Clothes for keeping warm

[plantathon]

Last winter we didn't have the heating on, and wore extra layers, culminating in oodies for all. Yesterday and earlier today, I was wearing a jumper over my t shirt and cotton trousers, which made me realise that the jumper wasn't particularly warm and no wonder I was freezing cold all winter. Even though I was covered in 17 gazillion layers they weren't particularly warm, except for the oodie.
Other than buying myself some wool and knitting vests to wear, what can I get so that I have some hope of surviving next winter? DD thinks I'm behaving like a victorian farmer, but I'm so sick of being cold and trussed up in so many layers, I have no workable elbows.

Charity shops often have nice cashmere jumpers for as little as £3, especially if you aren't too fussy about a bit of bobbling or a moth hole.

Same here. Really cosy.

Draught excluder - not for wearing - legs from old tights stuffed with inside of old pillow or ancient fleece jacket

I have one of these which makes a big difference

https://www.nukunuku.co.uk/haramaki-3-c.asp

This.

Thank you all. I've clearly been dressing all wrong. Clearly a product of having had the luxury of central heating all my life. :(

As a child, my mom used to be obsessed with having wool in jumpers. As a teenager doing my own laundry, I hated the stuff, so ensured I never bought it. Now it seems I need to rethink things again.

To the person who asked about whether this is a true economy, sadly, yes it is. I live in a big house designed to be warmed by the underfloor heating, which is what we haven't had on. The radiators just aren't big enough to make an appreciable difference. My hallway rarely went above 12C, down to 7 or 8C if the front door was opened, and the kitchen wavered between 10 and 13C with the too small radiator on full blast. The conservatory door was just shut. I became a bit obsessed with temperature measurements, and it was -1C in there at noon in December. This year, I think dh will likely refuse to even have the radiators on given how much the interest on the mortgage has gone up. I can spend £300 pounds on warm clothes, but that won't make a dent in the heating bill.

@plantathon , wear a vest or a t-shirt that covers your lower back and tucks into your trousers. Wear two pairs of socks. When it's cold, I wear my regular socks with cheap thermal socks from the £1 shop over them. Fleece jackets are warm.

I don't put the heating on unless I have to, but it's not good for the structure of the building to have the house too cold, as in never have the heating on at all.

Would you come back here & itemise your purchases, explain what you got, where you got it, & what it would cost? tbh, I'm interested in how you wash those items, too, if it's easy & cheap to wash. And then how many layers. I have to wear a lot in winter, too (my stuff really is old & cheap).

Lycra is insulating esp. when wet, but I won't argue coz I don't care if others disagree.., I find lycra suffocating/makes me overheat unless fairly cold outside.

Thing about putting on radiators is that they heat the place for multiple people, but you're good if you can spend a small amount & nobody else to worry about.

I got 3 for £10 each off eBay and wore them interchangeably all winter with a oodie over the top. I always wore a base layer underneath so didn’t wash them too often.

I don’t think you are going to get much cheaper.

Cashmere, it's thin and moves with you. Most of mine has holes in or is secondhand, but It doesn't matter for in the house. So warm especially tracksuit bottoms.

At those temperatures, I don’t think clothes are going to be enough - you need a source of heat. Going with heating the person not the room, an electric throw for when you aren’t in bed and an electric blanket for when you are? Much cheaper than central heating.

Long Ugg boots are my number one for being warm in the house. I would never wear short slippers again.
Gillet, down jackets,
M&S base layer long sleeve t shirts are great
finger less gloves for working at home on keyboards
Nice comfy non itchy scarf

I am keen to get one of those down gillets with built in heat pads. not cheap but apparently really good

I wear all the wool layers, merino vest and leggings, padded walking trousers, wool jumper or two - thin one then thick Aran sweater on top then a down body warmer, wool socks, sheepskin slippers and have a heated blanket.
Also use thermal gain so work in different rooms and follow the sun
not being able to afford heating is shit

Proper slippers with a sole rather than those fleece socks.

Can I suggest you buy an heated throw so when your sat on the sofa you’ve got something heated on you. I’d purchase these as soon as possible because last autumn they were none available to purchase anywhere. Last winter I wore thick sweat pants with base layers and thermal socks or sheepskin slippers plus an Oodie on the coldest of days. Onesie are cheap enough on vinted can get brand new on there for pennies. If you start looking now you’ll be more comfortable in those colder months.

As @Strongbeatsskinny says, it’s important to keep feet warm. I wore thermal socks with slipper socks over the top and sheepskin slippers as a third layer.

If you are thinking of getting an oodie there are usually sales at this time of year.

I can’t wear wool, cashmere, acrylic or polyester. They all make me itch.

Silk thermal stuff is the best. And Uniqlo cotton heattech long sleeve t shirts.

The answer is wool, OP.

Merino wool base layers from the socks up. But...it is very pricey! Your heating may be cheaper once you factor in enough clothes for a week.

https://www.smartwool.co.uk/uk/?gclid=CjwKCAjwwb6lBhBJEiwAbuVUSkDCMeoX8Wz-BLedQ7P--GrbtccLNQjTv0mFq67mfbb-2jepjzhBoC2HQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.cambridgebaby.co.uk/catalog/adult

God forbid you wash it incorrectly and it shrinks! We have a wool laundry basket so we do our best to avoid items going in with 'normal' laundry.

I often get men’s jumpers from Edinburgh woollen mill. The cheaper ones. Wouldn’t wear them out of the house but just wear them at home.

there’s also a lot to be said for a strapping vest too under all clothes.

I’ve just realised l can only wear cotton and silk.

Thats so depressing😔

Tent booties. I've always had cold feet, ir's annoying but never really got in the way of anything. Notice it more sat down working as I can't tuck my legs up like on the sofa. At home I've tried slippers, layers of socks, lined socks, wool socks. A hot waterbottle works but I'm cold as soon as I move. Then dh bought me quilted tent booties and I have no more cold feet! And because my feet are warm my whole body is warmer. https://www.climbers-shop.com/clothing/socks/rab-cirrus-hut-boots-in-nightfall-blue__11109947?currency=GBP&chosenAttribute=QAJ-04-NFB-XSM&gclid=CjwKCAjwwb6lBhBJEiwAbuVUSoyR8VXiB2c8u20bIpNNhENZN254FI302ZPkH1EJSjeuMzr5IFaIwxoCbnYQAvD_BwE

I have lambswool and merino jumpers not cashmere, though they are warm. I checked back through my purchases and I spent an average of £8 per jumper including the delivery. This was on ebay before I discovered Vinted, on Vinted I could buy similar jumpers for £5-7 including delivery. That's only a couple of days of heating.

They will last years and only need the occasional wash on a wool/delicates cycle with basic delicates laundry liquid.

To be fair I have a decent selection of cashmere jumpers all bought from the mens section at a charity shop. My most expensive one was £30 but for a really nice weight of cashmere, definitely vintage going by the label but for a good Scottish brand. Equivalent jumper would cost £500+ today.

super warm but not sweaty

Army surplus softie trousers - not in any way stylish but light and very warm.