]

Get yourself a merino wool under layer. Long sleeve. And some merino wool socks. I gave up cotton years ago. I found it trapped moisture and created a cold feeling. I usually wear a light fleece overlay. You can get these in a variety of weights (light, medium, heavy). Try a couple and see what you like.

 

[HarveyS]

Mountain Wearhouse also has good quality, affordable clothes.

 

[jimbee]

In addition to clothing recommendations, I would recommend checking the indoor humidity level.

 

[Trailwalker]

I have a variety of fleeces that I wear during the winter. The heaviest ones keep me very warm even when the house is mid 60's before I restart the wood stove in the morning. I also like the Columbia offerings. Also, warm thick socks help.

 

[pacergal]

good, soft wool socks
DH has multiple soft long sleeve Pendleton wool shirts he wears with a t shirt underneath-keeps him plenty warm.
You can also find thin fleece lined pants you could try

 

[Ronstar]

Layers, and electric socks when things get real bad indoors. I normally wear 2 pairs of socks during the winter.

 

[braumeister]

My favorite for really cold days is a fleece-lined flannel shirt. I'm wearing one now!
https://www.llbean.com/llb/search/?freeText=fleece+lined+flannel&init=1

 

[tmm99]

I can't remember the name of the setting, but I had my HVAC set to move the air around in the house all the time (It may not have been all the time, I don't know, but it was supposed to make the system run more efficiently and you end up saving more money or something.) and that caused a draft and I was cold all the time. I realized this at some point and changed the setting and it made a world of difference (I felt much warmer after I changed the setting), so you may want to check your HVAC to make sure the fan doesn't kick in all the time.

If that's not the problem then I would probably check any draft that may exist for other reasons. Once that's addressed, in your situation, I would probably raise the temp by a couple of degrees instead of bundling up as long as the cost of heating is still manageable.

Personally though, I want to acclimate a bit during winter months, so I set my thermostat to 68 during the day and wear a light fleece jacket on top of my shirt when I'm sitting in the living room watching TV, etc. I have my thermostat temp set to drop down to 65 at night (I like lower temp when I sleep) and if I feel cold (if I'm staying up late), I may add a throw on my legs or take a hot bath before I go to bed. I sleep better after a hot bath anyway.

 

[aja8888]

Down vests from L.L. Bean or the North Face, flannel shirts, Marino wool socks from Darn Tough Socks in Vermont. A hoodie when the winds get bad I'd a good idea to wear under a down vest or coat.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Good luck—days are getting longer!

Agree with warming up the house during waking hours—bumping the thermostat up is good! We live in a very old house in the Chicago suburbs and replacing all the single pane drafty windows made a huge difference for winter comfort. We also run a little electric space heater when we watch TV in the chilliest room in the house.

DH doesn’t feel the cold like I do but I’ve known him to wear a down vest indoors on days the temps stay below freezing—it’s so lightweight. Maybe try that.

 

[GrayHare]

Wool was too itchy until I found rag wool sweaters, LL Bean has some.

 

[OldShooter]

My best winter jacket is a down parka intended for people who work outside in the winter. Tough outer shell fabric, fur trimmed hood. I bought it on sale in February or March a few years ago. IIRC is was something like $400 list, marked down by 50% or so. I shop Cabelas, LL Bean, and Eddie Bauer. I don't remember which one for this purchase.

Caveat emptor:, (a) Stitching that ties the outer shell to the inner shell creates a path for cold. Be sure to check for this. Serious jackets have an intermediate internal layer and stitching that blocks this heat loss. (b)"puffer" jackets seem to be becoming a thing. Be careful to get real goose down, not some "puffer" polyester insulation. It does matter.

 

[MTB4me]

Another vote for merino wool socks, particularly the thicker ones. Get mine from Costco where they have a six pack for around $20. And while many of the recommendations above focus on the upper body, I find that keeping my legs warm is just as important. 32degrees.com has some low-cost lightweight baselayer leggings that work great. I even wear them with my flannel-lined jeans when it's my day to walk the dog. That combo really cuts the cold when just sitting around the house reading a book.

Beyond that, I've taken to having a thermos of decaf tea at the ready. Can't tolerate much caffeine these days as it wrecks my sleep, but there is plenty of good decaf tea out there. Been real happy with the offerings at harney.com. Sign up for their e-mail list to get the occasional deal.

Stay warm!

 

[Golden Mean]

I wear Merino wool long johns from Costco. Have soft wool socks too for really cold days.

 

[ls99]

Layered light clothing works great, add a hat and socks, good to go. Keep house at 68 to 70F. When outside temp around 25 F or lower, light off the woodstove.

 

[Koolau]

DW used to wear a set of thermal underwear around the house - and on outings. We had different temperature tolerances. We agreed that she could always put on MORE clothes than I could take off. YMMV

 

[RunningBum]

I'll echo the merino wool baselayer suggestion. Don't discount breathability as being only for active sports.

Wear the hood on your hoodie or a cap of some kind. That can make a big difference. The front hoodie pocket can also be nice for warming up your hands, if needed.

I splurged on the LL Bean wicked good slippers this year. Super comfy and warm, and my feet don't sweat in them.

 

[ivinsfan]

Instead of wool base layer I would recommend getting some silk long base layer at least for your bottom half. Pair this with a nice sweatpant and that should be warm. For the top layer, experiment until you find something that works..I often wear a mens tank type undershirt, a long sleeve shirt and then either an older hoodie or sweater. And yes buy good socks...

 

[Slotracer]

As others have said, merino wool socks - Darn Tough are expensive but worth it. A heavy quarter-zip from Patagonia, Orvis, LL Bean, or Eddie Bauer (I like the Patagonia Better Sweater). Vests are good too. Flannel-lined pants are very warm.

A tip - if you find a brand, style, and size of quarter-zip, vest, or jacket you like, check eBay. There are many be unworn ones with a company logo embroidered on for drastically less money than a new one from the store.

 

[Gumby]

Currently wearing a T-shirt, under a long sleeved T-shirt, under a long sleeved flannel shirt, with a fleece jacket hanging on the back of the chair just in case. Wool socks and fleece lined LL Bean moccasins.

 

[Koolau]

Currently wearing a T-shirt, under a long sleeved T-shirt, under a long sleeved flannel shirt, with a fleece jacket hanging on the back of the chair just in case. Wool socks and fleece lined LL Bean moccasins.

Heh, heh, and temp set at 81??

 

[iloveyoga]

Socks with wool or a wool blend are very cozy. I prefer thin, cotton layers to bulky items.