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.

I love m&s extra warm thermals.

then a few thin layers on top so will go, thin sleeveless cotton vest, thick long sleeve thermal, tshirt, then charity shop/ebay cashmere jumper or cardigan and flannel shirt on top. It’s only 3 layers on the arms, so doesn’t feel too bulky.

bought dh an oodie, and tried it myself, but just felt so heavy and bulky it wasn’t for me.

Have you got a heated blanket for when you are sitting? They don't use much electricity yet can keep you really warm.

Also, if your neck is warm it helps your whole body feel warmer.

Uniqlo and m&s sell thin thermals that you can wear under regular clothes. I got a really thin thermal long sleeve vest from intimissimi, it under a long sleeve polo neck top and a body warmer all work really well and not too bulky.

Yy to real wool jumpers, the more chunky and fisherman like the better.
Also merino thermals, ugg- type boots, hiking sicks and turtle doves.
Plus a great big wool blanket.

I know it’s not clothing, but echo the advice to get a heated throw if you can
We bought them fairly cheaply last year and I lived under mine while WFH, our heating use was minimal last winter (just enough to ward off damp!)

Also agree on the heated throw. If you are with Octopus you may be able to get one for free if you are struggling.

We did a combination of warm clothing, heated throw, and heating the house to 14 once a day. The minimal heating helped to dry the washing, though I try to keep that to a minimum by only washing things when they are dirty.

I also find that wool jumpers don't need to be washed all that often so long as you don't actually spill your dinner down them. I tend to air mine and wash infrequently.

I have a few I rotate, mainly I just fancy a different colour. I would probably put on a wool wash midwinter then at the end of winter. At home in winter I'd layer with a t-shirt underneath and a hoodie on top so the jumpers rarely get anything on them.

Merino wool base layers can normally be machine washed on delicate cycle as can thin jumpers and they dry quickly on an airer.
I have a couple of thick wool handknit jumpers I might wash 2 or 3 times over the winter. Wash by hand, fold into a big towel and squeeze out the water, then dry on the airer.

yes - wool is very good for resisting pongs - hence often used by modern cyclists as base layers* - doesn't need washing very often - and if you shower frequently and are using round the house you aren't going to pong them much anyway - wear a cotton sweatshirt or whatever as top layer for any spills.

I've got a wool vest (not a base layer as such 'cos it's not tight). It's as thin as a cobweb but warmer than an acrylic jumper and cardi combined. It truly is a magic fibre. It can absorb up to a third of it's weight in water but not feel wet. It also gets warmer when absorbing this moisture making it ideal for under wear.

what is this magic thing?
you are right though - bulk is not important - there's a lot of terrible useless fleeces around that trap no warm air. The material needs to be good quality technical material. Polartec is good - I sometimes wear a Polartec hat inside in cold weather. As tech material it was rather pricey but it's such a bizarre colour scheme it would actually be impossible to wear outside. Luckily the age of pricey energy hit us so I eventually found a use for my impulse purchase.
Aldi can be good for thin merino baselayers - look out for their cycling promos.

All fleece is designed to trap air due to the pile. Thermofleece is warmer but all fleeces should trap air.

Wear a hat , that’s where the heat escapes .

Not all "fleece" is equal. A partner of mine had one from Primark. Thick and heavy, cold and useless.

No, not all fleece is equal but all trap air.

I put a hot water bottle in the waistband of my trousers.

Bliss!

I also have merino cycling layers cheap from Aldi.

Indeed the cycling stuff in Aldi was a chance, but effective find!

I like the M&S thermals, live in Scotland and pretty much always wear one every day from October to April!

Lidl fleece poncho also excellent. Think it was £8, a grey fleecy blanket to wear. Toasty all winter. Plus as others have said, turtlebay cashmere glove seconds from ebay (buy now before it gets cold). Got old lady ankle boot slippers with lining which covered my ankles, made from something acrylic, also around £8 on ebay. And a lap blanket made a big difference too.

Further thought, what also made big differences - bought army surplus blankets, also from ebay, one for each of us. Great additions on bed, or when sitting watching tv.

I got lovely grey suede boots from Aldi last year. Wool lined. I used them as slippers and they are very warm. They might do them again.

I got a wool long chunky knit cardi in the Next sale for £19. They always have some wool ones that go into the sale.

It was really bloody cold in our house this winter 7dc at one point! do I'm saving up for a rad clean and boiler service but layers definitely worked. Long sleeve tshirts, jumper, cardi and oldie but my legs was always cold. My sister bough me thermals from M&S

Adding this link as they've got a big sale on
I had some great slippers for a fiver, very ugly but so warm!

https://onaie.com/collections/discounted-sheepskin-slippers?kx=DH6k7L5lupAusZJtjHfKJ-DXVPavy1Aa76IhhJ4cuo1DsRy785bQ8RtnFR2ncHy.SCamPc

I have a few wool and cashmere bits from Vinted/charoty shops but also wanted to add another voice for Uniqlo heattech
I look on eBay and Vinted for long sleeve tops and leggings which make excellent pyjamas as well as base layers.

If you get wool clothing etc, store it the rest of the year in air-tight plastic bags, to avoid moth damage.

As a PP said, it's one thing to keep your body temperate warm enough, but it can't be good for you to be breathing very cold air all the time.

I find that a silk scarf around your neck makes a big difference (in addition to the four layers of clothing...). Think draught excluders for your clothing: neckline (scarf), wrists (cuffs or wrist warmers), ankles (cuffs or leg warmers).

Legwarmers are great for wearing under trousers - ideally wool or wool-rich. Avoid cotton as it takes forever to dry in winter. If you can't find legwarmers, knee-length socks are more widely available: cut the foot off, and hem the bottom to stop it fraying. Leg warmers don't need washing as often as socks, so you're not bulking out your laundry basket/drawer with lots of big heavy socks - just a couple of pairs of legwarmers in addition to your normal socks.